GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

yep, that's what I'm talking about.
Like Henry said, it's much more evident in lexus.


this totally makes sense now......I never thought about that

Like Jeff said, the depreciation is crazy rediculous so there's really no aiming high, just aiming "smart"



the guy with the glasses is just having a mental picture of his service bill

BNR34

iTrader: (1)

And usually is the petite little ones that get put in that rear middle seat because they fit

Yup, like when I buy my LS430, ES/GS/LS all cost within a few thousands, so of course buy the best one

Another thing is, the higher you go, the better the cars are kept and the lower mileage they are because they are all kept in a climate controlled garage that is nicer then my bedroom and those owners owns 10 cars. So there are tons of 02' Arnage that are showroom fresh with 15k miles. Try that with a 02' Camry or even a 02' LS430, they are all beat with 100k miles

LOL yes, the driver is his son that don't have to pay for anything, he is just enjoying the sweetness of ballin'

milellie11

iTrader: (5)

I must say, it's amazing how understated the Audi A8L is and how much it gets overlooked. Of course, marketing has a lot to do with this and in the USA, the MB S-Class and BMW 7 Series are viewed as the flagship German big body sedans. The Lexus LS is a very popular alternative for those who want a flagship geared towards reliability with less prestige and lower maintenance cost.

I might add, I myself drive a GS430, my sister drives and LS 430, my mother in law drives an LS 430, my aunt drives an LS460L and my mother drives an ES350. I am very familiar with Lexus vehicles and have spent some quality time in/driven all of the above. I am familiar with the Mercedes S550 as my uncle has one and i have spent some time in it as well with my cousin. I have also spent some time in/ driven the BMW 7 series.

So, recently i've gone looking for a newer car because even though my 2002 GS is "nice", it's not really a car that i looked forward to jumping in and taking a weekend drive around in anymore. Loose steering and suspension issues have soured me. Doesn't really engage you while driving and the steering feels "dead" if that's how i should put it. But thats Lexus' goal anyway, to isolate drivers.

The most common cars you see in my area are Lexus ES,GS,LS, BMW 3 series, 5 series, 7 series and Mercedes E Class and S class. Why not Audi? Are they terrible? Are they less quality? Do they drive like crap? maybe they're too expensive? Or, perhaps MARKETING. Also, people perceive status with certain cars. Someone with an S class or 7 Series will be noticed more than someone riding around in an A8. People only know what they see more of, so if you see more S classes and 7 series and LS's in an area and hardly any A8's, then you will most likely buy what you see. Most people never even knew there was an Audi A8.(And i was one of them!)

This started my curious year long research about A8's. The pure mystery of why i don't see any of these cars on the road intrigued me. I started with Edmunds.com. and audiworld forums. The general consensus was to stay away from the first year, 2004 (electrical gremlins) but that Audi had gotten everything sorted out by 2006 and you were left with an all aluminum understated masterpiece that is unique even amongst other Audi's. Every review that i read said that the A8 doesn't drive like an S class, it doesn't drive like a 7 series, and it doesn't drive like an LS. It drives like an A8. Really, it combines the positive qualities of all above cars into one. Edmunds even said that most buy the S class or 7 series, but the smart money would buy an A8.

I was sold. I picked up an 07 black A8L with Amaretto interior (most beautiful orange mix of peanut butter brown leather interior you will see on black carpet).
I will simply say, it is the best car i've driven. Again, it is the absolute best car that i've driven. It's true, the A8 mixes the handling and control of the BMW 7, but with the adaptive air suspension it doesn't ride as harsh. It coddles you and feels just as soft as a Lexus LS over bumps, but feels firmly planted, doesn't wallow and feel like a boat.It has the best interior quality out of all three, just as much if not more rear legroom in the L, surpassing even the Mercedes and is very responsive to drive, but it doesn't feel as big as the Mercedes does. Surprisingly, the A8L handles corners like an S4, drives around town and whips in and out of traffic smaller than an A6, and feels much smaller to drive than my GS430.

The A8 is not as fast or powerful as the other three, but you would not be able to tell because the 350hp FSI engine is strong at any speed with plenty of power on tap during kickdown. The car feels quick, simply put. No way to describe it, you have to drive it. Car always feels sure footed coming out of turns with the right amount of torque going to the wheels. This perfect sporty balance can be attributed to the class leading quattro system, the best all wheel drive system among the luxury brands as proven by many auto enthusiasts.

The interior is stunning. No other car have i been in gives you the feeling of being in an airplane cockpit where all controls are perfectly placed and the car just seems to wrap around you in a silent bank vault. The engine is not loud, but a beautiful V8 german grunt when you get down on it. The car feels as if 80mph is insulting, begging you to push it to autobahn speeds. One minor point to note is the Bose audio. The separation is not as good as my Mark Levinson in the GS. But the Bose is no slouch and does some things well. If it's really that important, the Bang and Olufsen upgrade in the A8 will more than likely satisfy. I must say though, the bass in the Bose is astonishing. Not overpowering or muddy, but deep and tight, something that i yearned more of in my Mark Levinson. The MMI system(same navigation/car control as BMW's Idrive and Mercedes COMMAND) is easier to use and is what Mercedes and BMW most likely strived to design but fell short.

