Thinking of buying an A8 4.2 V8 diesel

[mondie]

Looking to move the M5 on soon and want something with AWD and fun that's not too expensive. These look like a great car for the money, a 2012 can be had for £24-27k. The depreciation curve looks to flatten right out after 3 yrs so the ownership cost is not too bad at all. Reckon in 5 yrs they drop to 16-19k. Had considered the A6 but the A8 looks like a better buy and is often praised for its better handling. I would definitely have a remap, I need nearly 1000nM in my life!

Any owners experiences? Issues to look out for, common faults, remap recommendations?

Love to hear from owners.

Cheers,
mondie

[mondie]

alanyork said:

Ive had mine since April last year, real good car , Its just on 20k now , I dont use it a lot, just weekends, with a remap 400bhp + &920 nm. Only trouble is if you want to change after a A8 4.2 D4 , Its got to be a S8 .

Edited by alanyork on Sunday 30th August 11:07

Fantastic Alan, where did you get the remap done?

How pronounced was the torque increase and responsiveness after the map? Would an S8 even touch it? Any improvement in fuel economy?

Cheers

[mondie]

Thats some serious grunt and great fuel economy Alan. I can only imagine what 900nm+ feels like in the midrange.

Has anyone heard of any problems with the air suspension? I have had this suggested to me and expect it must be expensive to fix.

[mondie]

It does Alan, another tick for the 4.2

[mondie]

I am swinging between the A8 4.2 and A6 3.0 BiDi. As I have got more familiar with the Audi options game I have come to realise the A8 has most of the good stuff standard that remains options on the A6. There is no doubt the A8 is better value, but its bigger and I am still deciding if I am comfortable with the size.

I was hoping to hear from owners that have gone from an A6 to A8. Specifically the size difference on the road and the general feel and handling. I really would prefer the A8 but need that final convincing, and I also need to get my wife off the idea its a grandpa car, or maybe it is?

[mondie]

You are all convincing me I am ok with the size especially when its weight is compared to many other large cars that don't have such a stonking engine and so much kit. Now how do I turn my wife around on the 'grandpa car' tag?

Has anybody looked into carbon wrapping the wood trim most A8's are kitted with? Some think like the S8 would be perfect!

[mondie]

Sounds like a fantastic buy Charge, I haven't dug one up as good as that and 14 mths old yet.

Thanks for the link Witch, Googling threw up nothing but I felt somebody must have had a go. Its good to know there is a service if I find that perfect A8 that's spoilt by some horrid wood.

[mondie]

Job done Found a fantastic low mile 2011 4.2 and placed a deposit on it last night. Was originally an Audi execs car so its loaded with Silk leather, B&O, ACC, LED lights, 4 way climate, soft close doors, double glazing, Electric roof, 20" alloys and quite a few other nice options. The test drive reminded me of how deeply impressive the engine/gearbox combo are in this model. Its going to be a nice family chariot for a couple of years and a very worthy replacement to the M5.

Thanks for the advice in this thread PH'ers.

[mondie]

Picked the car up in Glasgow yesterday and enjoyed a leisurely 3 hr drive home. I am deeply impressed with the way it drives and steers for such a large car. It looks fantastic on the 20" rims and the tech and general build quality of the interior makes it feel very special indeed. The grunty V8 diesel is just the icing on a very sweet cake and even sounds good in a muted kind of way. Very happy with our choice and glad we didn't go for the smaller A6 like we nearly did. This car is going to do big miles in the next 2 years but at 30mpg+ and with the levels of comfort and performance it offers I cannot think of anything else I would rather be in for family duties.