Bruce

AutoZeitung put the two German executive luxury vehicles against each other and the ending result:





Attached is data sheet:

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Which is your choice?

Verdict, Winner: A8 Quattro

Much speaks 500 4MATIC in the duel of the luxury Allradler for Mercedes S. It is more strongly, faster, fits more comfortably than the AUDI A8 4,2 FSI with springs and decides with its large trunk and with the more extensive safety equipment also the body chapter for itself. Its new all-wheel drive works on same traction-strong level as the proven quattro drive of AUDI. Nevertheless the A8 is altogether the agilere and more harmonious car. The A8 gains the crucial projection/lead however only in the cost chapter. With a basic price difference in the equivalent of a small car the AUDI points Mercedes clearly into its barriers, without it offers clearly less in its characteristics. The new FSI-V8 can keep up in its efficiency not completely with the capacity-stronger Mercedes-V8, but the gasoline direct A SPLASh uses clearly less and runs just as cultivated as S 500-Triebwerk.

Followed by the pictures:

Mercedes-Benz S500 4Matic

5461cc - 8 Cylinder
388PS @ 6,000
530Nm @ 2,800
0-100 km/h: 5.8
80-120 km/h: 3.8
100-0 km/h (warm): 36.6 metres

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Audi A8 4.2 FSI Quattro

4163cc - 8 Cylinder
349PS @ 6,800
440Nm @ 3,500
0-100 km/h: 6.7
80-120 km/h: 4.3
100 km/h - 0 (warm): 35.7 metres

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Choleric

I'll take the A8, love it's design so much more, and it's cheaper.

bmer

A8 for me too. I like its design more and prefer the interior over the MB's.

Tycoon

I'm smelling a war, again, because Audi won, again, due to it's price.

Please, no wars in this thread!

Merc1

The A8, specifically the S8 is the only other large sedan from Germany I'd entertain the notion of getting besides the S-Class. It was a fine car when introduced and remains so. I can't wait to see the facelift.

M

Tumbo

Co-sign!

Imhotep Evil

The A8 wins hands down when it comes to design, and has a has a better price tag.
Nevertheless the S klasse is the best car in its class.

Yannis

A8 wins for me. I would get one even if it was more expensive than S class.

Furthermore S500 is near the price of S8 and if we put S500 against S8 we all know who is going to win.

Do you know what "Fahrdynamic" means? Audi A8 clearly wins in that too.

Imhotep Evil

Well that was a tought of mine too. The 500 vs. the 4.2 seems kind of unfair.

Yes, driving dynamics, forgot to mention that. MEA CULPA.

Alwing

It's nice to see that Audi still could stand his ground even when S-class came out. The interior of the A8 still fantastic and in my opinion still the best looking interior in it's class, the exterior is great as well but starting to show a bit of age.
It's also good to see that the 4-matic system is just as good as the Quattro system.

Overall, in my opinion the S-class is the better car.
Whether the S500 is too expensive is a subjective issue, the car is selling well throughout whole world.

I'm not starting a war here but stating some facts here:
If you want the A8 equipped on the same level as the standard equipment of the S-class for example leather and heated seats etc., based on Autozeitung equipmentlist you have to pay €4.134 extra for the equipments.
Even if the S500 would be priced at the same level as the A8 then the S-class would be too much of a bargain. Technology wise it's more advanced car, better standard equipped and the engine performance is better than the A8.
The normal S500 without 4-matic costs €89.668 and you get RWD.
If you don't care about 4WD, the RWD will does it's job just as good in most of its time because it has ESP and tractioncontrol etc. etc. The situation the 4WD is more superior is in heavy snow conditions.
Not that it really matters but the reason why the A8 is standard equipped with Quattro system is because they don't offer RWD, only FWD in the cheaper models.
Put that all in consideration the S500 is just around €8.834 more expensive but you get better performance, comfort, newer and more advanced car.
So the pricedifference of €8.834 is not really that significant as it's stated in the test in my opinion. And people who can afford to buy these cars don't look at the prices that closely as we do.

Do you know what comfort means? In my opinion that's a more important category in these kind of high luxury cars. I weigh driving dynamics category heavier if it's a sportscar we are talking about like a Porsche 911.
And also do not forget that the Audi was equipped with 19" wheels which are lower and wider than the 17" wheels that S-class got equipped with. That certainly had an advantage in the driving dynamics.
That the A8 is 0.8 seconds faster in handeling course and 1.3 km/u faster in slalom, seriously.... a mere dog will tell the differ.