Vehicle Layout Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan Engine/Transmission 3.0L turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6/8-speed automatic Curb Weight
(F/R Dist) 4,943 lb (54/46%) Wheelbase 123.1 in Length x Width x Height 208.7 x 76.6 x 58.5 in Energy Consumption, City/Hwy 177/125 kW-hr/100 miles
CO2 Emissions, Comb 0.88 lb/mileSPECS 2019 Audi A8L Quattro
Base Price/As Tested $84,795/$123,045
Power (SAE net) 335 hp @ 5,000 rpm
Torque (SAE net) 369 lb-ft @ 1,370 rpm
Accel, 0-60 mph 5.4 sec
Quarter Mile 14.0 sec @ 99.8 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph 108 ft
Lateral Acceleration 0.89 g (avg)
MT Figure Eight 25.9 sec @ 0.70 g (avg)
EPA City/Hwy/Comb 19/27/22 mpgmay be the executive lounge in
the back. The seats recline almost
flat with a single touch, and the
bottom cushion slides forward.
The rear seats also offer myriad
controls, body and foot massage,
fancy screens, and a DVD
changer. “Everything you touch
and interact with oozes quality,”
Ogbac said.
The interior has a sense of
timelessness and a “lot of subtle
intellect,” Callum said. To his
designer eye, the A8L is perhaps
the most attractive sedan in the
segment (and yes, that counts his
own outgoing Jaguar XJ).
However, there was a bit of
disagreement in this aspect.
Theodore lamented that although
the A8 may be perfectly executed,
its heart is bland. Loh was even
harsher, saying it has “all the
power, the authority, the sex
appeal of Angela Merkel.”
The 335-hp, 369-lb-ft 3.0-literT
he Audi A8L is a grande
dame of a flagship sedan in
a shrinking segment, but it
knows how to treat its declining
cohort of customers right.
Audi is known for its sharp,
tech-forward interiors, and this
elegant cabin doesn’t disappoint.
The A8L has a mix of rich and
soft materials, open-pore wood,
glossy trim, black perforated-
leather seats, and Alcantara
in the doors and headliner, all
beautifully finished. Wood panels
slide up dramatically to reveal
hidden air vents, and the steering
wheel squares off at the bottom
with a place to rest your thumbs
on a long drive.
On the telematics side,
surround-view camera images
and graphics are crisp, and
Google Earth pictures in the
Virtual Cockpit screens are
stunning. The infotainment system
doesn’t bur y controls deep into
menus, it has wireless charging,
and occupied USB ports and
power outlets alert you if you’ve
forgotten a device when you
exit the vehicle. Thoughtful. Audi
sweats the details.
The best seats in the houseturbocharged V-6 is adequate,
with the mild hybrid system ironing
out the powerband. It comes
well paired with an eight-speed
automatic transmission. The A8L
effortlessly accelerated to 120
mph with barely a peep from the
engine. Once at speed, it felt like
it was cruising on a boulevard. But
this is a car that weighs almost
5,000 pounds.
Why such a merely acceptable
engine? Lieberman theorized
the clout of the economy-over-
performance Chinese market
might hold sway over product
planning decisions.
As for the A8L’s interior, the
outside world barely registers
in this cocoon. “It might be
the quietest car in the world,”
Theodore said. The suspension
skims over any imperfections. But
it also delivers light, somewhat
numb steering and “a floating ride
akin to a bygone era,” Theodore
added. In city driving, it doesn’t
come to a limousine stop and then
accelerate smoothly away.
Rechtin initially described
the A8L experience as “luxury
without soul,” performing well
but devoid of thrill. After more
time, he admired its precise and
calculating nature, labeling it
“stealth luxury.”Markus appreciated the engi-
neering behind the 48-volt active
suspension but couldn’t detect it
in action. Lane keep assist is easy
to find and use, but, as Loh noted,
it weaves like a drunk.
Perhaps Audi stretched
the platform a bit too far for
this car to be appropriately
powerful and dynamic. But it fills
the role of a comfortable and
beautifully appointed cruiser or
a chauffeured ride.“This car is to
be enjoyed and experienced, not
hustled,” Walton said.
Perhaps Theodore summed
it up best: “I drove around as if
I were a chauffeur trying to get
away from the bad guys without
spilling my boss’ glass of wine.”
Alisa PriddlePRO Quiet, plush ride • Executive rear seats • Crisp infotainment CON Engine needs more power • Light, numb steering • Screens show fingerprintsAudi A8L
Finalists
84 MOTORTREND.COM JANUARY 2020