carthinker

Hi Guys!!

I drive an A8 and love the car. But it'll be time for a new daily driver soon.

I was looking at the S-class for a change - but I live in New England and the AWD S class is in the distant future. Plus - the price tag, frankly, seems way too far over the A8 to make sense to me. It seems to have more to do with marketing than value.

However, I sat in an R class and was stunned by how nice the car was.

Any insights as to how the R would compare with an A8? Any advice would be appreciated.

- Thinker

Rster

I don't know about the A8 but the R is the best crossover on the road right now.

jantrio

I used to drive an A-8. Got out of it at 70,000 K due to huge service bills. Tranny blew at 50K (partial warranty fix), suspension parts failed (bushings, toe rods etc.) and on and on.

The R is a great package. Sedan class handling and power with 6 passenger comfort. The real selling point was that the second row seats are adjustable (fore and aft). I don't know why more SUV / Minivans don't offer this feature. I buy SUV's (incl. the R) because once in a while I have to haul a bunch of kids - mostly short distances. Hence the requirement for a third row of seats. Only two of the kids are mine so when we travel (long distances) it's great that the second row can be moved back. The third row is not used anyways and my kids have plenty of room to stretch out relax and enjoy the ride. I am willing to bet that most buyers use these vehicles in the same fashion. The R was the only vehicle to offer this feature.

I looked at the Audi Q7 and other than the fact that it was hit with the "ugly stick" the fit and finish and overall package were probably better than the R. I also looked at the Cayanne (again back seat was tiny for such a large vehicle). But again the Q7 has a fixed second row of seats.

Be careful when looking at the R and make sure you get (or are aware of not getting) the features that you want.

The R does not come standard with Xenon's. The standard projector lights on the R are horrible. The R does not have front foglights!!! The R is not available with a heated steering wheel (even with heated seat package).

It doesn't sound like a big deal, but after getting used to these features in other luxury cars, it seems studid to do without them. Especially since most newer cars have more content than older cars of the same class. Most of the feature missing in the R are standard in most middle class vehicles (european, japanese, domestic and even korean). Try getting a KIA without front foglights! You can get Xenon's in the Pacifica and all mid level Acura's, Audi's etc.

Bottom line is that once you content the R with the features you had in the A-8 you will be well north of $ 70 K.

Good Luck.

Rster

On my 500 I only have the sunroof package and I think thats enough. If you have a relative or close friend who works for mercedes you can get an R350 for 219 a month for I think 1300 down

G55K

I have an R500 with 8,000 miles on it already and I've been very impressed. Not a single problem or rattle so far. It is also very nice and comfortable to drive. I highly recommend it.

I sat in the Q7 at the Denver auto show and was dissapointed. I was looking forward to this vehicle but it is not up to Audi standards IMO. I really like Audi interiors (and Audi's in general) but this one didn't impress me. It's also smaller than I expected. The third row is strictly for kids.

carthinker

I completely agree with you about the Q7. I was thinking, originally, that it would make an A8 replacement - but it left me flatter than flat. There was just nothing to recommend it.

Do you all feel the R-class handles "sedan-like" or better?

G55K

The R handles very well for a big vehicle. I also have an S 4-matic and it has a very similar feel. Take one for a long test drive, I think you'll be impressed.

fq1

Hi, do you have any details of that program? I would greatly appreciate any input on the 219/month program or where I could get some info on it.

Thanks

Rster

have a relative or friend(im not so sure about friends)with the employee discount call around to a couple of dealers and see what you can find. The employee's are treated like royalty when it comes to the discount.

eis1

i have the a8/2005 and the R350.which one is the better car?no question it is the A8 but the R is also a great car .
the R is not that smooth and quit than the audi .the inside on both cars are very nice but the audi feels much more exclusive.the mmi and sound systemis also better and feels more exclusive.the R has much more space and it feels almost like a living room .over bumps you can feel and hear the weight of the car,it is much better in the audi.i think if you buy the R class you have a perfect car and you will enjoy it but you should not compare this 2 cars.

MBSvcAdv

The above post said it in the end... these are not the same vehicles at all.

Now, I just purchased a R-class under the employee deal ( $5100. pre-paid the entire lease ) nothing left to do but drive it till the 24th month.

Anyways, I also posted this in another thread above, but I just drove several hundred miles, highways, hills, twists and turns, not once did any of the other cars leave me behind. There were times when when exiting the corners I was actually closer to the car in front of me!

"Other Cars" :

2005 Audi S4
Subaru WRX Wagon
Audi A4 1.8T
Porsche Cayenne
Mazda Miata
VW Jetta

My point, is that it drives alot like a car ( A8 ) Its more about what are YOU looking for... what makes YOU happy? Apples or Oranges?