Everything in the car just personifies quality, beauty and engineering. From the smallest of buttons to large storage compartments down to the smell of the leather in a 5 year old car, it is an experience. A special experience i only received from being in an A8. It truly is unique. None of the other brands have i felt that "feeling" when i stepped foot into them. Maybe it's because many times brands compete so much, they all try to "copy" certain technologies/interior and they begin to feel similar to each other. The A8 differs from this regard as if it was carved from a totally unique mold.

I do not work for corporate Audi even though it may sound as if i do. I do not want to sound one sided but most likely i do. Only question is, will i be singing these praises 5 years from now after i've had the chance to go through some maintenance and hopefully not many issues? I hope so

Thanks for reading

[IMG]I must say, it's amazing how understated the Audi A8L is and how much it gets overlooked. Of course, marketing has a lot to do with this and in the USA, the MB S-Class and BMW 7 Series are viewed as the flagship German big body sedans. The Lexus LS is a very popular alternative for those who want a flagship geared towards reliability with less prestige and lower maintenance cost.

I might add, I myself drive a GS430, my sister drives and LS 430, my mother in law drives an LS 430, my aunt drives an LS460L and my mother drives an ES350. I am very familiar with Lexus vehicles and have spent some quality time in/driven all of the above. I am familiar with the Mercedes S550 as my uncle has one and i have spent some time in it as well with my cousin. I have also spent some time in/ driven the BMW 7 series.

So, recently i've gone looking for a newer car because even though my 2002 GS is "nice", it's not really a car that i looked forward to jumping in and taking a weekend drive around in anymore. Loose steering and suspension issues have soured me. Doesn't really engage you while driving and the steering feels "dead" if that's how i should put it. But thats Lexus' goal anyway, to isolate drivers.

The most common cars you see in my area are Lexus ES,GS,LS, BMW 3 series, 5 series, 7 series and Mercedes E Class and S class. Why not Audi? Are they terrible? Are they less quality? Do they drive like crap? maybe they're too expensive? Or, perhaps MARKETING. Also, people perceive status with certain cars. Someone with an S class or 7 Series will be noticed more than someone riding around in an A8. People only know what they see more of, so if you see more S classes and 7 series and LS's in an area and hardly any A8's, then you will most likely buy what you see. Most people never even knew there was an Audi A8.(And i was one of them!)

This started my curious year long research about A8's. The pure mystery of why i don't see any of these cars on the road intrigued me. I started with Edmunds.com. and audiworld forums. The general consensus was to stay away from the first year, 2004 (electrical gremlins) but that Audi had gotten everything sorted out by 2006 and you were left with an all aluminum understated masterpiece that is unique even amongst other Audi's. Every review that i read said that the A8 doesn't drive like an S class, it doesn't drive like a 7 series, and it doesn't drive like an LS. It drives like an A8. Really, it combines the positive qualities of all above cars into one. Edmunds even said that most buy the S class or 7 series, but the smart money would buy an A8.

I was sold. I picked up an 07 black A8L with Amaretto interior (most beautiful orange mix of peanut butter brown leather interior you will see on black carpet).
I will simply say, it is the best car i've driven. Again, it is the absolute best car that i've driven. It's true, the A8 mixes the handling and control of the BMW 7, but with the adaptive air suspension it doesn't ride as harsh. It coddles you and feels just as soft as a Lexus LS over bumps, but feels firmly planted, doesn't wallow and feel like a boat.It has the best interior quality out of all three, just as much if not more rear legroom in the L, surpassing even the Mercedes and is very responsive to drive, but it doesn't feel as big as the Mercedes does. Surprisingly, the A8L handles corners like an S4, drives around town and whips in and out of traffic smaller than an A6, and feels much smaller to drive than my GS430.

The A8 is not as fast or powerful as the other three, but you would not be able to tell because the 350hp FSI engine is strong at any speed with plenty of power on tap during kickdown. The car feels quick, simply put. No way to describe it, you have to drive it. Car always feels sure footed coming out of turns with the right amount of torque going to the wheels. This perfect sporty balance can be attributed to the class leading quattro system, the best all wheel drive system among the luxury brands as proven by many auto enthusiasts.

The interior is stunning. No other car have i been in gives you the feeling of being in an airplane cockpit where all controls are perfectly placed and the car just seems to wrap around you in a silent bank vault. The engine is not loud, but a beautiful V8 german grunt when you get down on it. The car feels as if 80mph is insulting, begging you to push it to autobahn speeds. One minor point to note is the Bose audio. The separation is not as good as my Mark Levinson in the GS. But the Bose is no slouch and does some things well. If it's really that important, the Bang and Olufsen upgrade in the A8 will more than likely satisfy. I must say though, the bass in the Bose is astonishing. Not overpowering or muddy, but deep and tight, something that i yearned more of in my Mark Levinson. The MMI system(same navigation/car control as BMW's Idrive and Mercedes COMMAND) is easier to use and is what Mercedes and BMW most likely strived to design but fell short.

