kJ TL-S

OK, so a little background on me. I’m currently an active member over at Acurazine with my 07 TL Type-S. The car has absolutely been a fun hobby/daily driver for me, and a great all-around car. I was lucky enough to pick up an extremely low-mileage example 3 years ago, and even now its only at 56K. I’m sure with not too much effort I could get another 100K+ out of it.

Trouble is, I can’t help wanting for something a little more special. I’ve always loved Audi’s simplistic elegance, and the S models obviously more than anything. The S8 with its V10 seems like a very unique car to own, and thanks to depreciation, they have started to drop down into the top of my potential price range.

What has always kept me away from Audis (and German cars as a whole) is the potential astronomical repair/maintenance costs. The more I read on forums (mainly this one for the S8) is that they aren’t necessarily that bad. It’s good to hear that the V10 and trans both sound pretty rock solid, and the air suspension in general lasts a good while.

So basically, I’m trying to figure out if I can convince myself to get one of these. My worries include:

Availability of a warranty – I know Carmax would offer one, but their prices are already above and beyond what I would think they should be. Any other good options here?

Costs associated with non-warrantied repair:
• Sounds like o2 sensors, air struts, trunk motor, sunroof drainage, rear sunshade, and MMI are some problems that I can’t determine if would be covered under warranty. Anything else common that I should be looking into?
• Mileage-based maintenance intervals at the dealer:
o Are these required and worthwhile, or do they just charge $400 to change the oil and air/cabin filters, which I’m sure I could do on my own?

I would be looking at only under 60K mile examples, ideally in the 30 to 40K realm if I could find it.

Other thoughts include:
• Does the 2007 model have Sirius radio and Bluetooth integration?
• Any other “niceties” that I might miss out on by getting a 2007 versus the much harder to locate and more expensive 2008 or 2009 models? I know the fogs/tails changed a bit, but that’s not a huge deal to me.

Sorry for the long post and almost just talking out loud here, just trying to organize my thoughts and figure out if this is worth pursuing. There is a 2007 near me for sale that I may test –drive tomorrow after work. Problem is, I basically already aware that I’ll absolutely love driving it…

mishar

Welcome to the board! And stay, you will not regret.

I came here the same way, from Acura TL. Nice looking car that can't be compared to A8 or S8. That includes this forum.

You are looking at low millage S8. Those will last long time before any serious problem. Even later, if anything goes wrong, with online parts and help from here costs wouldn't be nearly astronomical. If you can do things yourself even less.

Only thing I can tell about extended warranty is that those companies are the reaches in the world. Somebody is paying for that.

O2 Sensors are rarely problem, refurbished air strut is ~$700 and you most likely will newer need one, new, stronger, trunk motor is ~$400 and you lived without one in TL without any problem , rear sunshade failure is rare and easy to fix, MMI too.

You don't go to a dealer unless you need a new key or Component Protection removal (if you buy used part that have CP).

More important is overall look and age than millage. This cars can go for 300000 miles with proper maintenance and if not abused.

All S8's have satellite radio and Bluetooth.

2008 A8/S8 received final facelift. The most visible are larger side mirrors and tail lights, but there are some else. You may search here for that.

I am sure that test drive will totally disorganize your thoughts and you will buy it right away.

kJ TL-S

Thank you Mishar for the welcome and the insight!

While I certainly love my TL, I'm well aware that the S8 is several categories above it.

Besides this TL being CPO when I bought it, I've never had an extended warranty on a car, and I've typically always viewed them as being a waste of money. However, on a car that could suddenly call for a $3,000 repair, I have that voice saying it quite possibly could pay for itself quickly as well.

At the same time, at around $4,500 (or more??) from what it sounds like for a warranty, that's a lot of parts and labor. Anyone have a good Chicago-area indie mechanic?

So maybe I'm not entirely sure how the air suspension works, but when we say air strut, is there only 1? or 1 at each corner? Sorry if that's a stupid question.

I'm certainly willing to put in a little wrench time to save myself some money on things that aren't overly complex. I've learned a ton about my TL over the last 3 years as I've replaced/modified things. It sounds like many parts are serviceable by owner, which makes me feel a little better.

The good thing is that the car I'm going to drive is over-priced, and without the right color interior, so while the bug might bite extra hard after test-driving, I'll be able to hold back on at least this particular example.

mishar

There are no stupid questions. Just stupid answers. So, there are four air struts. I will attach here PDF where you can find much about this nice cars.

tx170754

Anyone have a good Chicago-area indie mechanic?

for Paul Waterloo, he is from Chicago, a long time Audi owner, he knows a couple of indie
mechanics there.

kJ TL-S

Thanks, I'll take a look through this! And I assumed it must be at each corner, I just got myself confused. So they don't commonly break then?

Good to know, I'll reach out to him if I move forward with this.


So here is another thought. If I get this, I would be planning on running it several years, as a daily driver. One motivation for this is that, where I'm currently living, 2 cars isn't an option, so I'm trying to have my cake and eat it too with a car that checks lots of boxes. Ideally, I'd have a Corvette or something for a nice-weather car, and then a poor-weather 4WD vehicle. But that won't be happening for at least the next several years.

So what I'm getting at I guess is that after I drive his car for 3 or 4 years, it has maybe 125K on it, will it still have any value left? Do you see these cars still get sold with that many miles on them?

MonacoGP1984

Drive more... Think less. Get the car, enjoy your life. I recently purchased a S8 as my daily driver, and also have a 2000 Acura NSX (my weekend car). With the recent purchase of the S8, i have decided to sell my NSX. I simply don't drive it anymore. I find myself reaching for the S8 keys for all use cases. It is hands down the best car i have ever owned. Very different animals, but that just goes to show how versatile the S8 is. PS if anyone is interested, you can find the NSX for sale on the nsxprime marketplace.

kJ TL-S

Man, seeing that picture makes me want to get one tomorrow. I love it in both black and Daytona Grey. My worry is that life won't be enjoyed if I'm faced with a $3k repair bill. I realize that probably won't happen often, but it certainly gives me pause.

I thought one that I had my eye on was perfect, until I realized no B&O. I'm a fan of audio quality, and I feel I might be selling myself short by missing that feature. That said, low miles might be more important.

I still think I'm going to try doing a test drive tomorrow evening...just to get a feel for it.

MonacoGP1984

Thank you for the compliment. Color is night blue pearl effect.

If you don't have the proclivity to be a gear head, you should definitely budget generously for potential issues. These are high-end German super sedans that are 6 or 7 years old. Things can and will go wrong. I bought a robust aftermarket warranty and have also budgeted 5k a year for potential issues.

If you are going to lose sleep over a potential financial issue stemming from a unexpected repair, i don't think it wise for you to pull the trigger. My 2 cents...

A6S4

Welcome to the forum -- and with your intent to move into an S8, you'll be "lord of the rings."

You mentioned a hesitation because of the lack of the B&O system. I find that the Bose system is very satisfying and the number of speakers and placement of them really makes it a rolling symphony hall. But stick with the iPod and CDs versus satellite radio for best quality.

Your concern about cost of potential repairs is valid -- especially when compared to Acura and Toyota. However, the rare high-dollar item on the A8 / S8 is ... rare. (I just had to replace the left front headlight assembly, and parts + install is about $1800 due to number of motors within the unit). But the oil and filter can be done at 10k miles and is about $160. All season tires on the 20" wheels (Michelins) will last about 30k miles. Air suspension is great and should last quite a while. I am just at 100k miles on the A8 V8 4.2 and, with the exception of the headlight issue, have not had a serious issue with the car -- and it is dry around all seals and underneath. The engine and tranny are bulletproof. And, as others have said, it is such a driver's car that you'll be looking for things to go do -- and take the long route to do them.

Be aware that the S8 V-10 is somewhat thirsty when driving around town, and of course will not be economical when you drive it like it begs to be driven. But heck, with the way the gas prices are going lately, this is becoming less of a concern! And when you get out on the open road, it is amazing what the mpg's become for a car of this size, weight and hp. (IMHO, the 2008 version of the A8 / S8 is still the best thing in this size from Audi. I think the new body style is a bit "sedate" and "too barge-like" in comparison to the luxo-sport of the D3.)

Don't think twice.... Get the car. You'll thank all of us who encouraged you to do so within 24 hours of your first serious ride.

You're welcome.