Audi A5 to A8 (or generally upgrading to a big car)
Discussion
I have just found out that I will be moving offices and will need to commute around 18k miles per year almost entirely on a motorway (funded by me). Previously my commute was negligible. I have an opportunity to do a straight swap of my A5 3.0 TDI Quattro Coupe to an A8 3.0 TDI Quattro of the same year (2011). I've test-driven the A8 and of course it was superb, but its sheer size is making me think twice.
It's 5.13 metres long in standard wheelbase form. To put that into perspective, an S-Class is 4.9m and a Panamera is also 4.9m. Even a Q7 is marginally shorter at 5.08m! It will spend most of its life on the motorway, where its length is not an issue (and is arguably an advantage in terms of stability) but occasionally it will need to navigate its way around London car parks and take the Eurotunnel over to France. Will that sort of size cause me problems in the long term? Has anyone switched from an A5 to an A8 (or comparable cars in terms of size)? Did you regret it or never look back?
Let me know what you think.
Cheers
It's 5.13 metres long in standard wheelbase form. To put that into perspective, an S-Class is 4.9m and a Panamera is also 4.9m. Even a Q7 is marginally shorter at 5.08m! It will spend most of its life on the motorway, where its length is not an issue (and is arguably an advantage in terms of stability) but occasionally it will need to navigate its way around London car parks and take the Eurotunnel over to France. Will that sort of size cause me problems in the long term? Has anyone switched from an A5 to an A8 (or comparable cars in terms of size)? Did you regret it or never look back?
Let me know what you think.
Cheers
There isn't a car on sale today which should really cause anyone too much difficulty parking or navigating your average British street.
Some long wheelbase van's can be awkward to park, but overall the biggest limiting factor IMO is visibility out of the windows, not necessarily the size of the car.
I found my friends little ford fiesta harder to park than my Lexus LS400 simply due to the complete lack of visibility out of the back/rear quarter.
I've always went by the philosophy of "rather too much space than too little", when buying my cars
Some long wheelbase van's can be awkward to park, but overall the biggest limiting factor IMO is visibility out of the windows, not necessarily the size of the car.
I found my friends little ford fiesta harder to park than my Lexus LS400 simply due to the complete lack of visibility out of the back/rear quarter.
I've always went by the philosophy of "rather too much space than too little", when buying my cars
Edited by skyrover on Tuesday 2nd April 20:04
skyrover said:
There isn't a car on sale today which should really cause anyone too much difficulty parking or navigating your average British street.
I disagree, I would say at least a couple of times a week I find bays in my street that are barely long enough for my old Focus but won't fit my Mondeo which is nearly two feet longer. I live in Brighton where parking is a right ballache though.Edited by skyrover on Tuesday 2nd April 20:04
I definitely wouldn't want a car that was another foot longer than the Mondog!
Its not the length that is so much of an issue as the width, luxury cars tend to be quite wide, and modern cars generally seem to be getting wider, so parking in multistories or similar can be easy but getting out isn't!!!
I went from an Impreza Turbo to an A8 (D2 version with no parking sensors!), you just had to plan ahead a little more.
I went from an Impreza Turbo to an A8 (D2 version with no parking sensors!), you just had to plan ahead a little more.
Years ago I went from an Alfa 156 to a Vauxhall Omega - about a hair off 5m long. It turned out to be easier to park thanks to a ridiculously tight turning circle and rear view mirrors that each have their own postcode. Admittedly there were times when parking spaces simply weren't big enough, but if the car could physically fit, you could get it in - unlike other cars I've driven, where a lack of steering lock can make perfectly reasonable spaces inaccessible if it's tight enough.
. Rear view camera makes all the difference.skyrover said:
There isn't a car on sale today which should really cause anyone too much difficulty parking or navigating your average British street.
Some long wheelbase van's can be awkward to park, but overall the biggest limiting factor IMO is visibility out of the windows, not necessarily the size of the car.
I beg to differ. My XJ8 was over 5 meters long and I always had troubleSome long wheelbase van's can be awkward to park, but overall the biggest limiting factor IMO is visibility out of the windows, not necessarily the size of the car.
parking it. I won't be buying anything that large again.
It's a car, not a land yacht.
Mind you, I'm in a 3 series with parking sensors these days
and it's a doddle to park. More interior space than the Jag, too.
Why swap at all? I used to commute 40k+ a year from Bristol to Slough in various cars ranging from Accord Type-R through Mondeo Tdci to Audi A6.
I would have thought that your 3.0Tdi A5 would be perfectly ok. What will the A8 give you over & above what you already have?
Of course, this is a petrolhead forum..... if you want a bigger and flashier car then go for it. If you're worried about company car tax or running costs, then i'd question if you need to change.
I would have thought that your 3.0Tdi A5 would be perfectly ok. What will the A8 give you over & above what you already have?
Of course, this is a petrolhead forum..... if you want a bigger and flashier car then go for it. If you're worried about company car tax or running costs, then i'd question if you need to change.
I have an A8L and the biggest problem is the width but even then, it's not a big problem. Many parking spaces are just two narrow to get out on both sides and for other people not to bang their doors on mine. I tend to park at the far end of car parks, straddle two spaces, use mother and daughter bays, sometimes disabled spaces during off-peak times such as at a supermerket with too many disabled spaces and 15 mins before it closes. I rarely have a problem with length as it is quite easy to reverse park and has a camera and front and rear sensors too.
You soon get used to not even seeing the small spaces, you just automatically filter them out.
There are a few multistories which can be difficult to swing around onto the up and down ramps, but you just learn to extend your comfort zone. Just keep your cool, go slowly and if someone is behind, pull over with hazards on and let them past so you are not under pressure. The advantages far outweight the disadvantages. PS I did book a ferry or Tunnel crossing which said click a box to say your car is shorter than 5m and doesn't have LPG, I just ticked it and there was no problem once I got there.
You soon get used to not even seeing the small spaces, you just automatically filter them out.
There are a few multistories which can be difficult to swing around onto the up and down ramps, but you just learn to extend your comfort zone. Just keep your cool, go slowly and if someone is behind, pull over with hazards on and let them past so you are not under pressure. The advantages far outweight the disadvantages. PS I did book a ferry or Tunnel crossing which said click a box to say your car is shorter than 5m and doesn't have LPG, I just ticked it and there was no problem once I got there.
Edited by snapdragon69 on Tuesday 2nd April 21:24
dcb said:
I beg to differ. My XJ8 was over 5 meters long and I always had trouble
parking it. I won't be buying anything that large again.
It's a car, not a land yacht.
Mind you, I'm in a 3 series with parking sensors these days
and it's a doddle to park. More interior space than the Jag, too.
Interestingly, your 3 series is just over 2 inches wider than your old jag parking it. I won't be buying anything that large again.
It's a car, not a land yacht.
Mind you, I'm in a 3 series with parking sensors these days
and it's a doddle to park. More interior space than the Jag, too.
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