[s-cars] V8 vs A8

Thu Feb 18 13:07:11 PST 2010

I jumped straight from a 5000tq, skipping the v8 and urS4 phase, and I  
too love my D2 '98 A8. Mine is lowered with adjustable coil overs and  
handles like a dream. It feels like a 2500lb car on the track. The  
ride is slightly stiff, but still nice. Comfort is amazing. I can't  
really think of anything I dislike, I've even grown to tolerate the  
auto trans especially since "she" drives it most.

-Cody (mobile)

On Feb 18, 2010, at 3:20 PM, <pkrasusky at ups.com> wrote:

> Hey Dave-
>
> I came out of a urS6 for 5yrs /80k, and am 3.5yrs / 50k into a  
> urS8.  I'll echo all of Ben's previous sentiments and add a few.
>
> It is CERTAINLY leaps ahead of most other cars out there, even  
> today, chassis-wise.  A D2 (even an A8) are tremendous driving  
> cars.  The overall ownership experience is quite rewarding.  A8s you  
> want post-facelift ('00-'03) as the others have 1000% guaranteed  
> tranny issues.  The later ones sometimes lose reverse, tho that  
> seems sort of rare.  I don't think they are a guaranteed failure  
> tho.  My //S8 box started slipping @ 130k in 1st / 2nd, it was a $4k  
> rebuild.  Tho that's no surprise for a 4k lb car w/ 360hp being ahem  
> enjoyed day / out, I don't feel it owed me much.  I haven't heard of  
> many other //S8 box failures, tho not many have the miles I've  
> racked up.
>
> $10k buys a REALLY nice A8, heck less than $10k does.  $10k buys a  
> 120k mi '01 //S8 these days, or there about.  Like Ben said throw  
> 2-4k more at it and you're in 90-100k range.
>
> They are very DIY, and like Ben said the QWD2 forum is phenomenal.   
> Mine's had some appetite for cash due to using it 20k+/yr, nothing  
> scary though.  Extended warranties are your FRIEND (<100k cars).   
> Typical stuff.  Control arm bushings, leaks leaks and more leaks  
> (trans output, front diff out put, and oil cooler coolant leak are  
> ALL *guaranteed*), cam chain tensioner seized, my cats are rattling  
> now @ 146k but many fail much (MUCH) earlier, blower motors chirp,  
> etc.
>
> If you can stomach the slushbox a D2's a hit.  I'm a diehard stick  
> junkie and I don't miss stick one bit (tho the //S8s have paddles).   
> Heck I'm bored w/ cars after a couple of years yet each and every  
> day I find myself more smitten w/ my D2.  Alumibitch, she's a  
> temptress.
>
> Really loved my urS6, but no denying they are old and sounds like  
> that's something you're aiming to get AWAY from. I WILL SAY tho that  
> it dawned on me recently that I nearly never ever even open the hood  
> on my car now, compared to seemingly weekly with my urS6.  Truth.
>
> Anyway, come on over to QWD2 if you need further help - enormous  
> resource base there.  Heck a NUMBER of chaps have 2 even 3 of the  
> things - madmen!  Speaks to the cars tho, and, all the owner's are  
> very cool.
>
> HTH, good luck.  If you want a really clean sorted silver / grey  
> alcantara (uber rare combo) '01 //S8 with 98k, LMK my bud's got one  
> for ~ $14k - *everything* has been done to it (everything!)...
>
> -Paul NC bound for some _EPIC_JNRage_ this weekend of der P car /  
> ECMag variety - muwhahahaaa - K.
>
>
>
> Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:39:50 -0500
>
> From: Dave C <dconner at gmail.com>
>
> Subject: [s-cars] V8 vs A8
>
> My fleet of Audi's consists of two 1987 type 44's. I bought one of  
> them in 1992, and have been driving and maintaining these things for  
> a very long time, doing all my own maintenance and know them inside  
> and out. But they are getting on in years and I find myself  
> considering replacement with something newer. The question is "how  
> much newer?"
>
> I'm nervous about not understanding how a car works and maybe being  
> unable to repair it when things go wrong, etc. I recently drove a  
> 2007 A8 for the first time and was in awe of the complexity of the  
> cockpit with so many electronic gizzies. I've never driven a V8, or  
> even sat in one for that matter, but I'm aware of the loyal  
> following they have.
>
> It looks like I could buy a first generation A8 (D2) for somewhere  
> in the neighborhood of $10K but it would be a ten year old car with  
> 100K miles on it, so I would need to anticipate repairs from the  
> start. I don't want to spend a whole lot more than $10 K on a car,  
> but could go higher if I felt it was worth it.
>
> I'd actually like to have an avant, but choices are limited. A  
> 2002-3 S6 avant would be very nice :-) Maybe I should consider an A6  
> avant.
>
> Considering that I like to keep my cars for a long time and do my  
> own maintenance, would I be better off with the more familiar  
> technology of the
>
> V8 or an URS4/6? I think there would be a benefit to getting  
> something ten years newer than that (A8) but it would still be a 10  
> year old car. Another upside re: the A8 is that there are a >lot<  
> more of them available to choose from. Most of the V8's and URS4's  
> are pretty beat by now... clean low-mileage examples are quite scarce.
>
> So ... should look for a clean V8 or URS4?
>
> Or should I look at something much newer and try to adapt to 21st  
> century automotive technology?
>
> Decisions, decisions.
>
> - -
>
> David Conner
>
> Columbus, OH
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