Test drive Audi A8 D3 2003 - 2005 Sedan

All photos Audi A8 D3 2003 - 2005

If I were a sultan

Remember Comrade Saakhov from the legendary comedy of the Caucasian captive you see life only from the window of my personal car, I swear a cheson word! This is what we need to spend a couple of days in the skin of sorry, a suit of a large person and understand how the world is perceived from a chic limousine.
Of course, at the same time evaluate the handling and sled qualities of cars. The company was picked up by the Audi A8 4.2 Quattro and BMW-750 with elongated wheelbases that were already worthy of our streets already worthy of their own streets. But the reason for the test was still not they, but the appearance of the latest S-class Mercedes in Russia.

Highlands

Excuse me, you will not allow you to drive? A solid gentleman was forced to leave the jeep to ask him to let him on the sink. I repent! I was so carried away by studying the instructions for the car that I accidentally created a cork. However, the Gudkov from behind did not follow cars such as the BMW of the 7th series, it is not very customary to signal us
Barely closing the driver's door behind you, you fall into the world of luxury. Street vanity and noise remain somewhere far away, and it seems that everyday problems will never touch you again. As befits a car of this class, everything around is equipped with electric drives, including seats. There are so many adjustments that it is not immediately possible to sit behind the wheel. The most pleased with the adjustment of lateral support, thanks to which a comfortable spacious chair turns into an almost racing saddle.

The ergonomics of the Bavarian machine had to get used to for quite some time. The first problems arise with steering wheel switches, of which there are four. Moreover, one of them is an automatic transmission selector. Instead, you sometimes grab the glass of the glass gunner, and instead of a turn signet you pull the circuit breaker.
The I-Drive system, which at one time has made a lot of noise, in the second generation became clearer for the user. Nevertheless, walking on the menu makes you take your eyes off the road for a long time. A little annoying and slowness of the on -board computer.

What are you all about computers, better tell me how it goes! The colleague interrupts my description. BMW, even a representative class, remains BMW. If you distract from the dimensions of the seven and lay a steep turn, the car will show the same tenacious that is characteristic of younger models. Thanks to the high stiffness of the body for twisting, the Dyanamik drive system that controls stabilizers, and, of course, multi -link pendants with a sports regime, in which the rigidity of shock absorbers increases. In traffic jams, the function of an automatic manin was pleased, which allows you to remove the leg from the brake pedal after stopping. The only thing that I did not like was excessive sensitivity of steering at high speed.
Engine Song! Even some 1520 years ago, only sportsmen like Porsche or Ferrari were proud of such pressure. Confident craving in the entire speed range, accompanied by pleasant bass during intensive acceleration. The work of the transmission is impeccable. You will learn about the transition to an increased gear only by the jump of the tachometer arrow. Like most machines with the possibility of manual switching, the BMW box allows you to play the keys on the steering wheel, but without asking it will turn on the increased or lowered if the driver shakes.

What does Audi answer? A completely different philosophy is a more restrained car, primarily corresponding to the interests of the passenger than the driver’s ambitions. Take at least the interior decoration. At the peak rather expansive in design, but sustained in a strict, albeit light range of BMW interior, Audi offers calm forms and a variety of colors. And what are the ceiling, racks and rear regiment trimmed with brown suede! One word chic.
The controls are conservative: the machine gun selector is located in the usual place; Even the MMI multifunctional system is much easier to manage than I-Drive. Let there be more buttons here, but choosing the desired function is easier and faster.

Like BMW, Audi also allows you to change the settings of pendants. The only difference is that in the sedan from Ingolstadt there is a pneumatic suspension with four modes. Dyna-Mic and Comfort speak for themselves. On the bumps, the car can be lifted by choosing the position of the Lift selector (the clearance will increase to 145 mm against the dynamic 95 mm). But most of the time you use the Automatic mode, which itself selects optimal settings for specific conditions.
Compared to BMW, Audi reacts more calmly to the steering wheel and passes the joints of the asphalt, as if upsetting the driver: you are not in a sports car, but behind the wheel of a solid sedan! But this is only an illusion, in fact, an all -wheel drive A8 is amazingly stable and reliable even in emergency modes of this class.
In terms of accelerated dynamics, the audi is slightly inferior to the seven; Gear shifts occur as smoothly, which you do not have to be surprised: after all, both cars are equipped with ZF gearboxes.

