Big Audis have always been the dark horse of the large German sedan clan. Audi first sold this all aluminum sedan in 1997 as a replacement for the Audi V8, sales of which ceased in the US in 1994. Not many people took notice as the big Audi bowed out of the market, but the A8 made a splash at the time as a very advanced and capable luxury cruiser.
The seller states:
Up for sale is my 1998 Audi A8. I’ve owned this car for about 5 years or so. It has extremely low mileage for the year and I’ve always kept it in excellent condition. My wife and I are downsizing a bit, which is the reason for the sale. We have 2 other vehicles and don’t need a 3rd in this economic climate. I’ve tried to include pictures of every possible square inch of the car so you get a good idea of what you’re purchasing.
As far as the exterior goes, the paint is good. It does have a few light scratches here and there and some rock chips on the front of the car. Nothing out of the ordinary for a 12 year old car. It has 3 nearly brand new tires and 1 tire that will need to be replaced soon. 3 out of 4 of the wheels are in great shape. 1 of the wheels, as seen in the pictures, has what appears to be some oxidation. On the front left part of the bumper, one of the clips is broken. You can see it in one of the pictures. It doesn’t affect anything, but a small part of the bumper is detached from the car just in front of the front left wheel. I would imagine it’s an easy fix as it just needs a new clip.
The interior is really in top notch shape. The leather is still soft and in truly superb condition given the age of it. There are some lines in the front seats, but that’s it. No cracks, just normal wear from sitting. The rear seats are in like new condition. Everything works inside. All the power goodies. The sunroof works beautifully, power seats, windows, etc. All 4 seats are heated and they all work great. The center console has a tape deck and there is also a factory CD changer in the trunk which is obviously operated up front. It’s never been smoked in. All the wood grain is in perfect condition. Headliner is perfect.
Mechanically it’s great. The car runs strong, very powerful. It’s been my daily driver around town and we’ve taken it on a few day trips around Maine and New Hampshire. Very comfortable ride. Gas mileage is so-so. It’s decent on the highway, usually getting around 20-25 mpg. City driving is more in the 15 mpg range.
This particular A8 could use a bit of TLC, as there is a scratch here, a scratch there, and a few of the wheels are scuffed and/or missing center caps. Nothing a little bit of money wouldn’t fix. For much less than $10k, this all aluminum wonder could prove to be a useful all weather companion.
-Paul