Previously, Audi had Andy Lau star in a short film titled "Walking with Time." Lau discussed his understanding of time, and the A8L featured in the video has also left a deep mark in Audi's history.

The origin of the A8 dates back to its predecessor, the Audi V8. In 1988, the Audi V8 was introduced, equipped with 3.6L and 4.2L V8 engines, capable of reaching top speeds of 235km/h and 249km/h, respectively. The Audi V8 was also the first model in Audi's history to be named after the structure of its engine.

First Generation A8 (1994-2002): In 1994, the first-generation Audi A8 was officially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. This model featured the ASF lightweight aluminum body and was equipped with the most advanced xenon headlights of the time. In 1997, the first-generation Audi A8 began to feature the quattro all-wheel-drive system and was also the world's first car to come standard with six airbags. In 2000, the first-generation Audi A8 was revamped, featuring a W12 engine.

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Second Generation A8 (2002-2009): In 2002, Audi launched the second-generation A8, which for the first time offered rear independent seats with a central passage. In terms of power, it was the first to adopt the FSI direct fuel injection engine. In 2004, Audi equipped the A8 W12 model with LED daytime running lights, making it the world's first car with LED DRLs. The use of LED lighting was then popularized across other models, beginning Audi's journey with lighting technology. In 2005, the second-generation Audi A8 was revised, introducing side assist and lane change assist systems as the first in its class.

Third Generation A8 (2010-2017): In 2010, the third-generation Audi A8 made its global debut at the Beijing Auto Show, also introducing a long-wheelbase version. It was the first to feature luxury comfortable reclining seats, MMI smart touchpad, and negative ion air purifiers. In 2013, the third-generation Audi A8 was revised for the first time, featuring the world's first matrix LED headlights, further enhancing Audi's reputation as a leader in automotive lighting.The fourth-generation A8, which has been released since 2018 and continues to this day, has a history spanning 30 years. Today, we are going to talk about Audi's latest A8L 55 TFSI.

In terms of appearance, the A8L exudes a strong presence, embodying the luxury car aura that was commonly recognized in the past. The entire body and interior feature many straight lines, with an elongated side profile and a dashboard that is horizontally and vertically aligned, giving it a rather grand and luxurious look.

Personally, I pay more attention to the feel, atmosphere, and materials of a car's interior, rather than the specific design details. There are several aspects of the A8L's interior that have left an impression on me.

Firstly, the wood trim of this car is different from the one in the BMW X5 I tested last time—I also liked the wood trim in the BMW X5, which has a natural and casual feel, preserving many natural knots. In contrast, the wood trim in the Audi A8L pursues a sense of uniform aesthetic beauty, with the real wood materials carefully selected from the branches or roots of the same tree in the cold regions to ensure the perfect consistency of the wood grain. The philosophies behind the two are quite different.

Secondly, the seats of the Audi A8L. Even before I sat in the car, I could tell that the seats are very comfortable, with the texture of the leather and the shape of the seats making a strong first impression. After actual experience, the seats indeed offer excellent support, wrapping, and comfort. It is said that these seats were co-developed and designed by Audi in collaboration with medical professionals such as physiotherapists and orthopedic doctors, which is not the same concept as the traditionally perceived "big soft sofa"—it is not soft.Additionally, the seats are almost adjustable at all angles, including the conventional front and back, up and down, lumbar, and cushion adjustments. In addition to these, the upper half of the backrest, the cushion, and the side wings of the backrest can also be adjusted, offering a wide range of adaptability to human body differences.

Thirdly, I think the design in some small details is quite good. First is the wireless charging for mobile phones in the front row. The A8L has placed it on the side wall of the armrest storage box and used a clip form. When charging, the phone can be directly clipped to the side. This prevents it from sliding off (regardless of acceleration, deceleration, or large lateral movements), and secondly, it does not occupy storage space.

In addition, for example, a small storage space has been created at the armrest position of all four doors, which I think is quite good for temporarily placing some tickets and the like. Another example is that when the rear central armrest is closed, it can be gently closed by just releasing it at the last section - it seems there is no electric attraction, it's purely a mechanical design.

