LIKES
- Pleasant ride
- High-tech interior
- Smooth, willing power
- Refined throughout
- Coddles passengers
DISLIKES
- Can cause tech overload
- Expensive
- Design could take more chances
BUYING TIP
The 2022 Audi A8 is a model of refinement, comfort, and technology.
What kind of car is the 2022 Audi A8? What does it compare to?
The A8 is a full-size sedan that takes on some of the best, most opulent cars on the planet, such as the BMW 7-Series, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, and Porsche Panamera.
Is the 2022 Audi A8 a good car?
The Audi A8 is a wonderful car that’s packed with power, comfort, and technology in a smartly restrained package. We give it a TCC Rating of 7.0 out of 10.
What's new for the 2022 Audi A8?
The A8 gets a mild refresh for 2022, with a slightly different look, and a simplified model lineup that drops the base and plug-in hybrid versions of the V-8. Audi also lowers the price of the S8 by moving some standard equipment into packages.
The cabin exudes tech thanks to three screens, but it doesn’t forget luxury with beautiful leather, aluminum, and wood or carbon-fiber. Space is plentiful front and rear thanks to the standard long wheelbase (short wheelbase versions are sold elsewhere), and Audi provides all the amenities for passenger comfort. The trunk is small not only for a big car, but for any car in general.
The 2022 Audi A8 is available in 55 TFSI quattro and S8 models, down from four models last year.
The 55 TFSI quattro model draws its power from a 335-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 aided by a mild-hybrid starter-generator. It’s smooth and plenty powerful, and it pushes the car from 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds. The S8’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 spins out 563 hp, which cuts the 0-60 mph time to 3.8 seconds while delivering more sound and fury when pushed hard.
Fuel economy for the V-6 is decent at 22 mpg combined, but the V-8 chugs premium at the rate of 17 mpg combined.
The A8 is tuned for the comfort of its passengers. It comes standard with a four-corner air suspension and adaptive dampers. The ride is smooth, even in the firmest Dynamic mode, but it can feel floaty on the highway in Comfort mode, which also dulls the throttle response.
How much does the 2022 Audi A8 cost?
The A8 55 TFSI starts at $87,595 and gets a full spate of luxury and tech features, including Valetta leather upholstery, heated and cooled 22-way power front seats with a massage function, wireless smartphone charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.1- and 8.6-inch touchscreens for infotainment and climate controls, a Bang & Olufsen audio system, a panoramic sunroof, and 19-inch alloy wheels. The S8 runs $118,995.
Where is the Audi A8 made?
In Neckarsulm, Germany.
Styling
The Audi A8 comes off as smartly conservative on the outside and modern and luxurious on the inside.
Is the Audi A8 a good-looking car?
The 2022 Audi A8 is stylish like a well-tailored suit, but it refuses to disrupt the party with gaudy fashion. Its lines are conservative and attractive on the outside and modern yet inviting on the inside. We award a point for each for a score of 7 out of 10.
For 2022, Audi tweaks the A8’s front and rear ends. Up front, the grille is wider and it trades horizontal bars for a honeycomb look. The S8 has a black grille with a black surround instead of chrome, and both are flanked by horizontal headlights that wrap into the fenders and sport LED lighting signatures that can be seen at night.
Inside, the A8 comes off like a tastefully appointed office suite. Two screens and a stark piano black finish adorn the dash, and another screen sits at the base of the center stack to emphasize the high-tech look. That’s offset by luxurious leather, aluminum, and wood, or in the S8, more clinical and sporty carbon-fiber trim. It’s at once warm, inviting, modern, and definitely upscale.
Performance
Smooth, powerful, and controlled, the Audi A8 is a pleasure to drive.
The A8 boasts a buttery smooth but controlled ride and plenty of power in either model. Those strengths earn it a 7 out of 10 here.
Is the Audi A8 AWD?
Every A8 comes standard with Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive system.
How fast is the Audi A8?
It’s fast in its base form and muscle-car quick as the S8.
The base turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 in the A8 55 TFSI model makes what seems like a modest 335 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque given how large the A8 is. However, teamed with standard all-wheel drive and a smooth and responsive 8-speed automatic transmission, it launches the car from 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds, according to Audi.
