2023 Audi A8

After a modest refresh last year, the 2023 Audi A8 largely stays the same. The U.S. actually had to wait a few months to get this update, as it first debuted at the Guangzhou auto show in 2021. That was probably the right place to introduce it, given that Chinese buyers often have drivers and like big traditional luxury cars. To wit, Audi even builds a Horch Edition A8 for China, a reference to company founder August Horch and Audi’s long-ago Horch brand, a Maybach rival. In comparison, Americans don’t buy very many A8s (just 1,594 of them last year), but big luxury limos are a rare breed in general.

While the company employed some clever design tricks that massively lift the visual line of the hood without actually raising the height, the only obvious change was its bold new face. Inside, Audi fans will find luxurious and understated confines worthy of the price, but on the outside, the A8 and its sportier sibling, the V8-powered S8, are still Q-ships just like they were in John Frankenheimer’s “Ronin” 25 years ago. They’re delightfully luxurious but don’t attract much attention. Under the skin, both A8 variants are much as they were in 2019 when this generation debuted.

An S-Line package debuted for the A8 last year, which makes it look much more like the S8, which this year gets standard Valcona leather upholstery. Apart from that, the A8 stands firm while the rest of the luxury liner segment is in flux. 2023 brings an all-new Genesis G90 and BMW 7 Series to face off against the Mercedes-Benz EQS and S-Class. The electric Lucid Air is a little smaller but also plays in this field. Big luxury car buyers demand the best, and the Audi is the most subtle car on the list.

The A8 does not have the urge of a pure EV but its mild hybrid system helps get it up to speed while boosting efficiency. Both cars get strong powerplants, with the A8 using a 335-horsepower V6 and the S8 using the 563-hp V8 from the RS 7. Even with all that power the S8 is the strong, silent type. It’s effortlessly fast without ever being obnoxious and requires no tradeoffs in luxury for speed. Peak horsepower arrives at 6,000 rpm but the S8 is just strong, everywhere, all the time. The A8 is slower, but silky smooth.

Unfortunately, the U.S. only gets these two powertrains and the long-wheelbase body. Like the Horch edition, Audi’s excellent turbodiesels, plug-in hybrids and the slightly shorter, sportier regular-wheelbase models (U.S. versions are technically the A8L) aren’t offered here. Audi doesn’t skimp on comfort though. Both front seats have massage functions and power adjustment and are heated while rear passengers enjoy more legroom than in the S-Class and certainly the G90. There’s plenty of in-car tech, but Audi’s MMI software is easier to use and less confusing than the systems in the 7 Series or EQS.

Audi includes lots of safety tech, but as with the other German luxury barges, some things that should probably be standard on an $86,000 car still cost extra, like adaptive cruise control and a heated steering wheel. The upsides to the A8 and S8 include their huge interiors, luxury accommodations and understated style, although the very subtle looks might be confused with lesser A6s from a distance. The A8 has always been a low-profile limo and if that’s what you like, it’s a good choice, but it might be too understated for some.

Performance: 13/15

Last year’s upgrades were totally cosmetic, and under the hood you’ll find the Audi A8 is pretty much the same as it’s been since 2019. It draws power from the same 3.0-liter V6 used in the upper trims of the A6, with 335 hp and 369 pound-feet of torque on tap driving all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Like many other Audis, the A8 and S8 come standard with Quattro all-wheel drive (AWD).

Even at a hefty, 4,700 pounds, the A6 will still run to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds. It can run all the way up to 130 mph and never break a sweat doing so. The 48-volt mild hybrid system helps make power delivery smoother and boosts mpg. It’s not lightning-quick, but it is quite smooth and strong. The V6 never feels like it’s not enough engine in real-world driving.

The mighty S8’s 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, shared with the mighty RS 7 and RS 6 Avant wagon, belts out 563 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. It too uses the eight-speed automatic and can blast to 60 mph in the low 3-second range and stretch out to 155 electronically limited mph, which puts it on even footing even with some hot EVs, the new kings of performance. 

Both the Tesla Model S Plaid and Lucid Air Performance cost more (though the Tesla isn’t nearly as nice inside) while BMW’s 760i xDrive isn’t as quick. We haven’t tested the new Mercedes-AMG S 63 yet, but it does look like a match for the S8. Genesis and Lexus’ LS have no answer for the S8, but both of those cars are more about luxury anyway. There are other engines Audi could have offered Americans, but sadly, neither the available diesel nor PHEV models seem in the cards for American buyers.

Fuel Economy: 12/15

The 2023 Audi A8 is rated by the EPA for 22 mpg combined (19 city, 28 highway), and its massive 21.7-gallon fuel tank suggests ranges of 412 miles in the city, 607 miles on the highway and 477 miles in combined driving. 

BMW’s new 740i does better at 25 mpg combined and even the 760i xDrive nets 21 while Mercedes-Benz’s S500 nets 23. Genesis still can’t manage more than 21, but none of the gas-powered models can match the efficiency of their EV counterparts, not even Lexus’ less-than-satisfying LS 500h hybrid (which earns only 25 mpg combined).

The S8, with its considerable emphasis on performance and additional weight, does much worse at just 18 mpg combined (15 mpg city, 23 highway). That wasn’t so bad compared to the old Mercedes-AMG S 63, but the new hybrid model will do much better than the Audi, and both the Lucid and Tesla deliver similar speeds.

