S8 review - 5 days in (long and LOTS of pictures)
03-20-2002, 09:03 AM
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S8 review - 5 days in (long and LOTS of pictures)
After 5 days in my S8, I have come to the following conclusion: Wow!
Exterior: I can't fault the looks at all. I always liked the pre-2002 A4 look and was not so keen on the more rounded A6 style (hence buying an Avant), so the 2002 A8's angular style is my kind of thing. I chose Dolphin Grey because it was a little bit different to the silver and black cars I had had previously without being too 'lifestyle'.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8o1.jpg">
Interior: My interior is black leather with black alcantara inserts. I think black is by far my favourite colour (just call me conservative!), and it really seems to suit the S8 with black maple trim. The quality of the interior is obviously to Audi's usual standard, but the plastic parts around the Navigation Plus and A/C controls do show even the slightest amount of dust.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8consol1.jpg">
The seats are very adjustable, the electric adjustment covers seat height (separate front and rear of the seat), reach, rake, lumbar and also the headrest height and seat-belt height adjuster. Combined with the adjustable steering wheel, it's not too hard to get a comfortable position. The front extending thigh support is handy for somebody who's 6' 1" and adds to comfort considerably.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8seats1.jpg">
All the electric seat settings, mirror settings and A/C settings are stored against the remote key so by the time you have opened up, everything's how you want it to be - great if you have more than one driver in the family.
The air conditioning has vents absolutely everywhere. I doubt you could think of anywhere else to put one even if you tried.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8vents1.jpg">
Controls: Again, mostly as you'd expect. It seems strange but comforting to get back into an Audi with the headlight controls on a stalk, the feel is very Audi.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8lightstalk.jpg">
The Navigation Plus is quite a big unit, and pushes the air conditioning controls lower down and the whole thing does require more concentration to use whilst driving. I have the multifunction steering wheel, which is OK to use, but it is easy to press the tiptronic buttons by mistake compared to the 3-spoke wheel.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8wheeltip.jpg">
Speaking of Tiptronic, the 3rd, 4th and 5th gear lockouts are gone, replaced by two distinct drive settings, regular drive and sport mode (referred to by my partner in crime as "demo mode"). Sport mode doesn't make things any faster, in fact it's hard to figure out exactly what is <i>does</i> do on an S8. I think it waits longer before deciding you've reached your target speed and lowering the revs after booting it.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8tip.jpg">
Unfortunately, the colour DIS being lifted up in the display means the alternator volts and oil temperature dials have gone.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8dash1.jpg">
Navigation Plus: This deserves it's own section for being so clever. Basically a Blaupunkt Travel Pilot DX with some Audification, Navplus is an intelligent and well thought out system. The 5" colour display is slightly moveable for easier reading, and provides maps and information in daylight and night colour sets, switching to night colours when you switch on the headlights.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8nav1.jpg">
Once a route is programmed in and calculated, the Driver Information Display gives a "heads up" display with critical information like distance to next navigation point, direction, distance to destination and ETA. Upon reaching a junction, the display changes to a junction diagram with your intended route and the name of the road you need to turn into shown along with a countdown bar to the turn.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8nav4.jpg">
The voice prompting is clear and intelligent, easily able to cope with complex sentences like "Take the second left, then turn immediately right and continue to follow the A15." and "Exit the roundabout at the third turning and continue to follow the road." without sounding like a Dalek with a bad cold. The accuracy of both the GPS and dead-reackoner are quite impressive and the system will prompt you in advance that a junction is upcoming, again when a turn on that junction is required and once again when you should actually indicate and manoeuvre. It is very hard to overshoot a turning with it.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8compass.jpg">
Once you get bored of having Navplus tell you where to go on route you already know, there's a wealth of toys to play with like the compass view and you can have a locator map running without actually having a route programmed. Even if you know where you are going, programming a route means you can hit the tailback function if you come across standing traffic and just make a turn while the route is recalculated and you are given alternate directions. If you are lucky enough to live in a country with RDS-TMC broadcasts, this process is automated for you and you are directed to turn off before you even hit the traffic jam. The UK CD includes a variety of other information like hotels, parking and fuel stations which is a reassurance when out of town.
