Flawless fit and finish both inside and out. Understated luxury. Power and 4WD handling. 115000 miles and still tight as a drum.

The unknown future. The shifting of the transmission is not acceptable at low speeds, and using the tiptronic play heck with the gas mileage. The headrests and the slope of the rear window, makes window cleaning VERY difficult. The concealed interior storage is non existant (since the glove box is so difficult to open). The lack of available aftermarket parts. The "baby" passenger side mirror. The Audi dealerships lack of interest in customer satisfaction. And did I mention the unknown future of a high mileage 98 A8 ???????

This is my first experience with an Audi. Fortunatly (or unfortunatly) I read the 1998 A8 Quattro reviews after I bought the car (I might have been scared off by some of the reviews). My A8 had 85000 miles on it, and looked showroom new. I was drawn to the car because it was the only car on the lot that would carry a $28000 finance that would allow me to get out from under a Hyundai Sonata. I have put 30000 miles on this car in just over a year, and I have been very satisfied with it so far. I too have had bad service from the only 2 Audi dealers in St. Louis, but after finding a local foreign car service shop, life is better. I have replaced the timing belt ($800.00) the left front axle ($300.00) the right cv boot and rear drive shaft seal ($500.00) battery ($120.00) ceramic brake pads (to TRY and reduce the brake dust) ($500.00) and several ($120.00) oil changes. A previous comment on this forum compared this car to a high maintenance women (expensive but worth it) and I have to agree... This is the most beautiful understated piece of machinery that I have ever owned. This is only the second foreign car I have ever owned, and I will never buy American again...(at least at the time of this writing, and also at the time of this writing, I will buy another A8). I would however appreciate comments from long term owners of this car, so I might cut my losses if I need to....

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Lincoln Mark VIII, Cadillac Sedan DeVille

Performance, quiet ride, handling, comfort, great sound system and unique creature features

Audi service, costly parts, not for your typical mechanic to work on

I purchased my A8 from a locacl BMW dealership who didn't hesitate to give the car away. One of the headlights wasn't functioning so I promptly took the vehicle in for repairs at the Houston Advantage Audi dealership. The auto was looked over and they stated the headlight ignitor was out and it would cost 450.00 to replace plus 200.00 for the bulb as well. The inept boobs failed to test either and after sending to a European auto repair shop, they quickly determined the bulb was out and provided the same bulb Audi was offering for 142.00. These autos are great to drive but as previous owners stated, Audi service SUCKS.

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BMW 745i Mercedes S500 VW Phaeton

Powerful, smooth, quiet, well built, every luxury appointment, understated styling, excellent handling, triptonic shift, bose stereo, excellent fit and finish.

Electric mirrors not working, front passegner window not working. Fortunately the window is closed while I continue into my 6th week wait for the parts. Had to pay to have the glove compartment lock fixed. The steering wheel does not heat up. I am anxiety about the reliability and repair costs after after reading the other reviews. I should have bought a Lexus but the car is the best car I have even driven. It's the service, repairs, and reliability that are inexcusable. though the A8 is a superior car.

Bought my A8 used with 40K miles. I had the car for 5 days when it was hit by a Jeep Cherokee. The damage was minor but it took 5 months for the repair shop to complete the repairs. Only certified shops cana repair the aluminum body. The car sat for 10 weeks before repairs were begun. Finally, the car was towed to the local Audi dealership to have the transmission oil changed. It sat for 3 weeks before they changed the oil. I had asked that the electrical and power switches be checked while the car was at Audi. They did not check the systems, so when the car was returned to me, the power mirrors and the passenger power window were not working. It has been 5 weeks since they ordered the part. I have call the dealership 3 times and no one has returned by call. Do not buy this car if you don't have patience dealing with dealers who don't care about your time or if you don't have a second car. I will not buy another Audi because it's the worse experience I have had with a dealer.

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Lexus GS 300

The car lives up to all the positive reviews in regard to performance and looks.

In this instance, unreliable. Major service problems remain unresolved in brand new car. Audi's dealer support seems inadequate to resolve technical (i.e., computer/electronic) problems.

The car has been in service for almost five of the nine weeks which I have owned the vehicle. Repeated electronic failures attributed to "the computers" have baffled my local service department. These failures have affected at least six different electrical systems including battery failure. Parts, I am informed. are on back order and need to be shipped from Germany. Audi has (finally) verbally agreed to replace the car. (My promise to picket their booth at the Detroit Auto Show may have influenced their decision.) I am concerned about future problems with this model, however and remain uncertain whether to accept their offer or insist on refund.

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Audi A-6T, Porche, Infiniti, BMW

Speed, quiet, build quality, subtleness, confidence, all-wheel drive, luxury features, uniqueness, interior detail, trunk space, interior space, sunroof, just existing

Front suspension falls apart, climate control is moody, not that many made, so no choices for parts other than Audi. Audi dealers all SUCK, and they are massively incompetent about fixing A8's. Audi of America does not care either.