In terms of intelligence, I am most dissatisfied with the voice control of the Audi A8L. I can only say that compared with the current domestic cars, Audi is definitely lagging behind in voice control interaction. Although I personally do not like voice control, it should have a certain level when equipped in the car.

In summary, the voice control of this Audi A8L is: after using it once or twice, I am too lazy to use it again! No matter who uses it or how it is used, both the recognition rate and accuracy need to be improved. It's either "talking at cross purposes" or executing the wrong command. Fortunately, Audi has retained quite a few physical keys, and even without physical keys, there are still screen or touch key controls. Moreover, the control logic of Audi's car machine and other systems is relatively simple, making it easy to get started, so you won't have to search for a long time without finding it.Having discussed the static aspects or those related to "sitting," the sensation of "moving" is the key point. It has been said for a long time that for a luxury car, the experience of driving remains one of the most important factors. Let's now talk about the experience of it "moving."

01

Power and Driving Smoothness

The Audi A8L is equipped with a 3.0T V6 engine + 48V power system, with a maximum output torque of 500Nm and a rated power of 250kW. On paper, the numbers may seem average, but its official 0-100 km/h acceleration time is 5.7 seconds. It's worth noting that its maximum torque output range is between 1370rpm and 4500rpm, with a low starting engine speed for maximum torque output and a relatively broad range.

Therefore, from the actual subjective experience, the power output of the Audi A8L feels quite lively. Whether it's low-speed city driving or high-speed cruising and overtaking, it is quite composed. There are three modes for power output: economy, comfort, and sport. Even in the economy mode, the start does not feel "lacking in power." When using the sport mode, the engine maintains a higher RPM during normal driving compared to the economy mode, generally staying just above 2000rpm. At this point, the power output is indeed more rapid compared to the economy mode.I specifically found an enclosed area to test the acceleration at almost the full speed range (Audi officially claims a top speed of 250 km/h), and I managed to reach a top speed of 238 km/h. Moreover, I did not fully press the accelerator during the latter half of the acceleration, and the speed increase was quite leisurely throughout the process, with ample power reserves. Although the initial acceleration sensation may not be comparable to many electric vehicles, I found the mid to later stages to be stronger and more comfortable. Often, despite not feeling a strong acceleration, the actual vehicle speed can inadvertently exceed the speed limit.

When performing overtaking acceleration or rapid start acceleration, there is a slight delay or non-linear feeling in the power output, as it indeed involves downshifting or engine speed climbing, which is not as good as electric vehicles.

Regarding driving smoothness, the engine starts very smoothly when the vehicle starts, without noticeable fluctuations in engine speed, and the vehicle's sound insulation is excellent, with the engine noise being relatively faint. At idle, the engine also does not exhibit noticeable fluctuations. During tip in/tip out at low or high speeds, the engine's power response is quite quick, without significant lag, and the vehicle does not have significant jolts, making the driving smoothness quite good, and the vehicle feels smooth to drive.

02

Braking Performance

Overall, I think there are no major issues with the braking feel of the Audi A8. During light braking, the free travel of the pedal is quite moderate, and the pedal force feels good, not too light or too heavy. After stepping on the pedal, the braking force response is good, and the adjustability during the braking process is also quite good, allowing for excellent control over the magnitude of the braking force.However, sometimes there is a feeling that the braking force is not linear enough, as when lightly braking to slow down, the transmission downshifting has a more noticeable jerk, especially when shifting between the first 3 to 4 gears. This leads to changes in the vehicle's deceleration during the downshifting process, causing a change in the feeling underfoot.

When braking moderately, I don't think there are any issues with pedal force, pedal travel, or braking response. The control of braking pitch is also at a good level, with the pitch angle not being too large. There is a slight nod, but it is acceptable, and the comfort is not significantly affected. Similarly, the jerk from the transmission can affect the feeling of braking underfoot.

During heavy braking, the braking force is established quite quickly, and the ABS intervention is also fast. The vehicle is also quite stable during the braking process, with no side-to-side swaying occurring, and the subjective feeling of braking performance is also good, without the sensation of not being able to stop.