The optional TV function is fairly useless for actually watching TV, but does have a Teletext feature and two additional A/V inputs which I intend to find and utilise!
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8consol2.jpg">
Performance: What do you expect from an S8? With 360hp on tap, it's no slouch. Straight-line pulling is strong and smooth, although it will rev to around 7300 rpm, which is above the indicated redline. Cornering such a big car is always a slightly unnerving prospect, but the aluminium space-frame reduces weight to not much more than an A6 despite the increase in size and equipment, and corners are dispatched with a kind of ease that belies the speeds involved - I have made corners at speeds that would have had the A6's ESP flashing with not so much as a chirp of protest from the fat 245 section rubber at each corner. Braking is swift and sure-footed, and so far I have not found fade to be a problem. The front brakes certainly look like they know what stopping is all about.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8avus.jpg">
There is a slight tendency to wander while driving in a straight line, and the S8 will happily track into almost any impression in the road however slight, so it does require more attention to be kept on driving than either my A4 or A6 ever did, but I'd rate it no worse than either of the S4s I test-drove.
As my S8 was already in the showroom, it came with a fairly random set of options, but having lived with them so far, I doubt I'd have picked much else. The Audi integrated GSM phone does not offer the flexibility of network choice, so I had an aftermarket kit fitted using Audi's extending cradle and a Nokia CARK91 with a dual-band aerial and box-speakers hidden under the dashboard in the driver and passenger footwell. This provides power to the phone and mutes the stereo when a call is placed or received. The NavPlus can optionally be muted as well.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8phone1.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8phone2.jpg">
I also got a a little extra thrown into my already wonderful deal (S8 for S6 price minus dealer margin, phone kit, extra security, good price on the A6 Avant)...
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/qtrjkt1.jpg">
Overall, I'd say the S8 is a fantastic luxury car with a sporting note to it's character, rather than a fantastic sports car with a luxury feel. Driving one or being driven in one is like flying business class in a small jet plane with a great view of the cockpit, but burning only slightly less fuel...
Exterior: I can't fault the looks at all. I always liked the pre-2002 A4 look and was not so keen on the more rounded A6 style (hence buying an Avant), so the 2002 A8's angular style is my kind of thing. I chose Dolphin Grey because it was a little bit different to the silver and black cars I had had previously without being too 'lifestyle'.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8o1.jpg">
Interior: My interior is black leather with black alcantara inserts. I think black is by far my favourite colour (just call me conservative!), and it really seems to suit the S8 with black maple trim. The quality of the interior is obviously to Audi's usual standard, but the plastic parts around the Navigation Plus and A/C controls do show even the slightest amount of dust.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8consol1.jpg">
The seats are very adjustable, the electric adjustment covers seat height (separate front and rear of the seat), reach, rake, lumbar and also the headrest height and seat-belt height adjuster. Combined with the adjustable steering wheel, it's not too hard to get a comfortable position. The front extending thigh support is handy for somebody who's 6' 1" and adds to comfort considerably.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8seats1.jpg">
All the electric seat settings, mirror settings and A/C settings are stored against the remote key so by the time you have opened up, everything's how you want it to be - great if you have more than one driver in the family.
