svxit

I test drove an '02 S8 today and now I see what you converts are saying; the car is quite nice. Will be taking it to the indy shop that has been caring for my 98, so they can have a go at it and tell me what kind of shape it's in. It's green over ecru (no alcantara inserts), nav, no parktronic, has 77K. Doesn't look beat on, but it will need little things here and there. Located somewhere in MD; won't say where until I buy or pass.

I did notice what many of you have said: That the brakes are so-soish. Not too bad, but only slightly stronger than my '98 (with Zimmerman rotors and braided hoses). It also vibrated on the highway, but not under braking, so I am guessing it may be unbalanced wheels/tires, but will have Pro Imports look into that. The acceleration seemed decent enough, but I couldn't get a good feel for that with the police 3 cars in front. Tranny seemed to shift well and tip worked well. No hunting, no thumping. Thank the Maker! as C-3PO once said.

This is also the first time that I've noticed that a different color green was used on the '02 as opposed to my '98. Interesting.

In any event, I do have a few questions:

1) The car has Pirelli PZeros for feet. Anyone know how these hold up? They appear to be near the end of the road, so it may not be an issue.

2) When I tried to scroll through the center screen to look at elapsed time, current mpg, thing of that nature, it didn't respond. Is this done differently on facelift cars, or is this an issue?

3) Do all S8s have a solar sunroof? This one has the rear sunshades, but I'm not certain if that implies the solar option.

And the big one, 4) how have S8s held up in general? If I do this, I'm hoping that every engine and tranny seal won't need to be replaced five times, as has been the case.

Sorry for all the questions. There's a lot I do know about the cars, but the facelift D2s (especially the S8) seem to be a different animal; figured I should check with some experienced zookeepers.

kevinr

Great car and I don't want to scare you off.
This is coming from a professional tech that works on them for a living

mpollan

YGM

svxit

Yes, I've done some DIY on the A8, so I'm somewhat comfy with it. But just the same, if I get it, I'll look into the warranty. Many thanks.

svxit

Signed my life away last night. The car needs a little bit of work, mostly a new set of tires, which should be done in a couple days. The Pirellis are howling like wolves in a canyon; can't take that for too long. I am also fairly certain that the button on the end of the right stalk isn't working, so I just see the fuel range and temp. Fiddling with the nav pulls up directional info, but not the stuff I'm used to seeing. A few minor squeaks here and there, but I have to admit I'm glad I got it. The handling and extra power are better than great, and that tranny. ... It feels soooo good to be hunt/thump free.