There is one aspect of braking that is not so good because it is evident that the Audi A8 has been designed to resist nodding, transforming the pitch movement into a longitudinal movement. Therefore, when braking to a stop with varying levels of force, the vehicle's forward and backward lurching motion is quite noticeable. However, this is generally the case with vehicles designed in this way, it just depends on the degree. Compared to severe pitching, I would prefer the longitudinal movement.

Additionally, during the testing process, there were no abnormal conditions such as braking noise or vibration.03

Steering Setup

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The steering system of the Audi A8L comes with three distinct modes: Comfort, Balanced, and Sport. Each mode offers a slightly different level of feedback resistance, with the force required to steer gradually increasing. Overall, the steering of the Audi A8L does not feel overly light, which is quite commendable.

With a wheelbase of 3128mm and an overall length of 5320mm, the car is quite large in size. However, its steering flexibility is not bad, at least not clumsy. It does require some adaptation due to the car's length, but it is manageable.

Regarding the central steering, the steering window (angle deadband) is moderate, which I believe is quite suitable for a vehicle of this class. The torque deadband (steering force deadband) is relatively small, and the establishment of torque in the central position is quite noticeable, providing a clear sense of center. This is beneficial for stability at high speeds, and the steering does not lag even when I push the car close to its top speed. The linearity of the torque buildup in the Audi A8's steering is without issue, with a good linear increase in torque and well-executed symmetry in the left and right torque.The response in the central area is not very abundant, after all, the wheelbase is so long, and the response is quite suitable for a car with its orientation, and it is not as bad as many domestic large cars in terms of steering response. In addition, there is no obvious friction when steering, the steering is very smooth, and the connection with the wheels is more direct without obvious rubber feeling, and there is no obvious lack of assistance when turning quickly.

Regarding the steering returnability, I think there is a bit of a problem, especially when the steering returnability is not very good at low speeds, the return speed is slow, and the return speed is fast at the beginning and slow in the latter half, which is not linear. The final residual angle of return is too large, and it cannot return to the straight position by itself, but it can return with a little more gas or a slight increase in speed. At high speeds, there is a slight oscillation in the middle position of the return, but it can still return normally.

04

Handling Stability Feeling

This car is equipped with air springs and adjustable shock absorbers, but I don't want to say too much about its handling stability, because its product definition is not a car oriented towards handling stability, but my overall impression of this car's handling stability is actually quite good, and it is completely sufficient.

In terms of straight-line driving stability, the car's pitch suppression during acceleration and deceleration is quite good. There is a slight lift when accelerating, which is not obvious and much smaller than the domestic "luxury sedan" that has been discussed a lot on the Internet recently. As mentioned before, there is a slight feeling when decelerating, which is within the normal range. During rapid acceleration, there is no obvious tire slip, and there is no torque steering phenomenon. At high speeds, there is no obvious deviation when passing by large vehicles or when there is a side wind, and the straight-line driving stability is quite good.In terms of stability during cornering, the steady state feels neutral in steering. Accelerating in the curve to change the motion state results in good vehicle stability, after all, the quattro all-wheel drive system that Audi has always been proud of, under normal driving conditions, its self-locking central differential will distribute torque between the front and rear axles at a ratio of 40:60. When the wheels slip, the front wheels can receive up to 70% of the torque, and the rear wheels can receive up to 85% of the torque.

When performing the Break in turn maneuver (braking in the curve), the vehicle stability is also good, with the body remaining very stable. In the transient state, during large lateral acceleration, the roll is moderate with a certain amount of roll, and the roll linearity and roll recovery control are quite good. When steering at medium and small lateral accelerations, I feel that the initial roll is well controlled, with a relatively small roll.

It is said that the Audi A8 is equipped with an intelligent posture stabilization system. When the vehicle speed is between 80 and 130 kilometers per hour and the lateral acceleration is 0.4g, it can raise the body on the outer side of the curve and lower the body on the other side to reduce the roll. During the test drive, this feature was indeed reflected from a sensory perspective.