Mercedes is how many in this word. Even despite the unusual design of the new S-class, you approach the car with reverence, at the same time afraid to be disappointed.
How to combine the traditions that Mercedes is famous for, and modern technologies? Take a closer look at the combination of devices: the edges of the mechanical tachometer and the fuel with a temperature indicator, and the speedometer between them is electronic, although you do not notice it immediately. Eclecticism? I do not argue, but the result is impressive!
The managing center of the teams with a Bavarian I-Drive controller-tablet is significantly more understandable to the user for nothing that it appeared several years later. By pressing the button, the driver or passenger can deploy the monitor to themselves.
Sretenka Maroseka Polyanka who said that on a large car in the city it is inconvenient? Any hint of rebuilding causes a unequivocal stream reaction: cars are silently parted. Elector Aleksanderplas Chromeglated Star on a hood that is leaving into the distance, rather heavy brakes, the solid sound of a V-shaped eight does their job: a familiar melody of seventeen moments of spring is already spinning in my head, and I feel like a stylpois, even though he is dressed in a pitch.

Having served the accelerator pedal to the stop, you get the return of the hunting shotgun: while you come to your senses, on the speedometer already 100 km/h. Mercedes is more powerful than both rivals, which is confirmed by the measurements of the dynamics.
Here it is also possible to vary the road clearance, and the suspension settings themselves change depending on the box mode. In comfort, the car quietly sorts out seven gears of 7jetnik, and gently accepts the koshachi on the body of the uneven asphalt. If you go to sport, then almost nothing will change! The car will only become somewhat tougher.
The wonderful smoothness of the course is largely the merit of the seats. The press release reads: 12 electric motors are managed by a driver’s seat, there are six fans, four massage modes. The most unusual feeling leaves an active side support: it is worth entering a relatively steep turn, as the seat suddenly revives. Somewhere inside the valves will instantly open, and the air will flow from one chamber to another. You feel how smoothly, but quickly, side support has side support. Fiction!

The carriage is to me, the carriage!

I admit that this part of the test was the most pleasant imposingly spreading on a gorgeous couch, you look at the streets and boulevards of the evening city. You will soon get used to the curious views trying to break through the honeycombs of darkened curtains. But I could not get used to beautifully and get out of BMW!
A feature in a highly located seat: and the opening in height is almost enough, and the leg hangs a few centimeters above the asphalt. As compensation, the seven offers a pale red backlight, pouring from somewhere in the upholstery of the doors and adding charm. And an excellent climatic installation, the deflectors of which are displayed on the console between the front seats, the central racks and the ceiling.
Electric drives allow you to unfold and take a completely working position. But in the audi we got the rear sofa is always motionless. The only privilege of the VIP pair of buttons on the door that can be moved the passenger sitting in front to increase the already huge space in the legs: what if your favorite dog will settle down there?

But Audi is quieter and, most importantly, smoother, especially in Comfort mode. Here you can read the newspaper without any problems without getting down from the lines, while BMW distracts the tire with a rumble and shaking (partly the fault of the options of 19-inch wheels).
I wonder what paradise looks like? If we are talking about car, then, probably, like a Mercedes-S500. The kingdom of restrained colors and magnificent skin in combination with the largest volume is conquered from the very first minutes. The sound insulation is so good that you are talking with the driver without raising your voice even at speeds for 150 km/h, which we developed on the closed roads of the training ground.

The smoothness of the Mercedes course is also beyond all sorts of praise, the Airmatic air suspension takes care of it, which requires insignificant 50 milliseconds to reconfigure the parameters of each shock absorber. An interesting technical detail, but why should the owner of the car know about this?
Indeed, the buyer of such a car is unlikely to be able to evaluate most of the electronic bells and whistles: they are addressed to the driver. The owner will be driven behind the wheel of a long -backed limousine except in the form of an exception. And it is advisable to have a candidate degree to the driver, especially while driving a BMW, to understand all the intricacies of electronics.
However, such cars are more often bought by status principle. Entered! The most modern, most progressive, most respected. Of course, all three participants in the dough are equally worthy of these epithets.

SUMMARY
BMW 750 LI The prestigious elongated sedan remains a car for the driver: with quick reactions and a responsive engine. The main thing is not to shake the chef resting in the back seat.
General assessment 8.4
+ Good feedback on the steering wheel, magnificent brakes, excellent climatic installation.
- Too complicated control of the numerous functions of the machine through I-Drive, imperfect smoothness.

SUMMARY

Audi A8L dotted steering reactions, soft kikdown, comfortable suspension insure from excessively sharp accelerations and maneuvers, which will certainly appeal to the rear passengers.
General assessment 8.4
+ Excellent smoothness, space in the rear seat, the ability to change the road clearance, logical controls, all -wheel drive.
- A limited review due to wide front racks.

SUMMARY
Mercedes-Benz S500L gives pleasure both from driving and from driving in the back seat. Despite the abundance of electronics, the new S-class is friendly in operation and is absolutely understandable in motion.
General assessment 9.0
+ Excellent smoothness and sound insulation, magnificent front seats, high comfort for the rear passengers, honed controllability.
- Too heavy and uninformative brakes.