Newbie Advice

[kjj71]

Hi everyone,

I currently own a 2008 BMW e92 335d.

I love this car but fed up with the harsh suspension (trying to avoid any pot holes, scrapping over speed humps, etc.). It's also not ULEZ exempt, so costing me £12.50 every day.

I want comfort, I originally looked at a VW Phaeton but none are ULEZ exempt. This led me to looking at an Audi A8 50TDI-LWB, I was drawn to the smooth ride from air suspension and quietness. My finances will stretch to a 2017 / 2018 model with about 60-80k miles.

I kindly ask current owners of the model & year I'm looking to purchase of their experiences of owning one (good and bad), and if I should be aware of any pitfalls.

Thank you.

[Magnet]

Any A8 owners able to help Keith out? 
Many thanks,

Gareth. 

[Silver knight chauffeur]

Hi, newbie member here… I can comment slightly, I don’t have the d5 version that your looking at but I do have the Audi a8 lwb 3.0v6 diesel 2017 model just before the facelift…

I have owned the car since 01/10/2021. I purchased the car with 19,306 miles and I am currently sitting at 246,000 ish.

i have to say, I’ve had a few lwb cars, this for me is the best car to date , I’ve owned Mercedes s class, bmw 7 series and my last car was a Jaguar xjl… for me, the Audi a8 has been the best, by far may I add…

 

I love the driving position, the seats, the super smooth gearbox, the suspension, customers absolutely love the car, it’s been absolutely perfect.

 

i have the car serviced every 6 weeks, and other than tyres and brakes along with the servicing it’s been faultless.

 

after 5,600 hours of driving my long term memory states 43.1 mpg which is pretty good for such a big car.

 

im hoping to get the car to around 350,000 before moving over to the d5…. 
 

I’ve heard of some issues relating to air suspension after a certain mileage and also adblue issues with the pipe, however, I’ve encountered none of these, maybe I got lucky.

 

the jag was certainly a winner In the looks department, but basic inside and a bit ghosty with electric issues.

 

the bmw was a nice but feel rear seat passengers suffered a harsh ride, maybe because my was an m tech version possibly.

 

the Mercedes was nice as well, however main dealer pricing and customer service meant I wouldn’t buy another one..

 

for me, Audi will remain top spot.. it ticks all boxes, I quite like the fact that it floats under the radar in my profession… if the lottery numbers come up then I’ll head to rolls Royce, until then, the A8L is just perfect.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Edited November 9 by Silver knight chauffeur

[kjj71]

Hello Silver Knight Chauffeur,

We are very similar in many ways, my dream car is also a Rolls Royce. I believe they are the absolute pinnacle of engineering excellence.

Wow, you certainly cover a substantial amount of miles, which is not surprising with your profession. You are the exact testimonial I was looking for. Coincidentally, all the other cars you mentioned, I have been looking into and from my research came to the conclusion that pound for pound, the Audi A8 is the best of the bunch.

I wasn't aware of a face lift (d5) from 2017 to 2018. I am looking at LWB purely from a comfort view. I may be wrong but I believe the LWB will have a smoother ride due to it's focus on passengers being chauffeured around. Incidentally, what comforts do the rear passengers enjoy compared to the standard A8?, and does the 50 TDI have 2 turbo's??

I appreciate taking time to help me. Have a great weekend and thank you.

[Silver knight chauffeur]

3 hours ago, kjj71 said:

Hello Silver Knight Chauffeur,

We are very similar in many ways, my dream car is also a Rolls Royce. I believe they are the absolute pinnacle of engineering excellence.

Wow, you certainly cover a substantial amount of miles, which is not surprising with your profession. You are the exact testimonial I was looking for. Coincidentally, all the other cars you mentioned, I have been looking into and from my research came to the conclusion that pound for pound, the Audi A8 is the best of the bunch.

I wasn't aware of a face lift (d5) from 2017 to 2018. I am looking at LWB purely from a comfort view. I may be wrong but I believe the LWB will have a smoother ride due to it's focus on passengers being chauffeured around. Incidentally, what comforts do the rear passengers enjoy compared to the standard A8?, and does the 50 TDI have 2 turbo's??

I appreciate taking time to help me. Have a great weekend and thank you.

Good evening kjj71.

Yes, indeed, the rolls Royce for me is just simply perfect… for me the phantom ewb would be the absolute king of motoring.

I’m so happy that my experience with the Audi a8 is able to give a view for others to take into account…

yes, I’ve certainly covered some miles in my years of doing this.. I managed to get the jag to around 270,000 but from about 180,000 there were some issues starting to come into play, customers did enjoy the ride, but it’s only air suspension on the rear of the car and not the front, which for me, made it rather an indifferent ride… I got rid of the bmw around 175,000 and the merc around 310,000…

 

back to the Audi, both of the standard an long wheel base motors offer excellent ride comfort… I think personally, the lwb versions are only there purely for extra legroom (6 inches more) and extra features regarding seat packages (racking rear seats, foot rest, tables and screens) rather than better ride comfort… 

 

the d4 series ended September 2017, other than a few unsold that crept in to early 2018, the d5 was released ready for the 67 plates.. 4 versions I believe..