When performing the single lane change operation, the roll speed and recovery speed control during large lateral acceleration lane changes are quite comfortable, and the yaw response is good, without any particularly noticeable large vehicle feel. There is a slight difference in roll when the suspension mode is set to comfort and sport, with the comfort mode providing slightly less lateral support compared to the sport mode, although the sport mode is not particularly sporty either.Chassis Smoothness

I would like to focus on the issue of chassis comfort, as I believe that for users purchasing a vehicle like the A8, comfort is the most important concern.

In terms of primary smoothness, the vehicle has good pitch control under road excitation. When passing over continuous damaged surfaces, continuous undulating surfaces, patches, potholes, and other road conditions, the suspension maintains a good sense of balance between the front and rear, with minimal pitch movements that are almost negligible.

However, on damaged surfaces and potholes, the suppression of lateral movements is somewhat lacking, especially at low speeds, where the roll motion is quite noticeable, resulting in a significant head sway, indicating that the damping of the suspension is insufficient. At medium to high speeds, the roll is somewhat restrained, with a much smaller amplitude, but it still exists.

I believe the vehicle's control of vertical vibrations is at a good level, with effective suppression of bounces. Additionally, the vehicle has a good sense of being grounded, avoiding the floating sensation that is common in vehicles that are more comfort-oriented.In terms of secondary ride smoothness, the vehicle exhibits a good rolling sensation on some poor roads and rough surfaces, with very little bumpiness on smooth pavements. Under certain larger excitations, the vibration on the backrest of the seat is somewhat noticeable (I suspect that the seat's own modal influence might also be a factor), and I can accept the high-frequency vibrations from the floor, steering wheel, etc., as they are relatively infrequent.

The not-so-good aspect is when driving over continuous rough road surfaces, where the impact of the dampers' insufficient damping becomes evident, resulting in a less "tight" control under the springs, and some high-frequency vibrations are transmitted into the cabin, affecting comfort.

Regarding single-impact events, such as road seams and speed bumps. When driving over road seams in urban or expressway settings, the sensation is quite pleasant, with a smooth and rounded feel. At low speeds, when encountering common speed bumps, this vehicle may be the most comfortable one I've driven recently. The lifting sensation is almost negligible, the touch is soft, and there is no residual vibration, providing the enveloping sensation we often talk about, akin to the feeling of a snail crawling over.

Although this vehicle has three suspension modes, the overall sensation does not change significantly across the three modes, all of which are biased towards comfort. Compared to the comfort mode, the balanced and sport modes slightly enhance the sensation, making the road feel a bit more apparent.

In summary, I believe the chassis comfort of this vehicle is not a significant issue in its typical usage environment. Users who get their hands on this vehicle will undoubtedly find it quite comfortable.Other

Lastly, I would like to comment on the transmission and sound insulation of the Audi A8. The transmission of the Audi A8L, during the initial acceleration with moderate to small throttle, does not achieve absolute smoothness when shifting through the first 3 to 4 gears; there is a perceptible jolt when the gears change.

Regarding downshifting, the jolt felt in those same gears is more pronounced than when upshifting, which I find to be less satisfactory compared to the BMW 5 Series fuel car I drove previously, and I hope for improvements.

As for sound insulation, the vehicle does an excellent job of isolating external noises, which contributes positively to the sense of luxury. However, during hard acceleration, the engine noise becomes slightly more noticeable. Additionally, when the vehicle's speed exceeds 140 km/h, the wind noise near the A-pillar begins to increase. Fortunately, within the commonly used speed range, the wind noise remains at a relatively low level, which is sufficient to match the high-end positioning of the model.Jia Shi Summary

In summary, the Audi A8L can be considered a comfortable and quiet luxury sedan, whether you sit in it or drive it. Especially on the mechanical level, it lives up to its luxurious positioning—it gives the impression of a traditional luxury brand automobile. I have been emphasizing repeatedly that the luxury of a car cannot be judged solely by its features or the presence of a sofa and a TV; the "mechanical" quality is even more critical. Saying "the car is for sitting, not for driving" is purely a joke.

Just like this A8L, although its "TV" is indeed not as advanced as many domestic cars nowadays, it would be unlikely for anyone to agree with excluding it from the luxury car category just for that reason. However, I do think Audi should make some changes in areas such as intelligence.