2002 Audi A8 Review (continued)
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Walkaround

Launched in the summer of 1994 and arriving in North America in the fall of 1996, the A8 is the oldest car in Audi's lineup. So it is not quite so adventurously styled as Audi's mid-range A6 and compact A4.

Yet the A8 remains fresh. Its clean, elegant profile emphasizes its large wheel arches and massive aluminum wheels. Audi has mastered the art of designing sedans that are striking, even imposing, without being overbearing. Available 17- and even 18-inch wheels (the latter are standard on S8) add to the big Audi's aggressive but understated appearance. The low, hunkered-down stance of the S8 gives it an aura of high-speed Autobahn capability.

Underneath the A8's aluminum body is the Audi Space Frame. Developed with Alcoa, this patented structure comprises seven different aluminum alloys. It has fewer parts (and therefore joints) than the typical steel unit-body. It's more rigid, and 40 percent lighter than a steel frame. Even with Audi's all-wheel drive system, the A8 weighs substantially less than the Mercedes-Benz S430 or even the new BMW 745i.

Furthermore, aluminum's superior energy-absorbing capabilities helped the A8 to earn the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's dual five-star safety rating. It might surprise some people to know that it was the only premium luxury sedan to protect its passengers so well.

A8 was the first automobile with dual front airbags and side-protection airbags for both front and rear passengers. The current model adds Sideguard bags that discharge from the roof lining and help cover the side window area.

At 310 horsepower, the A8's 4.2-liter V8 sandwiches between the Mercedes-Benz S430 and the more powerful BMW 745i. Yet, thanks to the engine's efficiency, and the Audi's lighter weight, the A8 escapes the indignity of a gas-guzzler tax on its window sticker.

Interior Features

Just about everything comes standard on the A8, from a multi-CD changer to a key fob that lets drivers choose one of four seat positions as they approach the car. Just last year, Audi added a memory function on the front passenger seat, and a multi-function steering wheel incorporating audio, telephone and Tiptronic transmission controls.

Buyers in this niche are also paying for cabin space and executive-class ambience. Again, the A8 delivers, particularly if you prefer your ambience in serious Germanic style. The A8 interior is trimmed with dark, rich walnut, and the gear selector is surrounded by brushed aluminum. Perforated leather upholstery feels thick and supple, and the elegant headliner looks like suede.

The A8's front seats are excellent, comfortable and supportive. Some cars offer a zillion adjustments, yet it's still hard to get comfortable in them. These seats are comfortable from the outset. And then you still have 14 power adjustments (including four lumbar adjustments) purely for entertainment.

A $3,000 premium leather option, available only on the A8 L, adds leather on the door panels, knee bolsters and the console; plus Alcantara suede on the headliner and package shelf.

The driver peers over a thick-rimmed steering wheel that's relatively small in diameter. Thick A-pillars create a blind spot at intersections. The gauge cluster is backlit in red and features an electronic message center. The turn signal stalk is spindly. At first glance, the center of the dash is a dazzling display of red-lighted buttons, but time spent with it builds familiarity.

His-and-hers climate controls tend to require minimal adjustment and are appropriately mounted below the audio panel. The stereo buttons could be larger, but the largest of them is the volume control, square in the center where it's easy to find. The A8 features other clever touches throughout. The latch for the glovebox is all the way left, within easy reach of the driver. Audi's overhead sunroof switch is the slickest going: Turn it a quarter turn, and the roof opens a quarter of the way. Turn it all the way, and the roof opens wide. An optional solar-panel sunroof ($850) for the A8 L powers a fan to ventilate the interior while the car is parked. Like most German cars, this one is not strong in the cupholder department: It has one and it wasn't big enough for a grande caramel frappaccino. The cupholder had a metal bottom, however, indicating it may be designed to keep drinks hot or cold, but we didn't test this feature.

The rear seat coddles with variable lumbar support and headrest positioning, but lacks the recline adjustment available in some competitors. Still, the rear cabin offers plenty of standard and optional accoutrements, including adjustable ventilation, variable seat heaters, window shades, folding coat hooks, and reading lamps.

There's plenty of room back there, too. The A8 is a bit wider than either the BMW 7 Series or Mercedes S-Class; it's about the same length as the new BMW but several inches shorter than the Benz. That seems to translate into slightly less legroom for the base A8. The more compact Audi provides 100 cubic feet of interior volume, compared with 104 for the Bimmer and 105 in the class-leading Mercedes S-Class.

Audi's solution for those who require limousine-like rear-seat space is the A8 L, with a five-inch longer wheelbase, providing three inches more legroom and a touch more headroom. Needless to say, the rear seats in the A8 L are roomy and comfortable.

Front and rear doors open extra wide. However, the outside door handles are awkward, hard to hold, and can pinch your pinkie. The trunk lid opens beyond vertical to reveal a huge luggage bay, larger than in any sedan offered by BMW, Jaguar or Mercedes-Benz.

Audi's optional navigation system ($1,350) lacks the vivid graphical maps of competing units, but presents the route instructions in between the speedometer and tachometer so the driver doesn't have to glance to the center of the dash. (Mercedes-Benz offers a similar feature.) It also doesn't seem to give as many erroneous instructions as some of the other systems we've seen.

The optional Parktronic system ($700) chimes to warn the driver of unseen objects near the car (front and rear), but the sound can be annoying and its changing signal difficult to understand.