[V8] Whats the Next "V8"

[Stephen B. Harper]

Hi Jason,

This is a question that I've been trying to answer lately myself, and I 
thought I'd pass along my thoughts.

In a nutshell, replacing the V8 is no easy task!  Prior to buying my 
1990 V8, I had a 1982 5000 Turbo, and buying the V8 was a no-brainer 
because it really truly surpassed the earlier car in every category.

I recently drove both a 2003 A4 3.0 Quattro and a 2002 A6 4.2, and I can 
definitely say that neither car really impressed me.

While I don't mind the smaller size of the A4, the suspension lacked 
that unflappable feeling of the V8.  In fact, I was shocked by just how 
soft the suspension was, and the vertical motions over dips and other 
road irregularities were almost nautical!  I was not pleased with the 
steering either - while there isn't much feel in my V8s non-servotronic 
rack, at least the steering is accurate and linear.  The A4 is similar 
in terms of feel, and accurate, but I didn't like the non linearity of 
the variable assist rack.  The car was definitely refined - perhaps too 
much so for my tastes - and no V6 will ever match the V8s wonderful 
revvy snarl.

The A6 4.2 definitely left a better impression with me.  The car is a 
similar size to the V8, although it does feel narrower in the cockpit 
even though the specs say that they are virtually the same width.  The 
A6 is definitely a faster beast, and the 4.2 revs faster and smoother 
that the 3.6.  Unfortunately, the engine note is quite muted, so don't 
expect that same V8 roar at high revs.  Again the car was supremely 
refined, but my complaints about the A4s steering also applies to the 
A6.  At least the A6s suspension displayed much more discipline than the 
A4s, so of the 2 I'd have to say the A6 gets the nod.

Two cars that I actually preferred to the two Audis were the Jaguar 
X-type and the Saab 9-5.  Neither car is as refined as the Audis, which 
is perhaps what I find charming about them.  The Saab is an older design 
but is relatively close to the V8 in size and general driving demeanour 
- for example, the engine needs revs to perform and you feel 
imperfections in the road but are still somewhat suitably isolated from 
them.  And just like my 1990 V8 when I got it in 1993, nobody wants the 
Saab and is therefore an excellent second-hand buy, since resale values 
plummet!  The X-type is a smaller car, similar in size to an A4, but 
seems to do a better job than the A4 of combining ride quality and good 
handling.  Perhaps of all 4, I liked the Jag's steering the best, and it 
was generally a quick and competent car with AWD just like the Audis.  
Still, none of these cars made the V8 feel old in the way that the V8 
did to my beloved 5000  Turbo!  And what about the A8?  I haven't driven 
one, and don't think I will since I really don't want something even 
bigger than the V8.

So ultimately, no matter what you choose, there will be some aspect of 
your new car that will be inferior to what the V8 offers.

Good Luck!
Stephen

1990 Audi V8
1993 Isuzu Impulse  
1975 Lotus Elite


Jason Carey wrote:

>Audifans,
>
>What is another (slightly newer) vehicle that has similar 
>performance and price qualities to the V8 models?  
>  
>