 

50 tdi 3.0 v6 diesel 

55 tfsi 3.0 v6 petrol

60 tfsi 3.0 v6 petrol With hybrid

then s8 4.0 v8 petrol 

I think maybe Europe has the 60 tdi but not in the uk..

audi are still in the d5 series as of now..

as far as rear comforts go, it all depends on the added extras at purchase you can get various options.. most likely, just reclining rear seat package comprising of tablet in the rear (d5 only) heated seats, and maybe if the options list was ticked, massaging..

however, the following options were available.

rear seat package,

rear screens,

panoramic sunroof,

foot rest,

tables,

massaging rear seats,

most have rear blinds, rear and side window.

there was an option of a “first class cabin” which meant the middle seat was done away with and the console joined up with the centre one in the front..

 

50tdi is single turbo.. I think only the s8 is twin.

 

Hope this helps, have a great weekend too.

 

skc.

[kjj71]

Hello Silver knight chauffeur,

I am truly grateful for you invaluable and insightful information.

You have helped in making my mind up about the A8. 

Certainly not in the same league as you but, I've had my 2008 BMW e92 335d for 12 years. I bought it with 20k miles and now have 195k miles. Touch wood, the car has been trouble free apart from normal wear & tare parts. I've had various performance modifications done which makes it faster than an M4 and never go below 40mpg. I love it but I don't like the ride. I know every pothole and manhole on my 60 mile round trip to work. Maybe it's me but it seems like the UK road surfaces are becoming worse. I've done the speed thing, now I crave some comfort, serenity, quietness, and opulence.

I very much appreciate your help and honesty.

Take care, Keith 👍🙏

 

[Magnet]

Many thanks for an excellent review from Paul, which is far, far beyond expectation usage for normal owners - couldn’t wish for better. 
Thanks also to Keith for expressing his gratitude. 
The two don’t come together very often, so many thanks to you both. 
Keep us posted Keith, and happy hunting. 
Kind regards,

Gareth. 

[Steve Q]

I have to say the same, thank you so much Paul for sharing your knowledge and review. It's very rare we get this from new members. 

Keith I'm pleased the information has been useful, please keep us posted on how you get on searching for an A8. 

Cheers 

Steve 

[kjj71]

To everyone who has contributed, not just for taking the time, but the willingness to help someone like me, I am extremely grateful.

I will certainly keep all of you abreast of my prospective purchase.

Thank you 🙏 

[cliffcoggin]

3 hours ago, kjj71 said:

Maybe it's me but it seems like the UK road surfaces are becoming worse. 

It's not you. The abandonment of proper road maintenance is a well recognised fact amongst all motorists, except perhaps in Wales. Whenever I cross the border from England the road surfaces instantly change to a higher standard.

[kjj71]

I concur cliffcoggin,

This is exactly why there are so many SUV's on the road 🤷‍♂️

[Silver knight chauffeur]

5 hours ago, Steve Q said:

I have to say the same, thank you so much Paul for sharing your knowledge and review. It's very rare we get this from new members. 

Keith I'm pleased the information has been useful, please keep us posted on how you get on searching for an A8. 

Cheers 

Steve 

Thanks for the kind words steve. Appreciate it.

[Steve Q]

1 minute ago, Silver knight chauffeur said:

Thanks for the kind words steve. Appreciate it.

You're welcome 🙂

[Silver knight chauffeur]

7 hours ago, kjj71 said:

Hello Silver knight chauffeur,

I am truly grateful for you invaluable and insightful information.

You have helped in making my mind up about the A8. 

Certainly not in the same league as you but, I've had my 2008 BMW e92 335d for 12 years. I bought it with 20k miles and now have 195k miles. Touch wood, the car has been trouble free apart from normal wear & tare parts. I've had various performance modifications done which makes it faster than an M4 and never go below 40mpg. I love it but I don't like the ride. I know every pothole and manhole on my 60 mile round trip to work. Maybe it's me but it seems like the UK road surfaces are becoming worse. I've done the speed thing, now I crave some comfort, serenity, quietness, and opulence.

I very much appreciate your help and honesty.

Take care, Keith 👍🙏

 

No such thing as different league with cars, it’s whatever we are happy with at the time.. sounds like you’ve had a lovely motor there, for 12 years, that’s some testament to your love of them.. I do get where your coming from with the “maybe” harsh ride, my wife has a 2016 Audi a7 black edition, riding on 21’s and to say I’m in need of a hip replacement, rib cage protector and a back brace everytime she decides she wants to drive is an understatement….😂

however, it’s a lovely car, she loves it, pulls like a steam train, just a very hard ride, I very much grateful for then stepping in to the air suspension a8 and just wafting along the road with a few dire straits songs coming out of the bose speakers for perfect ambiance!!

 

keep me updated with any progress you make.. 

 

all the best 

 

Paul.

[Magnet]

Oh blinking heck - ‘….abandonment of proper road maintenance…..except perhaps in Wales’. We are fishing in the potholes over here! 
Kind regards,

Gareth.