2014 Audi A8 L TDI – Review and Road Test – The Diesel Driver – The Joy of Diesel Driving

The pre sense system, which foresees front and rear impacts, will warn the driver of a possible crash as well as re-position the seats to reduce the risk of injury, pre-tension the seatbelts, and close the windows. I used the blind spot monitor quite frequently, and I liked the non-obtrusive LEDs in the inside of the side mirrors that you could still see in your peripheral vision.

The entire cabin of the A8 is posh, and the extended wheelbase of the A8 L makes the rear even roomier than the front. Our tester was equipped with 18-way seats, which were heated, ventilated, and had easily the best massage to be found in a car. A knob with four directional buttons adjusts the thigh support, bolsters, and lumbar settings. The massage program is set via the MMI screen. While the thigh support adjusted just enough for my taste, but as with the Q5, the front, when raised to its maximum, was still short of what I wanted. Like every other recent Audi that is not a convertible, the A8 lacks front-seat headroom; I had less than two inches between my head and the roof with the rear of the seat in its lowest position. At least my head didn’t hit the roof, which it does in smaller models, and I’m only 6’1”.

BOTTOM LINE

The A8 has been the underdog for quite a while now, something that competes with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series, but didn’t really have the mindshare to get owners of those models to step foot in an Audi showroom. That is, however, in the past tense. Between Audi’s aggressive levels of innovation, their design risk-taking, and the fact that the A8 TDI undercuts the S350 BlueTec by $15,000, this German is prime to move on up from the second division of the Bundesliga, and take on the greats head-on.

THE DETAILS

	2014 Audi A8 L TDI
Base price/price-as-tested	$82,500/$99,445
Drivetrain	Front engine, all-wheel drive
Engine	3.0-liter 6 cylinder
Horsepower/Torque (pound-feet)	240/406
Transmission	8-speed automatic
Curb weight (lbs)
Wheelbase (inches)
Length x width x height (inches)
0-60 mph (seconds)
Fuel economy (mpg)	24/36

(Photos: Accura Media Group)

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