2021 Audi A8 Review

　　

2021 Audi A8 Review

byReese CountsVehicle Test Editor

　　Reese Counts has worked in the automotive industry since he started as an intern at zzdcar in 2015. He has written or edited thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Reese is a vehicle test editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to Autoblog. Reese has also been featured on Yahoo! Finance, Engadget and AOL reviewing cars and covering automotive technology, auto shows and more. Reese learned to drive in his father's C4 Chevrolet Corvette and now owns his grandfather's 1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG. A love for cars runs deep in his family.

　　The 2021 Audi A8 is a large luxury sedan that sits atop the German automaker's lineup. The A8 was redesigned in 2019 and carries on into 2021 with just a few minor adjustments to options and features. Like other flagship luxury sedans, the Audi A8 is impressively spacious, comfortable and well appointed. It also offers Audi's latest technology features as well as an available plug-in hybrid version.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2021 Audi A8 L 4dr Sedan AWD w/55 TFSI (3.0L 6cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.78 per gallon for premium unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$224/mo  for A8 L

　　A8 L

　　L 4dr Sedan AWD w/55 TFSI (3.0L 6cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8A) (Most Popular) - $86,500 MSRPL 4dr Sedan AWD w/60 TFSI e (3.0L 6cyl Turbo gas/electric plug-in hybrid 8A) - $95,900 MSRPL 4dr Sedan AWD w/60 TFSI (4.0L 8cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 8A) - $98,900 MSRP

　　vs

　　$197/mo

　　Avg. Large Car

　　While there's a lot to like with the A8, it doesn't seem as polished as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class or BMW 7 Series. The ride quality, powertrains and infotainment aren't quite on the same level of German rivals, which is a bit of a surprise given how well Audi's smaller sedans otherwise stack up. Is the A8 still worth getting? Check out the categories of our Expert Rating below to read our in-depth evaluation on the 2021 A8.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Average

　　7.4

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

7.5/10

　　How does the A8 drive? At this level, a car's performance should be almost transparent and allow passengers to enjoy the experience of a true luxury car. But the A8 gets most of its athletic aptitude from optional summer performance tires instead of a more well-rounded approach. The A8 with the base V6 is by no means slow, but that doesn't mean it couldn't do with a little more in the power department. We recommend upgrading to the V8 or plug-in hybrid.

　　The A8 also comes across as a bit numb and clumsy in aspects that you wouldn't expect it to. The brakes performed well in our panic-stop tests but were jumpy in traffic, making it hard to stop smoothly. The transmission was also slow to downshift when we wanted it to. The A8 is good overall, but there's room for improvement.

　　

Comfort

7.5/10

　　How comfortable is the A8? On the right road, and in the right conditions, the A8 is nearly as good as they come, offering supremely comfortable seats for all passengers. The optional four-seat configuration adds adjustable and heated rear seats with a full center console.

　　But the ride quality can feel decidedly unrefined on less than perfect roads. It can be too soft over dips and crests, resulting in wallowy body motions, but then too firm over potholes and rough surfaces. Other negatives include a climate control that has to work a bit harder than it should have to in a car of this status and more road and engine noise than we'd expect.

　　

Interior

8.0/10

　　How’s the interior? To put it simply, if Audi retained the use of its old MMI infotainment system, the A8 would have received a higher score. The latest system offers a lot of features, but the learning curve is steep. The new dual touchscreens, though not impossible to figure out, are not intuitive and the screens can look dirty after a day's use. We do, however, like the standard digital instrument cluster.

　　Visibility and interior space are difficult to fault thanks to the large windows and thin roof pillars. As a result, this large car is relatively easy to park. There's plenty of space, especially for rear passengers. The optional four-seat setup offers the ability to slide the passenger seat forward for more rear legroom.

　　

Technology

8.0/10

　　How’s the tech? The A8 is definitely impressive to look at and absolutely impressive to listen to. You'd think the A8 should be the runaway class leader when it comes to in-car tech. But some usability issues as well as some conservative tuning with the adaptive cruise control system show there's room for improvement.

