Audi A8 Review 2024

Audi A8 At A Glance

4/5
Honest John Overall Rating
Although quietly spoken, the Audi A8 offers genuine luxury driving thanks to its space and supreme comfort. It’s a worthy flagship in every respect for the German company.

+Lots of innovative tech. Effortless to drive. Excellent ride quality. Luxurious interior. 3.0-litre TFSI petrol is fast yet refined.

-Expensive. Looks not to all tastes. Petrol is thirsty.

New prices start from £80,820
Insurance Groups are between 20–50
On average it achieves 89% of the official MPG figure

If it’s good enough for many heads of states and royalty, the chances are the Audi A8 is just as good for you. Masses of space for all of its occupants is a given, and it drives with confident ease with a choice of petrol, diesel or hybrid power as well as the potent Audi S8 performance version. Read on for our full Audi A8 review.

The fourth-generation Audi A8 arrived in 2017 and is a luxurious saloon packed with tech that wouldn’t look out of place in a James Bond movie. Its autonomous driving capability and remote parking features still feel futuristic.

Like the BMW 7 Series and its other key rival, the Mercedes S-Class, the Audi A8 is designed to waft VIPs, celebrities and well heeled passengers from A to B in lavish style and comfort.

The interior is beautifully finished, with high-quality wood trims, smooth touchscreen controls and hand-stitched leather trims. 

The Audi A8 is enjoyed best as a passenger, with the large rear seats providing a near-silent sanctuary from the outside world.

The leather materials wouldn’t be out of place in an upmarket hotel lounge, while the wide and soft cushioning provides opulent comfort over long distances, especially when fitted with the massaging and heating functions. 

As well as delivering more comfort, more interior space and a more rounded ride quality than before, the Audi A8 also has some computerised party pieces up its sleeves. Audi AI traffic jam pilot, for example, allows the car to automatically control throttle and braking responses, while also steering the car in nose-to-tail traffic up to speeds of 37mph.

Autonomous driving isn’t the only fancy bit of next-gen tech. Active suspension independently raises and lowers individual wheels to give an impeccable ride quality over rough road surfaces and potholes, while all-wheel drive provides smooth and responsive handling.

Indeed, despite measuring over five metres in length, the Audi A8 is a very good car to drive and its refined throttle and steering responses make it easy to get the most of its sophisticated running gear.

Initially there were two engines – a 3.0-litre V6 TDI diesel and a 3.0 V6 TFSI petrol. Both use a 48-volt mild hybrid system to improve economy and provide a smooth, near-silent set away. A more powerful V8 diesel and plug-in hybrid joined in 2018, with the latter giving the Lexus LS a serious rival.

The Audi A8L long-wheelbase model is aimed at the chauffeur market and only comes with the 50 TDI 3.0 V6 diesel, while the hybrid and its long-wheelbase version use the 3.0 V6 petrol with electric assistance. In the Audi S8, you get a 571PS twin-turbo 4.0-litre petrol V8 for 0-62mph in a very un-limo-like 3.8 seconds.

The exterior of the Audi A8 might not be as eye-catching as its rivals, even after a 2021 facelift, but the understated design and plush interior give the Audi an upmarket feel that nudges it ever closer to the leader of the limo pack, the Mercedes S-Class.

The autonomous capability also gives an exciting preview of what Audi has in store for the next-generation Audi A3 and A4, with the technology certain to filter down into the car maker’s everyday vehicles over the next few years.

Fancy a second opintion? Read heycar's Audi A8 review.

Ask Honest John

Rising car prices - should I sell now or wait?

"Over the last few weeks my 2018 Audi A8 TFSI 55 appears to be increasing in value, now only £2000 less than I paid for it May 2020. Is this increase due to the shortage of components? I have a new car due for delivery in December, should I sell my A8 now. (Only use the car very occasionally)."
Rising prices are being driven by a shortage of new cars. Most of the delays are covid-related and linked to a shortage of semiconductors: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/car-market-1/2021-09/new-car-sales-stuck-in-second-gear-as-semiconductor-shortage-continues/ The problems are long-term and I don't think your car will drop in value between now and Christmas. If anything, it'll be worth more.
Answered by Dan Powell
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