• Summary
• What's Good
• What's Bad
• On the Road
• In The Cabin
• Prices and Specs
• Owners' Reviews

When it comes to luxurious travel, the Audi A8 leads the way. There are few better cars on the road and its amazing refinement, sheer quality and clever yet useful on-board technology make it the perfect flagship to the Audi range. Whether you're behind the wheel, or lucky enough to be sitting in the back, the Audi A8 is a delightful car to be in.

Its forte is long distance cruising, which it manages in effortless and cosseting style, helped by an advanced adaptive air suspension system and a superb range of powerful yet smooth engines. The pick is actually the smallest engine in the form of the 3.0 TDI quattro - a powerplant perfectly suited to the refined Audi A8.

An aluminium body ensures weight is kept to a minimum which has huge benefits for both handling and economy. The 3.0 TDI is capable of a remarkable 47.1mpg - an economy figure you'd usually associate with a family hatchback and despite its length, the Audi A8 handles superbly with an agility and composure in corners that belies its size.

Add to that a sumptous and elegant cabin with acres of rear space and it's easy to see why the A8 is such a wonderful car to travel in. The interior oozes class with its impeccable quality and a host of advanced systems including satellite navigation with 3D mapping that actually 'talks' to the gearbox and lets it know when there are corners to avoid unneccesary gear changes.

Other cars in this class may look more distinctive from the outside, but none can quite match the all round abilities of the Audi A8. Its effortless style helps create that crucial 'feelgood factor' that means every journey is always a pleasure. 2012 will see the introduction of the A8 Hybrid with emissions free running up to 62mph and a CO2 figure of less than 148g/km.