I have the opportunity to get a 07 S8, and am trying to weigh my options. The only other car I have driven that I would compare is the quattroporte, which has less power, but much better handling. Any thoughts?

I considered the M6 but I had such a good experience with my 2003 S8 that I wanted the new one. You can't beat the Quattro up here in Boston and the S8 is a perfect blend of sports car and executive sedan.

I'm also considering the Mercedes-Benz S550 and the just announced S63 (don't know what the MSRP is), or the 750Li. The S63 is said to be available by April, which is when the lease on my A8L ends, so I have some luxury of time.

The thing that concerns me (or more accurately, my CPA) is the residual and money factor (I lease my daily driver) of the S8 as offered by Audi Financial.

Even though the 750Li is due to be replace in something like 18-24 months, the residual on a 36 months 15,000 miles lease is still 59% according to the rate for September, and the money factor is low as it is running towards the end of its model cycle.

MB has excellent residuals as usual but their MF on the W221 S-class is still quite high.

Also on the list are the E63 AMG and the E60 M5, though the M5's woes with SMG is dropping it out of contention.

Did consider the QP but the fact that the nearest dealer is more than 30 miles away from my home in northern NJ and the questionable reliability; not to mention the brutal nav system that one owner on a Maserati board said is worse than a compass bought from Walmart, makes me think I'll save my pennies to hopefully one day get a Ferrari 599 GTB if I want to live out my Italian car fantasies.

According to Consumer Reports/Consumers Digest/Consumers Union, MB is the worst brand in quality and reliability by a fairly large margin.

Of course, Audi, which doesn't get too good a rating in quality and reliability by CR/CD/CU either, though they have improved significantly over the last few years, get a much, much higher rating in quality and reliability from CR/CD/CU.

CR/CD/CU survey's 800,000+ vehicle owners a year. That is significantly more vehicle owners a year than the far inferior JD Power and Associates and even more inferior Strategic Vision combined survey (which I believe is 400,000 or less; again, this is JD P&A and SV combined).

I used to be one of the many people who thought that CR/CD/CU was full of garbage. But now I know that CR/CD/CU is one of the best automotive sources out there.

Of course, S. Tominovich (who no longer owns an Audi; S. Tomonovich is now a scumbag troll, BTW) both own MBs (E55 AMG for S. Tominovich) and have had absolutely no problems with their MBs. At least not yet.

Unfortunately, S. Tominovich are in the very, very vast minority as far as having mid 2000s MBs that are trouble free in every aspect.

and production will be low.
My guess it will be the same for the S63 but that car will over $150k!!
Any Big specialty cars usually do not lease well at all on purpose.

...if I don't need to order the S8 until January as my current lease won't end until April, the condition may change?

I'm already reading rumblings of below MSRP prices for the new E63 AMG and M5, though cannot independently prove this is true.

Sorry about that. I swear it will not happen again, ever.

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I decided to go with a S550 Desingo edition with AMG package over the S8. Everyone has there opinions, all I can say is my new S is far superior than my 2003, and I can't believe how quick it is. My brother in law takes delivery of his S8 soon, I'll be sure to take it for a spin.

...of lease deals. Residual and money factor work independently of sales pricing. Whatever sales price you negotiate, you'll still be stuck with the prevailing lease program, which is unlikely to change on a limited production car with filled allocations---especially as you head into Spring, when sales volume historically increases.

If the S8 turns out to be a "dog," then there might be some end of year incentives that affect the lease program. If that turned out to be the case, would you still want an S8?

When I mentioned the condition changing by April, I was referring to AlexTTQ's comment about the order bank being full, and that ordering a car for '07 delivery should not be a problem.

If the S8 turns out to be a "dog" in terms of sales volume, it will likely not be realized for 8-12 months from now as the pent up demand in the form of orders and pre-orders are filled; and the outcome would be even less likely if Audi limits its volume to similar levels as the B7 RS4 and the C5 RS6.

Strangely, the M5 has become a bit of a volume model with BMW NA moving 4,100+ units for MY'06 and the same fate probably awaits the E63 AMG.

So, I am perfectly happy to accept MSRP if I choose the S8 given its limited availability. My own brother recently face the same situation: his lease was expiring in November (C32 AMG) and he'd had his heart set on an M5, but then saw the RS4 and drove the S4 and decided on leasing the RS4. Of course, with AoA apparently limiting volume to 1,000 units, he could only get his car at full MSRP; whereas the BMW dealer repeated called him to offer him an M5 (unclear if it would be an '06 or '07) for below MSRP.

The only numbers I am interested now are the residual and the money factor, and for the purpose of comparison with the other cars on my list - and of course, not knowing the MSRP of the just announced S63, it'll remain an unknown quantity for some time. And chances are for the first 8-12 months, the S63 would also only be available at full MSRP, if not above given some of the recent history.

In the end, if the S8's numbers as offered by AF are not outrageously out of line compared with those offered by BMW and Mercedes-Benz financing, I would without a doubt get the S8. It is the best looking car of the limousinen-klasse segment and given my ownership (or it is lesseeship?) exprience with the A8L, it's at the top of my list.

or a Q7 or RS 4.

The Maser is a nice looking car, but I'd be wary of saying it outhandles the S8; the S8 handling is very different to the rest of the A8 range. What put me off the Maser was the terrible reputation of it's 'automanual' gearbox.

I considered a change of style with a Jag XK, but was put off by the long waiting lists and the lingering hints of the 'Old Money' feel inside (even though the outside is achingly beautiful), and the fact that even without the supercharger it is still a lot of trust to put in the back wheels with an unproven chassis, and I need a car that I can use all year.

I had looked at an E 55 AMG to replace the RS 6 a couple of years ago, but ended up with the W12 instead.

So, it was looking like an S8, or a fully-loaded Q7 or RS 4 Cab and some change. Nothing else floated my boat really, so wanting room for four adults in comfort, and having loved the W12, it really was a no-brainer.

Over 5000 miles in, and I'm still loving it.

Wow, you really pile on the miles don't you. Well, I am happy to see that you really get the opportunity to enjoy your cars rather than just have them sitting on your driveway.

plus weekends and the first 1500 miles put on it during it's break-in run round the Norwegian fjords.

Cars are to be driven! ;^)

100% love the car...amazing.

I have had a few issues with the E55 wagon - tailgate motor stopped working and and the air suspension pump malfunctioned - both annoying but easy fixes. Less than a day in shop total.

No problems with the M5 - only a recall for the steering sensor. Otherwise - flawless. This car is heads and shoulders above the E55 in terms of driving pleasure. Very pleased with it.

So far on the Benz - the quality and service is better than my experienc with Audi. We shall see how it goes...