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 9/15

While Audi’s safety systems are truly world-class, many of them bewilderingly cost extra. As on the S-Class and 7 Series, even on the $121,595 S8 you have to spend some more money for adaptive cruise control. Forward collision warnings, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, automatic high beams and lane departure warnings are standard. But adaptive cruise, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, intersection assist and a few other things are part of the Executive Package ($3,650 on the A8, $4,050 on the S8). Genesis makes all this standard.

The adaptive cruise system includes lane-keeping, distance control, braking and steering, but it’s not at the level of GM’s Super Cruise or Mercedes-Benz’s new DrivePilot setup. At least it’s not pretending to be something it isn’t. Like its predecessors, this A8 hasn’t been rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which costs it some points in our scoring system.

Comfort & Room: 14/15

Front or rear, the A8 is an undoubtedly comfortable machine to spend time inside, but then, so is everything in this class. The A8 does have fractionally more rear legroom than the S-Class and 7 Series, but nobody’s cramped in these cars and to get more room than this would mean upgrading to a big SUV like a Cadillac Escalade ESV. Only Genesis really falls short in comparison.

Oddly, Audi rarely markets the $5,900 four-seat option (which has foldout tables, a continuous center console and heated massage seats with electric adjustment AND a heated footrest) on its site, though it’s available and popular, and nobody really wants to ride in the middle in the back of a car like this anyway. 

The Executive package takes the Leather package’s grouping and adds the massaging to the front seats, via 18 pneumatic cushions, plus the heated steering wheel, ambient lighting and various active-safety features. Both the A8 and S8 are stupendously comfortable to ride in, though, and the car refuses to become unsettled, whatever the road conditions. It’s just about the most secure-feeling machine this sort of money can buy.

Infotainment: 14/15

Audi’s systems were cutting edge back in 2017 when this car was launched, but the multimedia displays now feel a bit left behind by the huge curved screens either available on or about to be offered by its rivals. There are two ways to look at that. In 2017, Audi’s setup was considered complex and difficult to use, but compared to the systems in the 7 Series and EQS, they’re a breeze.

Instead of the EQS’ continuous-style screen or the Bimmer’s “curved display,” the A8 has three digital portals (a 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit for the driver, a 10.1-inch upper screen in the dash and a 8.6-inch version for the climate controls) that either manage or display everything. 

You can move around the infotainment systems using voice control, touch control or the scroller, but it’s sometimes counterintuitive to have to click so many times to get where you need to be. To dim the instrument cluster lights takes four clicks. To move the suspension into Dynamic mode takes four clicks and, by then, the interesting series of corners has probably passed by. Just because its less complex than Mercedes doesn’t mean it’s simple.

The A8 and S8 also tote a pair of front USB ports, inductive charging for one phone, standard Amazon Alexa compatibility and both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It can even give you Wi-Fi if you pay the Audi Connect Plus subscription fee. The rear multimedia screens got an upgrade last year, as did the Bang & Olufsen audio (with 23 speakers and a 1920 watt amplifier) system.

Cargo Space & Storage: 12/15

Unusually, for an Audi, the 2023 Audi A8 and S8 have just 13 cubic-feet of trunk space. That stands out because Audi’s are usually right up there for best-in-class for this sort of thing, but that’s mainly in their smaller front-drive-based models. BMW’s new 7 Series has only 13.7, but Lexus and Lucid offer more at 17 and 16 cubic-feet, respectively, while the S-Class, EQS and G90 offer less. Most people don’t buy a car like this for cargo space, but even its unremarkable number is good for the class.

For small items, there are plenty of odds-and-ends places, including the enormous center console.

Style & Design: 6/10

This fourth-generation Audi A8 was a conservative, if neat, piece of design when it was new in 2017, and today it just seems…the same. It’s not that it has dated, it’s just sort of evergreen. If you like it, great, but don’t be surprised if people have trouble telling it apart from a lesser A6 at 50 paces. 

It isn’t a flashy looker, and it never was, but the trick of moving the DRLs to above the main headlamp has done its job in both renewal and making it seem more vertical than horizontal. Last year brought new wheel designs, too, and new colors in addition to the V6 A8’s S-Line package.

Inside, the cabin is inviting and warm thanks to the ambient lighting and lovely seats, but it still vibes the trademark Audi understatement. Pictures don’t do it enough justice.

Is the 2023 Audi A8 Worth it? Which A8 is the Best Value? 

There are only two ways to get this car, the $88,895 V6 A8 or the $121,595 S8. In both cases, you’ll want to set aside some budget for the Executive Package (which brings the added driver-assistance features) and some customization choices. 

The S8 looks quite tasty with the $2,100 Black Optic Plus package, which throws in high-gloss black Audi rings in the black grille to match the black 21-inch alloy rims and black six-piston front brake calipers. There’s also a $6,000 predictive suspension and a $2,300 night vision assistant.

This year there are many more available packages on the S8 than the A8, including the $5,900 four-seat rear comfort package. If you want the truly high-end treatment you may have to just grin and bear adding that wonderful 563-hp V8. 

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the 2023 Audi A8?

The A8 is not a cheap car to buy or insure. According to our data, a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record can expect an average annual premium of $5,220 for an A8 and an astounding $5,990 for an S8, though this averages all 50 states. That compares to $5,028 for the BMW 760i (and $4,042 for the 740i) $5,285 for the Mercedes-Benz S 580, $3,820 for the Genesis G90 and $4,084 for the Lexus LS. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.

Editor’s note: Forbes Wheels author Michael Taylor contributed to this report.