Everything in the car just personifies quality, beauty and engineering. From the smallest of buttons to large storage compartments down to the smell of the leather in a 5 year old car, it is an experience. A special experience i only received from being in an A8. It truly is unique. None of the other brands have i felt that "feeling" when i stepped foot into them. Maybe it's because many times brands compete so much, they all try to "copy" certain technologies/interior and they begin to feel similar to each other. The A8 differs from this regard as if it was carved from a totally unique mold.

I do not work for corporate Audi even though it may sound as if i do. I do not want to sound one sided but most likely i do. Only question is, will i be singing these praises 5 years from now after i've had the chance to go through some maintenance and hopefully not many issues? I hope so

Thanks for reading

rominl

iTrader: (4)

actually i would beg to differ. even % wise, depreciation is faster on amg cars, and even more so on s65 than s63. at least that's what i have been noticing

rominl

iTrader: (4)

milellie11, great read!

i also agree that the a8 (especially l) is very underrated. but for those who want a subtle right i think it's a great choice. i guess i just don't like the pop up navigation screen that much, looks a bit too add-on.

but nonethess, i think that car looks very handsome

milellie11

iTrader: (5)

Thanks

Yeah, the pop up navigation can get a bit annoying each time you start the car it pops up. Also, the mechanism gears that move the screen are prone to break over time.

In no way am i trying to take anything away form the S Class, 7 Series or LS460. These are all well built machines and are really overengineered. They all excel in aspects in some form or another. It's great to have such a good selection.
Me personally am not willing to spend $80,000 plus on these cars brand new neither can i afford to! But i believe that used luxury cars 3-4 years old are the best value money can buy for those of us with "beer pockets" These cars depreciate heavily within the first 4-5 years. I've noticed that the A8 depreciates faster than the other large sedans and are relatively cheaper for the same model years. Picking up one of these machines for 35K-40K is a steal. That's the price of a fully loaded Maxima or Acura TL nowadays. What would you rather drive?

Blackraven

Damn, that must be one of the most baller car in Hong Kong roads.

Never mind 15% first registration tax (it's chump change to these prospective buyers). That thing is really baller.

BNR34

iTrader: (1)

One of the most baller sedan, sports car wise goes way higher.

First registration tax is 100%.

To put a plate on a 458, out the door is ~$600k USD

adamls2

My exact feelings!! Every car that I have bought especially in the luxury segment has been 3-4 years old for example the CL I just bought was 165k new in 2008 and I bought it now with 31000 miles for basically 100k less. Same thing with my LS even though it still holds it's value better than any other German company.

Project Baller On a Budget "whoop whoop"

BNR34

iTrader: (1)

I see they are the same % wise. 50% off in 3~4 years.

But if I am wrong, it makes even more sense to go high

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

I've never driven an LS460 nor an S-class (although I did drive a new CL, which is about the same).....but I have sat in both several times. The Benz definitely feels more special to me. The cabin feels elegant and classy. Touching the materials provides a sweet sensation to your fingertips. The seats are really comfy but supportive. You can relax and drive. The smell is unlike other cars. You always know it's a Benz.

The LS460 has a nice interior but it does not compare to the Benz. It looks better than the other Lexus models but after being in the car a while, it's no more special than the ES or GS.
The S-class is definitely an upgrade over the other Benz models except for the CL. I actually like the LS seats better because I prefer some stiffness over cushy seating.

The Benz is really attractive and commands attention but the LS is not far behind. With 22 inch wheels, they are equal in my book. Stock, the S has way more presense.

Benz is doing better with reliability but given the choice of these 2 cars, I'd choose the LS460. Especially if I planned to keep the car a long time. No Benz with high miles or several years under it's belt is worth the risk. I've been there....won't do it again. However, a 100K mile warranty is an equalizer it just means frequent trips to the dealer. Even if you don't drive it. If it sits 2 weeks without being started, the battery dies. Sometimes it happens in 1 week. The air suspension sometimes malfunctions when it sits. Driving it a lot or not, you lose.

Give me the Lexus.

On the other hand, my eyes are being drawn to 2 others. The Jag XJ and Porsche Panamera. Two big cars that have so much luxury, sportiness and unique styling. The brain can only handle so much stimulation.

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

No sunroof for a Bentley? Hmm,,,

rominl

iTrader: (4)

hahaha, find me a s550, s63, or s65 with avg mileage that doesn't depreciate MORE than 50% by 3-4 years trust me, mb are "great buy" in that sense

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

My son in law's CPO '08 S550 with 17K mile pictured in the thread was $108K new and he paid $58K.
Loaded and 17K miles.

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

As much as i love ls's, 7-series, xj's and a8's, its hard to beat an s class. As a whole this car will always be a benchmark, it a real shame about the reliability of models after 1991, the 1999 s class was class and presence defined by a car, nothing really had the same presence of that model in my opinion and still today there is an aura or sense of "I've arrived" in that car.