AUDI A8 SALOON REVIEW

My car

I have had my new A8 4.2TDi for about 2 months now, following a previous model A8 3.0TDi. In a number of respects the new A8 is not as good as the old A8. The new A8 is 75mm longer yet contrives to have both less rear legroom and significantly less boot space. Obviously I knew this when I ordered my new A8 but it is only after 2 months of use that I realise quite how much of a difference there is. Then there are the seats. I paid extra for comfort seats in my new A8; I find them significantly less comfortable than the sports seats in my old A8. The problem is the seat base which is quite narrow and the side bolsters are very short. Audi have saved a few bob here and it shows. The last issue I have with my new A8 is the bluetooth phone connection. In my old A8, the standard bluetooth connected my mobile phone to the roof mounted aerial and phone reception in the car was excellent. In the new A8, the standard bluetooth does not do this and only acts as a hands free system. You need to pay extra for the 'High' bluetooth system to get full bluetooth connectivity. Shame the Audi salesman didn't mention this to me. In other respects, the new A8 is an improvement. It handles better than the old A8 and is actually quite good fun on twisty roads, at least in dynamic mode. The performance of the 4.2TDi engine is formidable and it's a great overtaking tool. However, overall, it's a flawed car which is a shame because it needn't have been.