Alba

Ditto - You don't realize how nice the fore/aft adjustment are until the kids bounce between the 2nd and 3rd row or if the grandparents are in the 2nd row.

If I had to do it again with a R350, I would get the following:

317 Comfort Package
319 Lighting Package
323 Heating Package
326 Premium Package
SIRIUS Satellite Radio
Parktronic

Takes price to about 60K.

If you need to cut back:

Parktronic is mandatory (it's almost 17' long and my wife has scraped the left front bumper on the garage wall twice ).
Comfort Package is mandatory if you plan to have more than 1 driver (setting the mirrors right is really important to cut down the blind spot).
Premium Package is really nice (especially the power lift gate). If you are into audio, this is mandatory for the HK system (make sure to change the default sound setting to Logic7<?> option).
Lighting Package - Not a big driver for me, but others feel strongly about this one (see previous posts).
SIRIUS Satellite Radio - Not a big driver for me.
323 Heating Package - Not a big driver for me, but I hear about this one from the wife ALL THE TIME

Just my $0.02

Alba

In addition, the R will STOP really quick. I avoided a ticket from a TN LEO POP Mode/Instant-On encounter just south of US64 on I65 (V1 rules ) by a downhill brakestand from 90 to 68 (The rabbit got pulled over). Very stable and predictable. Suffers from the usual brake dust problems endemic to MB's

I cannot agree more! Once you are comfortable with your mirrors, zipping through traffic is almost as easy as with my Sport Coupe.

fq1

Can you please provide details of the employee deal that you got. What options do you have on your car and does that payment include taxes. Also, did you get it this month or previously, since the employee deals were a lot better in Feb. Any info will be greatly appreciated. If you prefer, you can use the "private message" feature to reply.

Thanks.

BuckarooBenzai

The OP asked for a comparo of the two vehicles - which are sort of alike in a few ways, but quite different overall.

A8L pluses:
-Smoother ride (vs. Airmatic R-class; non-Airmatic R-class is FAR inferior to A8L)
-I like the heads-up MMI screen and the in-dash color multifunction screen better than the displays on the R
-More power and acceleration than either R model
-Easier in/out, due to the lower height
-Keyless Go/Touch unlock/lock are essentially standard on US A8's, but an overpriced option offered only on the R500 and n/a on the R350 (which is the better R class IMHO)
-Heated steering wheel
-Bentley-like interior with stunning leather, wood, and trim (e.g. Alcantara door inserts)
-Unbelievably comfortable seats
-Graphic TPMS display with actual pressure/temp readings for all 5 tires.

A8L minuses:
-HORRIBLE in-town fuel economy - 12-15MPG
-Some don't like the MMI user interface
-Obviously, it's a much smaller vehicle in terms of interior space, though still huge for a sedan
-My '05 neither plays MP3 CDs nor offers an ipod hookup
-The tiny rearview mirrors and hugh rear headrests make backing up or changing lanes a real challenge

R350 pluses:
-Drives very, very close to the A8L in terms of ride quality and quietness (assumes R350 with Airmatic/Premium/Heating/Comfort packages)
-Far better city fuel economy - 18-20MPG
-Fabulous transmission
-They finally got COMAND right, and it's easier to use than Audi MMI in many ways
-Adaptive Xenons are even better than the excellent Bi-Xenons in the Audi
-Obviously, a much larger interior with six comfortable seats plus a "trunk" area
-MB Parktronic system with dedicted LED indicators and warning tones is better than Audi's implementation of Parktronic, which only comes on when you select reverse and has no distance displays, only tones (2006 model has an MMI display, but you can't really watch that and look behind you while backing up)
-Pano roof is way cool, though I don't know that I'd want it on a sedan.
-Vastly superior Sirius interface on COMAND - on Audi you have to scroll through ALL the stations to find the one you want - R-class allows skipping by category, much better.

R350 minuses:
-No Keyless Go (and MB always rips you off for this feature when they do offer it - on Audi it's part of the Convenience Package that nearly every car comes with in the US)
-Joke spare tire (flat tire with cigarette-lighter-powered inflation pump)
-Seats (even with multicontour front seats which we have) not as large or comfortable as A8L seats, although legroom in all rows is excellent
-Dash displays not as user friendly or informative as A8L in most ways. I do like the R's ability to display street name and heading even when not using Nav though.
-"Different" styling and minivan/wagon look - definitely not as "baller" looking as the A8L, but it's a very different vehicle so not sure that really is a meaningful comparison.

Overall: I'm glad we have both, as each is just about perfect in its role as far as I'm concerned.