　　We like the standard Bang & Olufsen audio system and Google Earth-based navigation, but we had some graphical glitches in our test car. Voice recognition works well, as does the handwriting recognition system. The driver aids feel slow to respond and can feel behind the beat in traffic.

　　

Storage

7.0/10

　　How’s the storage? Audi's streamlined styling and optional Executive Rear Seat package take a bit of a toll on cargo capacity for both passengers and trunk space. Both front and rear passengers will need to declutter since there aren't many places to hold small items beyond sunglasses and a smartphone. The trunk can't hold more than a couple of large suitcases.

　　

Fuel Economy

6.5/10

　　How’s the fuel economy? The A8 with the base V6 gets an EPA-estimated 21 mpg in combined city/highway driving. That's right in the mix with other similarly equipped executive sedans. But in our time with our test car, we saw only one tank barely exceed 22 mpg, even though it was made up of mostly highway miles. You might have trouble matching the EPA's numbers in your car.

　　

Value

7.5/10

　　Is the A8 a good value? Luxury-car buyers are right to expect a lot from their purchase, especially when the price tag exceeds $100,000. The A8 does impress prospective buyers with exceptional build quality. Audi's limited warranty is pretty typical for the segment, and Audi offers four years of roadside assistance with unlimited miles. That's good, but some competitors offer better plans.

　　

Wildcard

6.0/10

　　The Audi A8 strives to mix Audi's tech-forward heritage and high-end luxury appointments with a touch of sport into a long-wheelbase executive express. But the recipe never feels fully baked, and the A8 winds up feeling only like a bigger Audi instead of a special one.

　　

Which A8 does zzdcar recommend?

Standard equipment is generally the same on all trims, so we suggest going with the 60 TFSI e plug-in hybrid. It's quicker than the V6-powered model and more fuel-efficient than either the V6 or V8.

　　

2021 Audi A8 models

The 2021 A8 comes in three well-equipped trim levels separated by a choice of powertrain: 55 TFSI, 60 TFSI and 60 TFSI e. The only A8 sold in the U.S. is the long-wheelbase A8 L, which provides extra legroom for rear passengers.

　　55 TFSI

　　The 55 TFSI uses a 3.0-liter V6-powered (335 horsepower, 369 lb-ft) paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Audi includes even more standard equipment for 2021 than last year's model. Feature highlights include:

　　19-inch wheels LED headlights Soft-close doors (catch as they're being closed and gently pull shut) Adaptive air suspension Power-adjustable front seats with heating and cooling Four-zone automatic climate control Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration Wireless charging pad with Audi phone box signal booster Digital instrument cluster (Audi's Virtual Cockpit) Heated and ventilated seats Panoramic sunroof 360-degree camera system (gives you a top-down view of the A8 and its surroundings for tight parking situations) Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)There are a handful of options. They include:

　　Executive Plus package Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the vehicle and the car in front) Lane keeping assist (steers the A8 back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker) Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while reversing) Heated armrests Heated rear outboard seats Heated steering wheel Ambient interior lighting Dual-pane acoustic windows Massaging front seats Traffic sign recognition Head-up display (displays important information in your sight line on the windshield) 20-inch wheels Luxury package Faux suede headliner Aluminum buttons Extended leather upholstery Rear outboard ventilated and massaging seats Heated rear armrests Power rear outboard seats with lumbar and memory function Black Optic/S Line Plus package 20-inch wheels Black exterior trim All-wheel steering The 60 TFSI swaps a turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 (453 hp, 487 lb-ft) in place of the V6. Standard features mirror the 55 TFSI, with the addition of a Bang & Olufsen audio system that's otherwise optional on the 55 TFSI.

　　The 60 TFSI e uses a turbocharged V6 plug-in hybrid (443 hp, 516 lb-ft). Options mirror those on the 60 TFSI.

　　

2021 A8 Highlights

Type: SedanPlug-in HybridSedan

　　

Base MSRP	$86,500
Engine Type	Mild hybrid
Combined MPG	21 MPG
Cost to Drive	$224/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	12.5 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles