Getting your player ready...
Woke up to 12 inches of snow and an electrical power outage Wednesday morning last week.
“Oh, no,” I thought, “the Range Rover Evoque is gone.” In its place in the garage, though, sat a 2012 Audi A8L quattro sedan. Quattro (all-wheel drive) means “grip ‘n go,” so I might yet meet my 10 a.m. appointment in Denver.
I fired up the wood stove for Jan, slipped inside the luxurious Audi and guided it across the snow-covered roads, past the Bison Ranch and on to U.S. 85. The L designates extended length for the Audi; the A8L is 207.4 inches long, stretched 5 inches beyond the standard A8. In either case, these are very large premium sedans built in Germany.
Handling seemed relatively safe and secure in the snow and wetness of the highway; most of the slickness was in the center of the two-lane roadway. The quattro’s normal split of power is 40 percent to the front wheels and 60 to the rear, this day, however, the center differential shifts torque instantaneously to where it’s needed.
Fourteen speakers from the Bose Premium surround sound delivered relaxing, easy listening on Sirius satellite radio. As “This Masquerade” by The Carpenters concluded, I pushed AM on the touch-screen audio/navigation display, and, on 850, Mike Rosen was opening his morning show. Rosen mentions often his sponsoring car makes, Lexus and Jaguar; I doubt either could outmatch the ultimate Audi, which goes head-to-head with the best from Mercedes-Benz and BMW.
The long sedan’s exterior look is highlighted upfront by the large singleframe grille and wide LED headlights.
An 8-speed automatic transmission smooths the shift points for the 372-horsepower, 4.2-liter FSI V-8 engine. The combination has also boosted fuel mileage rating to 18/28; I averaged 24.6 mpg in a variety of driving situations, and the Audi has a large fuel tank of almost 24 gallons. There is nothing sluggish about the 4,450-pound four-door, and gear changes can be quickened with the use of paddle shifters.
Outside the car, take a look into the 19-inch 10-Y-spoke wheels and easily seen through the openings are big brake discs, 15-inch rotor diameter in front and 14-inch at the rear. That is reassuring.
Inside, it is a good-looking cabin. The front leather seats are an inch or two longer than most for added comfort. Front and rear seats are heated, as is the steering wheel, and the interior features leather dash, a cooled glove box, four-zone air conditioning and power rear side sunshades.
Google Earth mapping and real-time traffic are among features of the Audi’s voice-recognition navigation system. Rear-seat legroom and headroom are ample, as you’d expect from an extended-length body, but the trunk capacity is only 13.2 cubic feet, can you believe that? Cargo capacity in the Jaguar XJL sedan is 18.4 cubic feet, and the Mercedes is more than 16. Base price on the ’12 Audi A8L 4.2 FSI quattro is $84,700. Price jumps to $92,175 with the addition of adaptive cruise control, lane-warning system, 22-way comfort front seats with massage, LED headlights and rearview camera. Glass sunroof and power soft-close doors are standard, along with adaptive xenon headlights, headlight washers, keyless start, automatic trunk lid, audio iPod cable and many other items. Two front knee airbags are included with the front, rear and side bags.
Notes from e-mail
Bud, just following up to see if there’s a possibility of you running something about BeetleSounds this weekend? – R.G.
Gosh, Gil, you’re not referring to The Beatles, are you? You really mean the CD that lends laughs about Volkswagen Beetle sounds of the ’60s and ’70s. The connection point is www.BeetleSounds.com, right?
