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First, many thanks to all on this forum for helpful insight and advice on the A8/S8. I got an email from my local Audi dealer a couple of months ago promoting discounts on various models. I've owned numerous BMWs and some Audis and Mercedes over the years, but always admired the S8. I decided to compare the S580, 760i and Audi all on the same day to help make a decision. The dealer didn't have an S8 to drive, but I did drive an A8 and really enjoyed it. The S-Class was a bit too cosseting for my taste, and didn't offer much in the way of driver involvement. The BMW was impressive, but the exterior styling was, for me, a bit over the top. And it felt so big despite being only a few inches longer than the Audi. One thing I immediately preferred in the A8 was its use of technology without going too far either in size of screens or complexity. I'm not afraid of tech, but prefer focusing on the driving experience rather than the technology. The MB and BMW were too tech forward for my taste. So after spending time with each car I told the dealer to find an S8, and given the large discounts offered by Audi, it made the decision even easier. I've had the car for a few weeks and am really enjoying the balance between performance and luxury.
The S8 is the ultimate driving machine but I am biased. The S580 looks good on the outside but the interior is a bit too tech heavy for my taste as well. Nothing comes close to the S8 or the A8 in terms of its understated performance and looks. Enjoy you new S8.
I'm usually not a fan of black wheels but on your car, they look great. Enjoy!
Yeah, I don't like black wheels either but Audi always packages black wheels with the black optics pkg. Annoying because I prefer the black grill and window trim, but want the standard color wheels. Black wheels are so hard to clean.
I told my dealer I didn't want the black optics package, and he had to search all over the US to find one without it. Car was shipped from Massachusetts to Wisconsin. Spec was pretty much spot on with what I would have ordered anyway. Still loving the car; still can't get wireless carplay to work. Other than that minor annoyance, no issues at all.
Yeah, Audi figured out that most people that buy performance cars in the US don't like chrome trim. BMW always did "shadowline trim" on their M models. Honda and Acura started deleting chrome on their coupe models in the 1990s.
Audi eventually caught on to the trend and started offering the "Black Optics Package" sometime in the 2010s. Now US dealers order the majority of their S or RS line vehicles without chrome trim.
Even Mercedes has started offering a "Night Package" with the chrome replaced by black trim, although dealers are not yet ordering it that way. It can be special ordered.
That was actually one of the reasons I ended up with my S8 instead of an S580. I would have had to order an S580 to find my specs, while dealers already had S8 cars on their lots with the specs I wanted.
05-25-2024, 09:01 AM
Why I Chose a 2024 S8
