The insights and information on this page represent the overall averages of the combined costs of vehicle ownership. We aggregate and analyze millions of automotive data points from a variety of the industry's leading data providers. We are very much hopeful, however, that your car or truck will last well beyond twelve years, and that it gets you to where you want to go. Moreover, maintenance costs beyond that timeframe become significantly more varied, as a vehicle owner's care of a particular vehicle will greatly impact its value, and ongoing maintenance costs. The solidity is exemplary the S8 uses the highest quality materials and feels like it is going to last forever.While the "Useful Lifespan" of a vehicle will vary greatly from one model to the next, and even one owner to the next, we have determined that twelve years is the most appropriate timeframe which will yield us good, usable data - and that any data beyond that timeframe becomes more dispersed, and ultimately less reliable. It feels like it will last for ever.Īs expected on what is now the most expensive Audi in Australia (following the axing of the mid-engined R8 sports car), every comfort, convenience and driving assistance function known to Audi is fitted or available. The S8’s interior is as plush and hi-tech as befits the price and the brand. The air vents open when the ignition is turned on until then it’s almost all smooth surfaces to go with the minimal physical controls in this classy interior. The S8 has sports instrumentation and front seats with better side bolstering, while the wood-grain interior highlights give way to a polished carbon-fibre veneer. Inside the latest A8 cars are upgraded screens (there are three) with Audi’s latest Multi-Media Interface. The sport diff allows active torque vectoring (as opposed to torque vectoring by braking) for extra sharp turn in the all-wheel steering helps in that regard too, as well as making the big S8 easier to park. A nice party trick: the air springs dramatically lift the low-slung sedan upon opening the door to make it easier to climb in.Īll hail the S8’s twin-turbo 4-litre V8, but for how long? Still, even in its softest setting, the S8 is firmer than the standard A8. It can give sporting handling, and decent ride comfort. The air suspension uses cameras to “read” the road ahead and will adjust height and firmness in response. The S8 will hit 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, ahead of most 2.2 tonne-plus petrol cars, though it isn’t as quick as its battery stablemate, the e-tron GT. The quattro “brain” can almost instantly apportion up to 70 per cent of the output to the front wheels, or a maximum of 85 per cent to the rear, depending on circumstances. This develops a mighty 420 kW and 800 Nm and puts it down to the ground with aplomb (and sonic theatrics) via Audi’s all-wheel drive quattro system. Power comes from a twin-turbo 4-litre V8 with a 48-volt mild hybrid system. The S8 is built on the shorter of the two A8 wheelbases, understandably. The changes are biggest at night because all the lights have been upgraded to the latest LED tech. The exterior changes are small the S8 has a wider grille and a mild reworking on the front bumper, lower side sills and rear graphics. We drove the standard A8 first then the S8 the former was quieter and more refined than any petrol-powered SUV, the S8 almost certainly quicker through the curves.Īt $273,400 plus on-road costs, the S8 is based on a 2022 update of the fourth-generation A8, which was first sold in Europe back in 2017 (the S8 variant for the 4th gen followed two years later). Still, the latest Audi provides a fine reminder of how good a well-designed sedan can be. Yes, there were supply issues in all cases, but these four brands sold ship-loads of SUVs in the same period. BMW sold 29 internal combustion 7-Series sedans and Mercedes 28 S-Classes, while Lexus was still looking for a fourth person to buy its LS sedan. Here, Audi sold just 5 A8s in the first three months of this year. It’s a big, heavy but beautiful petrol sedan that’s well-designed throughout.Īdded to which, the market for large, conventionally powered sedans has all but disappeared in many parts of the world. For that, you’ll have to buy the smaller and less roomy (but highly impressive) Audi e-tron GT. Yet the S8 misses out on the most transformative tech of the moment: electricity. Firstly it is the company’s flagship limousine but has been given the “S” treatment, which makes it more sporty, but less limousine-y.Īnd, as the company’s newest and dearest car, it is the traditional place to show off the brand’s latest technology. The new Audi S8 contains within in it several contradictions.
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