Seems commercial to me, so, no, probably won’t be doing much for it. Good to hear from you. Bud, my son, who reads all your articles in the Post, called my attention to last weekend’s which mentioned your boyhood days at Wray. My father worked for Ted Heindel, the Chevrolet dealer at Wray, before we moved to Denver in 1936. I worked for Denver Buick and closed down Downtown Buick in the 1950s. Seems like 100 years ago. I enjoy the memories. – G.Y. Nice to hear from you, Glenn. Bud, how do you determine a vehicle’s gas mileage? Do you used the vehicle computer or actually start with a full tank and then refill it after your test, dividing the miles driven by the gallons used? Both of our vehicles, a 2006 Toyota Solara convertible and ’11 Subaru Outback, are optimistic on their computer readouts. – W.G. I use both the computer and refill of the tank for determining fuel mileage, Warren. Overall, I have found little difference in the two checks, though they seldom match up to the 10th of a mile in average. 2012 Audi A8L quattro $92,176 (price as tested) MPG City 18 Highway 28 Vehicle type: Full-sized luxury sedan Wheelbase: 122.9 inches Length/Width/Height: 207.4/76.7/57.9 inches Weight: 4,450 pounds Engine: 4.2-liter V-8 Transmission: 8-speed automatic Fuel mileage: 24.6 mpg Fuel tank: 23.8 gallons Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles basic, powertrain Competitors: Mercedes-Benz S550, BMW 750Li, Jaguar XJL, Lexus LS460L Built at Neckarsulm, Germany Parts content: Germany 75% THE STICKER $84,700 base $3,000 Adaptive cruise, presense plus crash avoidance, lane assist $2,200 22-way comfort/climate front seats with massage $1,600 LED headlights $875 Destination PLUSES Ride comfort Interior technology Fuel economy Quattro capability MINUSES Trunk capacity Exterior style plain
Google Earth mapping and real-time traffic are among features of the Audi’s voice-recognition navigation system. Rear-seat legroom and headroom are ample, as you’d expect from an extended-length body, but the trunk capacity is only 13.2 cubic feet, can you believe that? Cargo capacity in the Jaguar XJL sedan is 18.4 cubic feet, and the Mercedes is more than 16. Base price on the ’12 Audi A8L 4.2 FSI quattro is $84,700. Price jumps to $92,175 with the addition of adaptive cruise control, lane-warning system, 22-way comfort front seats with massage, LED headlights and rearview camera. Glass sunroof and power soft-close doors are standard, along with adaptive xenon headlights, headlight washers, keyless start, automatic trunk lid, audio iPod cable and many other items. Two front knee airbags are included with the front, rear and side bags.
Seems commercial to me, so, no, probably won’t be doing much for it. Good to hear from you. Bud, my son, who reads all your articles in the Post, called my attention to last weekend’s which mentioned your boyhood days at Wray. My father worked for Ted Heindel, the Chevrolet dealer at Wray, before we moved to Denver in 1936. I worked for Denver Buick and closed down Downtown Buick in the 1950s. Seems like 100 years ago. I enjoy the memories. – G.Y. Nice to hear from you, Glenn. Bud, how do you determine a vehicle’s gas mileage? Do you used the vehicle computer or actually start with a full tank and then refill it after your test, dividing the miles driven by the gallons used? Both of our vehicles, a 2006 Toyota Solara convertible and ’11 Subaru Outback, are optimistic on their computer readouts. – W.G. I use both the computer and refill of the tank for determining fuel mileage, Warren. Overall, I have found little difference in the two checks, though they seldom match up to the 10th of a mile in average. 2012 Audi A8L quattro $92,176 (price as tested) MPG City 18 Highway 28 Vehicle type: Full-sized luxury sedan Wheelbase: 122.9 inches Length/Width/Height: 207.4/76.7/57.9 inches Weight: 4,450 pounds Engine: 4.2-liter V-8 Transmission: 8-speed automatic Fuel mileage: 24.6 mpg Fuel tank: 23.8 gallons Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles basic, powertrain Competitors: Mercedes-Benz S550, BMW 750Li, Jaguar XJL, Lexus LS460L Built at Neckarsulm, Germany Parts content: Germany 75% THE STICKER $84,700 base $3,000 Adaptive cruise, presense plus crash avoidance, lane assist $2,200 22-way comfort/climate front seats with massage $1,600 LED headlights $875 Destination PLUSES Ride comfort Interior technology Fuel economy Quattro capability MINUSES Trunk capacity Exterior style plain
