AutoBild: A8 4.2 TDI Q vs 740d vs S 450 CDI


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EnI

EnI

Piston Pioneer





1st place: Audi A8 4.2 TDI Quattro (4.1L V8, 350HP, 800Nm, 0-100kmh in 5.5s, 2070kg, €90.8k)
1st place - tie: BMW 740d (3.0L I6 TT, 306HP, 600Nm, 0-100kmh in 6.3s, 1950kg, €80.3K)
3rd place: MB S 450 CDI (4.0L V8, 320HP, 730Nm, 0-100kmh in 6.6s, 2090kg, €92k)

A8 was praised for interior quality, great performance (massive torque combined with Quattro & rear diff), great chassis variability & all-roundness (almost as comfortable in Comfort mode as S-class, and almost as dynaimc in Dynamic mode as 7er), and for all the tech packed in the car - incl the great gearbox. They like the noble und luxurious feeling in the cabin.
It was criticized for its high weight, less rear head room than 7er & S-class. And for exterior styling - the said it looked like A4 from the distance - especially the side profile.

7er was praised for it's dirver orientation: handling & great direct steering, great I6 TT engine, low fuel consumption, price, functional & futuristic cockpit, comfortable rear ambient.
It was criticized for not comfortable (enough) suspension.

S-class was praised for very comfortable & serene ride. The cabin was also praised for serenity & luxurious feel & comfort - especially the rear seats.
It was criticized as not being as sporty as the rival, for being heavy & not eco-friendly (high fuel consumption & high CO2 levels).

:t-cheers:



Vergleich Audi A8/Mercedes S-Klasse/BMW 7er - Audi A8 und BMW 7er sind die Besten - Testberichte - autobild.de
 
WOW. Kudos to all the competitors. I would have such a hard time choosing 1 of these cars. Just 1 question. Do BMW not have a 4L diesel to compete with.
 
The S-Class is probably the last MB with that kind of handling, the new E-Class has set up a new standard for MB. So being that old compared to the A8 and having the worst egine of the three is not surprise to see it third.

The BMW is on par with the Audi in my book, only the Audi has a better interior, but the outside of the BMW is just the nicest one. As I always said, this comparo is for the A8 for being the very last to go on sale.
 
I don't understand it, the numbers are in favour of the 7er while the A8 wins ? weird.

Kudos to BMW for making the most effiecient, most dynamic, cheapest and lightest desiel.
 
Can't go wrong with any of those, but my God, that Audi looks unbelievably boring and unimaginative...:jpshakehe

:t-cheers:
 
I'm surprized to see that the 740d is 120 kg lighter than the A8. Must be the advantage of a I6 over a V8...
But A8 4.2 TDI should be compared to the upcoming 745d...

It's the same old story for the Audi again. Not as comfortable as the Benz and not as sporty as the BMW, but a bit of both for the people who like that...
 
And that guy from Auto Mundial said the new A8 looks better that the 7 and S...
Shame, I will make a reservation for him at the AA :all_cohol

Sorry, no contest in the looks department F01 looks best in - and - out!;)

Thanks, EnI:t-cheers: just what the doctor ordered.
 
klier said:
I'm surprized to see that the 740d is 120 kg lighter than the A8. Must be the advantage of a I6 over a V8...
But A8 4.2 TDI should be compared to the upcoming 745d...

:t-cheers:

It's the same old story for the Audi again. Not as comfortable as the Benz and not as sporty as the BMW, but a bit of both for the people who like that...
Click to expand...
Same old...nothing has changed between the BIG 3 in terms of their strong an weak points when compared to each other.

S-class (serene comfort/ride) + 7er (most dynamic/driver orientated) + A8 (Tried to be best of both worlds)...Take your pic....7er is mine FOR SURE!
:worshbmw:
 
braaf said:
WOW. Kudos to all the competitors. I would have such a hard time choosing 1 of these cars. Just 1 question. Do BMW not have a 4L diesel to compete with.
Click to expand...