The air conditioning has vents absolutely everywhere. I doubt you could think of anywhere else to put one even if you tried.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8vents1.jpg">
Controls: Again, mostly as you'd expect. It seems strange but comforting to get back into an Audi with the headlight controls on a stalk, the feel is very Audi.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8lightstalk.jpg">
The Navigation Plus is quite a big unit, and pushes the air conditioning controls lower down and the whole thing does require more concentration to use whilst driving. I have the multifunction steering wheel, which is OK to use, but it is easy to press the tiptronic buttons by mistake compared to the 3-spoke wheel.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8wheeltip.jpg">
Speaking of Tiptronic, the 3rd, 4th and 5th gear lockouts are gone, replaced by two distinct drive settings, regular drive and sport mode (referred to by my partner in crime as "demo mode"). Sport mode doesn't make things any faster, in fact it's hard to figure out exactly what is <i>does</i> do on an S8. I think it waits longer before deciding you've reached your target speed and lowering the revs after booting it.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8tip.jpg">
Unfortunately, the colour DIS being lifted up in the display means the alternator volts and oil temperature dials have gone.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8dash1.jpg">
Navigation Plus: This deserves it's own section for being so clever. Basically a Blaupunkt Travel Pilot DX with some Audification, Navplus is an intelligent and well thought out system. The 5" colour display is slightly moveable for easier reading, and provides maps and information in daylight and night colour sets, switching to night colours when you switch on the headlights.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8nav1.jpg">
Once a route is programmed in and calculated, the Driver Information Display gives a "heads up" display with critical information like distance to next navigation point, direction, distance to destination and ETA. Upon reaching a junction, the display changes to a junction diagram with your intended route and the name of the road you need to turn into shown along with a countdown bar to the turn.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8nav4.jpg">
The voice prompting is clear and intelligent, easily able to cope with complex sentences like "Take the second left, then turn immediately right and continue to follow the A15." and "Exit the roundabout at the third turning and continue to follow the road." without sounding like a Dalek with a bad cold. The accuracy of both the GPS and dead-reackoner are quite impressive and the system will prompt you in advance that a junction is upcoming, again when a turn on that junction is required and once again when you should actually indicate and manoeuvre. It is very hard to overshoot a turning with it.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8compass.jpg">
Once you get bored of having Navplus tell you where to go on route you already know, there's a wealth of toys to play with like the compass view and you can have a locator map running without actually having a route programmed. Even if you know where you are going, programming a route means you can hit the tailback function if you come across standing traffic and just make a turn while the route is recalculated and you are given alternate directions. If you are lucky enough to live in a country with RDS-TMC broadcasts, this process is automated for you and you are directed to turn off before you even hit the traffic jam. The UK CD includes a variety of other information like hotels, parking and fuel stations which is a reassurance when out of town.
The optional TV function is fairly useless for actually watching TV, but does have a Teletext feature and two additional A/V inputs which I intend to find and utilise!
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8consol2.jpg">
Performance: What do you expect from an S8? With 360hp on tap, it's no slouch. Straight-line pulling is strong and smooth, although it will rev to around 7300 rpm, which is above the indicated redline. Cornering such a big car is always a slightly unnerving prospect, but the aluminium space-frame reduces weight to not much more than an A6 despite the increase in size and equipment, and corners are dispatched with a kind of ease that belies the speeds involved - I have made corners at speeds that would have had the A6's ESP flashing with not so much as a chirp of protest from the fat 245 section rubber at each corner. Braking is swift and sure-footed, and so far I have not found fade to be a problem. The front brakes certainly look like they know what stopping is all about.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8avus.jpg">
There is a slight tendency to wander while driving in a straight line, and the S8 will happily track into almost any impression in the road however slight, so it does require more attention to be kept on driving than either my A4 or A6 ever did, but I'd rate it no worse than either of the S4s I test-drove.
As my S8 was already in the showroom, it came with a fairly random set of options, but having lived with them so far, I doubt I'd have picked much else. The Audi integrated GSM phone does not offer the flexibility of network choice, so I had an aftermarket kit fitted using Audi's extending cradle and a Nokia CARK91 with a dual-band aerial and box-speakers hidden under the dashboard in the driver and passenger footwell. This provides power to the phone and mutes the stereo when a call is placed or received. The NavPlus can optionally be muted as well.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8phone1.jpg">
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/mys8phone2.jpg">
I also got a a little extra thrown into my already wonderful deal (S8 for S6 price minus dealer margin, phone kit, extra security, good price on the A6 Avant)...
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/3539/qtrjkt1.jpg">
Overall, I'd say the S8 is a fantastic luxury car with a sporting note to it's character, rather than a fantastic sports car with a luxury feel. Driving one or being driven in one is like flying business class in a small jet plane with a great view of the cockpit, but burning only slightly less fuel...
