2011 Audi A8 Reviews

2011 Audi A8

As luxury sedan go, the Audi A8 is hardly a household name. Audi promises sportier driving dynamics for the 2011 Audi A8 thanks to the all-wheel-drive system's decidedly rear-biased power split; the idea here is to provide more of the feel of a rear-drive performance sedan. The 2011 Audi A8 comes in two trims: standard and long-wheelbase L (which provides more room for rear seat passengers).

Both Audi A8 models come standard with 19-inch alloy wheels, adaptive air suspension, Audi Drive Select (allows adjustment of suspension, steering and engine/transmission response), xenon headlights, a sunroof, Audi's Multi Media Interface (MMI) system with a touchpad that can interpret fingertip gestures, a navigation system, cruise control, a power-adjustable steering wheel, leather upholstery, 12-way power front seats, heated front and rear seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power rear sunshade, Bluetooth and a Bose surround-sound audio system (with HD and satellite radio, iPod connectivity, a 20GB music server and a CD changer). The L adds park assist (with rearview camera), keyless ignition/entry, power-closing doors, power rear side sunshades and a power-operated trunk.

The Cold Weather package includes heated steering wheel/rear seats and a rear-seat pass-through (with ski sack). The Rear Seat Comfort package adds power lumbar/recline and ventilation, rear vanity mirrors and four-zone climate control. The Driver Assistance package includes adaptive cruise control, a blind-spot monitor, a lane-departure warning system and a pre-braking system. The Sport package (regular A8 only) includes 20-inch wheels, a sport-tuned suspension, a torque-vectoring rear differential, upgraded leather upholstery and the 22-way power front seats.

Standard on all 2011 Audi A8s are antilock brakes, stability and traction control, full-length side curtain airbags, front- and rear-seat side airbags and active front headrests. They've been running this road for over a decade, only to have me show and spoil their ragtag rally in Audi's latest luxo-bruiser.

Nestled between the teach and speed is Audi's seven-inch central information display, a screen that keeps everything from navigation instructions to infotainment information directly in front of the driver. The MMI Touch is hands-down the A8's killer app, and Audi's competitor’s better hope that the patent application has more holes than the Steelers' defense.

In addition to the de rogue adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection and Audi Lane Assist (wander out of your lane and the steering wheel gently vibrates), Audi will begin offering an optional factory-installed WLAN hotspot that can not only connect to any number of Wifi devices, it can plumb a fully-integrated Google Earth experience into the MMI system. With the Audi Drive Select set to Dynamic, a Cray's worth of computing power seamlessly tweaks the adaptive air suspension and S4-derived Sport Differential to nearly eliminate any trace of under steer and allow mid-corner lifts to forcibly tuck that massive schnoz into bends.

The luxury sedan segment is cluttered with numerous offerings spanning many different countries. Germany is the pack leader with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series, and the Audi A8, while Japan counters with the Lexus LS460. Jaguar delivers with the new XJ, which is combination of elegant lines and old world grace, while American company, Cadillac, offers up the Stone Age DTS.

The massive grille is flanked by Audi’s typical LED headlights that some love and some love to hate. If the exterior design leaves a bad taste in the mouth, the interior should put all those negative thoughts to rest. This screen, which is larger than some navigation screens in normal cars, can allow the driver to scroll through stations or iPod tracks, view a virtual compass, navigational directions or the car’s computer.

The optional Night Vision Assistant with Thermal-Imaging Infrared Camera mounted in the front bumper will help the driver keep track of small animals or small children that happen to walk in front of the sedan. Audi’s latest implementation of the MMI system incorporates a rectangular touchpad that will allow the driver to write in letters with their fingertip, as opposed to the typical knob that forced many to twist and twist until the correct address was found. Of course, Audi hasn’t rested on its new MMI system, as they have plenty of other features to amaze potential buyers.

These systems include adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, and Audi Lane Assist. Despite the advanced navigation system, one never has to leave the driveway in order to enjoy the optional Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System. Technological toys are all well and good, but if the car doesn’t go like it should, one might as well just stay home. Luckily, the Audi A8 is one of the best driving sedans on the road.

Audi combined a lightweight aluminum space-frame chassis with a 372 horsepower, 4.2-liter direct-injection V8 to achieve better performance results. Power is sent to all four wheels thanks to Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive system. Audi clocked the A8’s 0-60 mph run at just 5.7 seconds, but that’s not the whole story. When placed in Dynamic mode, the Audi becomes a sports sedan. What Audi managed to do here is stunning and worthy of fifty gold stars