Nope. "Tri-turbo" I6 is in development. With ~355HP :usa7uh:



Potential said:
The BMW has 21 inch wheels. I guess this could explain the ungainly comfort levels...
Click to expand...

Could be. The AB journalists complained about the harsh ride on local Italian bumpy roads.


Sayyaaf said:
I don't understand it, the numbers are in favour of the 7er while the A8 wins ? weird.
Click to expand...

They loved the performance of A8 better (HP & torque rich engine paired with Quattro with rear diff & 8-speed gearbox + Drive select modes they said it was a perfect combination).

Also they loved the all-roundness of the A8 - almost as good as S-class in comfort & almost as dynamic as 7er).

740d capitalized only in handling / steering (driver orientation), fuel consumption, price & rear head room over the A8, they said.

In this kind of comparison tests it depends what the tester go for: performance, driver orientation, comfort, price-per-value etc



It's the same old story: BMW still (again!) more driver oriented, MB more comfortable, Audi best all-rounder. Regarding performance: it depends on engine choice - eg. 4.2 FSI Q vs 750i xDrive I guess it would be different result regarding performance.

Regarding comfort: tires also play some role, and there is no detailed specification in what modes the cars were tested in.

IMO with all those drive modes on board it would be fair to test the cars in comparable modes: Comfort vs Comfort vs Comfort , Auto vs Normal vs Sport 1, Dynamic vs Sport / Sport+ vs Sport1/Sport2 etc
It also depends weather the cars are equipped with eg. ABC, ARS, IAS, e-diff, AWD etc. Such systems makes a lot of difference. So comparing a car w such systems on board with a rival w/o such systems is not really comparable.
 
EnI said:
Could be. The AB journalists complained about the harsh ride on local Italian bumpy roads.
Click to expand...


Now then...as I asked before, why didn't BMW do what Porsche (Panamera Turbo) did...developed in conjunction with any major OEM supplier i.e. Bilstein Sachs or Delphi or Continental or whoever one hell of a techno-masterpiece of an ADAPTIVE AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM :confused:

AND I will NEVER know, nor get any answer from the people who designed, developed and produced the F01...:t-banghea

Maybe just maybe...the next 7er 2016 will have one...I wish:D
 
Agreed Eni, the outcome of this comparo was pretty predictable. Everyone knows what each's strengths and weaknesses are. You can't go wrong with any of these vehicles- the engineering excellence in each is trully world-class.

After all these years, I don't really believe that there could really be a fininshing-order in these comparos. It all just comes down to the preference of the driver/owner.
 
^

But what BMW does with F01 is that it regains the #1 spot in the segment regarding being driver's car - sharp handling, steering, agility.

Mind in E65 vs D3 case the latest was the winner in this category.

With new models 7er has overtaken A8 again ... And the situation is now normal. :D Again.
 
Human said:
Now then...as I asked before, why didn't BMW do what Porsche (Panamera Turbo) did...developed in conjunction with any major OEM supplier i.e. Bilstein Sachs or Delphi or Continental or whoever one hell of a techno-masterpiece of an ADAPTIVE AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM :confused:
Click to expand...


It's purely a marketing decision. Mind the RR Ghost - sitting on the same platform as 7er - features full air suspension. So, the system compatible with the platform is already developed yet not used in 7er for purely marketing reasons.

:t-cheers:
 
PanterroR said:
Can't go wrong with any of those, but my God, that Audi looks unbelievably boring and unimaginative...:jpshakehe

:t-cheers:
Click to expand...

I agree with you on general conclusion :usa7uh:..But,honestly,to me Audi looks best from inside..I just cant understand what went wrong in Audi´s design process regarding outside looks..seriously :t-hands:
 
7-series looks the best from the outside to the inside. Best looking exterior and interior in this gang.

Then comes S-class with better looking exterior than A8 but A8 has a better looking interior. I dont like the interior in S-class at all.

My Choice.
1. BMW
2. MB
3. Audi.
 

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