What can I say about this car. It is not only the nicest car I have ever driven, it may be the nicest car I have ever been in. I had Mercedes for years, plus lots of other cars. This has to be the best thought out car that the world has produced in its class (no, I'm not saying its the best car) The interior is stunning, and the design for functionality is flawless, except maybe the navigation, which is always goofy in every car. The finish is simply perfect. The exterior design is a total sleeper, totally unpretentious and understated. No one notices me, which is exactly the way I like it. Especially when I am doing 85 MPH! Fantastic safe family car too. Plenty of room for 3 kids, with room to spare in the back, huge trunk with great built in ski storage. And then there is the speed... this thing is a silent rocket ship. The speed is intoxicating, especially because the quattro allows you to take advantage of the speed in almost all conditions. The brakes are good too But as many others have stated here, you must be willing to deal with the whack you take on depreciation, and that things break somewhat frequently. If your tolerance level and expectations are set around boring toyotas never breaking, do not buy an Audi. If you are looking for something distinctive that is fast, silent, beautiful and subtle, there is no substitute for the A8 There are things that can be improved for sure. The OEM tires simply suck, as does the garbage bose audio system (bose is the greatest fraud ever perpetuated on a naive public). The climate system has mood swings occasionally, and the memory seat/steering/mirror system, well, its memory could be better

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Have owned them all, Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar, and lots of other things here and there.

All aluminum engine, space-frame and body panels are very unique. How many cars can you still get with a v-8? Drive an inline-4 after driving this car and it feels like a Briggs and Straton lawn mower engine. Extremely smooth shifting. Feels like there is one gear. Nice weighed steering. Interior feels like interior of private lear jet. Interior has everybut but a bidet. This vehicle is very German but also quirky. Bose 9 speaker stereo system takes time to get used to all the buttons but has superb bass and realistic tone.

The vehicle will start to overheat in heavy traffic even though I have had the cooling system totally flushed out and re-filled. The engine compartment is just extremely hot. May have something to do with that large aluminum engine shoved in there. The headlights are not as bright as expected on such a high end auto. The a/c drain got plugged and the water continued to overflow onto the front floorboards soaking the mats. Luckilly I discovered this in time and dried out the interior before mildew could set in. Will be costly and time consuming to fix. Naturally with all the gizmos the electric headrests, seatbelt height adjusts have stopped working. Not worth the cost in fixing in my opinion. 16 inch standard alloys too small for this car. Front door bass speaker ports bumps out puffs of air which tickle your ankle if not wearing long pants. Front brake rotors/pads/sensor replacement, minor tune-up, cooling system flush, cv joint replacement and oil change cost $1,600. Like a high-maintenance woman this car will cost you but is still worth the money.

This car has amazing understated luxury. You feel like a company CEO driving this car and your passengers feel like they are in a Limosine. The quality and finish of the interior makes a BMW 740il look like a Camry. My friend drives a Mercedes AMG 55 and the interior of the A8 is just as nice. The bright red dashboard illumination makes the interior look like a fighter pilot cockpit. The cars ride smoothes out many road bumps yet maintains a firm, sporty ride. I originally was going to buy a 1997 It's nice to stand out from the sea of BMW's, Lexus's and Mercedes in Dallas. I have only seen (3) other A8's on the road.

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MR-2 Turbo, Yamaha YZF-750, Suzuki GSXR-750.

Fast, glued to the road handling for a big car, excellent interior finish, good exterior design.

Let's face it. Not many of these cars are built. There are numerous problems that need to be addressed. Don't buy one if you can't afford the post warrenty repairs.

I love these cars - but people must be warned they are always in the shop. I should know - I've owned two and the first was a lemon I sued and got all my money back and the second was an audi assured used model (was afraid of buying new) and it too has endless problems. However, they drive like no other sedan, are very fast, super comfortable and look better than the competition

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BMWs and Mercedes.

Very light and well handling. Well appointed. Comfortable at all speeds.

Reslae value is extremely low. Good for someone looking to buy used. Bad for the person who took the hit on the depreciation.

As I told my salesman, if you really want to sell an A8, have the customer speak to me. Never before have I driven a car that possesses EVERYTHING I could ever want in a car. It's fast, comfortable, stylish and all wheel drive. The interior is ultra functional and comfortable, while the exterior does everything but scream, "Hey, I'm the best value in the luxury segment!" Dollar for dollar the A8 is the best all around luxury car, bar none.

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S500, BMW's-735I, 635CSI, 525i.

310 HP V8 Aluminum frame Quattro drivetrain Solar package keeps car cool in summer sun Plush and well thought out interior Suspension nice compromise of ride and handling

Rear head rests should recess into seat backs when not in use to give less obstructed view out rear window. Control arms need to be replaced after 90,000 miles $1,700 ouch!

I have 120,000 miles on my A8 now and it has only been in the shop once outside routine maintainance and that was for the infamous control arm replacement. Has been an absolute stellar performer and the pearl white exterior still draws admiring glances. Friends that are passengers can not believe it has 120,000 miles on it and does not have a single rattle or creak. Truely a well put together vehicle. The quattro system is indispensable with the kind of snow we get here on lake Michigan and yet it handles well in the warmer months (unlike an SUV). I particularly like the subtlety that the A8 exudes. It does not scream, "hey look at my $70,000+ car" like other german marques, however, those in the know always give it an approving nod. It is the czar of understated style. I have been so impressed with this vehicle that I am doing something I have never done before; I am trading it in for a new A8. I looked around at other cars but the A8 is still the only vehicle that combines aluminum(no rust,light weight),V8 power(no unreliable turbos or superchargers),quattro(midwest winters)and this level of luxury and refinement. I can't imagine anyone living in the snowbelt going with the BMW,Benz or Lexus. I see them in my rearview mirror during the winter and laugh all the way up the snow covered hill.

Fit and finish Great Dash/Lighting Passenger room (back) Smooth and consistent performance Classic style, exclusivity

Brakes could have a bit more heft Driver armrest could extend out further No day-time running lights

Vault-like smoothness. Handles corners in road-holding fashion that belies its size. Not a jack-rabbit, but smooth, constant acceleration. Everything is in the right place eergonomically. I have no problem with the steering. Light Silver color compliments the lines. 18" "pie-plates" look great.

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