The S8 turns up the wick considerably. It uses a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 that cranks out 563 hp and 590 lb-ft. The S8 delivers its power smoothly but relentlessly and with more sound and fury when pushed. It cuts the 0 to 60 mph time to just 3.8 seconds.
The A8 can feel overly disconnected and floaty on the highway in its base Comfort mode, but turning the dial to Dynamic or programming the Individual mode for sportier damping provides excellent control that borders on sporty.
The S8’s suspension tuning does away with the floatiness and provides more road feel. It also gets rear-wheel steering that makes the car feel smaller, a torque-vectoring rear differential that helps it rotate through corners, and summer performance tires that provide excellent grip.
Comfort & Quality
Spacious, tech-heavy, and luxurious, the A8’s cabin is a home away from home.
The 2022 Audi A8’s cabin smartly combines luxury, comfort, and aging but still relevant technology. It has lots of room front and rear, and the materials are well chosen and well assembled. That earns it a 9 out of 10 here, missing out on a perfect 10 due to a small trunk.
No A8 skimps on the luxury and comfort. The base seats come with 22-way power adjustments and have enough width and space for any driver to dial in an ideal seating position. They come with heating, cooling, and massage, and buyers can choose leather surfaces and heated armrests. It’s all assembled to the highest standard.
The rear seats have lots of space, too, with a generous 44-plus inches of leg room. Large door openings make it easy to get in and out as well. Four- and five-passenger versions of the Rear Seat Comfort package—available only for the S8—make the rear seat a first-class lounge. They add heating, cooling, massage, power recliners, tray tables, LED lighting, rear remote controls, and in the four-passenger version, a full rear center console.
Safety
The 2022 hasn’t been crash tested, but it can be outfitted with a wide range of safety features.
How safe is the Audi A8?
Like other full-size luxury sedans, the 2022 Audi A8 hasn’t been crash tested. It also has relatively few standard safety features for its price, but more are optional. We don’t assign a rating to cars without crash tests.
Standard safety features include automatic emergency braking, front and rear parking sensors, lane-departure warnings, automatic high beams, and a surround-view camera system. The safety options include active lane control, adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, and a driver-assist system that can control the brake, throttle, and steering in traffic jams.
Features
The 2022 Audi A8 is packed with luxury amenities and technology features.
The A8 comes loaded with standard equipment and offers plenty of optional equipment. Add in excellent infotainment and it earns an 8 out of 10 for features.
Which Audi A8 should I buy?
The base model provides all the power and luxury anyone really needs. The A8 55 TFSI costs $87,595 and comes standard with extended Valetta leather upholstery, heated and cooled 22-way power front seats that also massage backsides, four-zone automatic climate control, wireless smartphone charging, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.1- and 8.6-inch touchscreens for infotainment and climate controls, a Bang & Olufsen audio system, a panoramic sunroof, and 19-inch alloy wheels.
The S8 starts at $118,995 (including a $1,000 gas-guzzler tax) and gets front sport seats, a heated steering wheel, heated front armrests, a sport-tuned suspension, LED matrix headlights, all-wheel steering, an electronic rear differential, and 20-inch wheels on summer tires. Load it up with options and the price tops $140,000.
Audi A8 infotainment
The A8’s infotainment was state of the art a couple years ago, and now it still holds up for its usability and functionality. It has a top 10.1-inch screen for entertainment and navigation controls, and a lower 8.6-inch screen for climate controls, vehicle settings, and handwriting inputs. Both screens have haptic feedback that lets you know an icon has been pushed, but it requires deliberate inputs. We love the Google Earth view and the breadth of functions the screens can control.
Fuel Economy
The A8 goes easy on gas for a big car, but the S8 gulps fuel.
Is the Audi A8 good on gas?
For a big luxury sedan, the base A8 isn’t too thirsty, while the S8 gulps fuel to match its outlandish power. We base our 4 rating on the 19 mpg city, 28 highway, 22 combined for the A8.
Move up to the S8, though, and the ratings drop precipitously to 14/23/18 mpg. Both engines require premium fuel.
0 comments:
Post a Comment