Written by Graham King Updated: 9 June 2025

Overview

Should you buy one?

Yes, albeit with a few qualifications. First, the good. It almost goes without saying that the Audi S8 is an extremely effective means of getting from A to B on any type of road, in any weather at considerable speed. It’s charismatic and satisfying to drive, too. But that doesn’t detract from it being a high-tech, deeply comfortable, elegantly understated (without black wheels) luxury saloon car. It’s even pretty practical.  

Now, the qualifications. The S8 is quite an old car and that particularly shows in its tech, which isn’t as glitzy as in the Mercedes-AMG S63. Nor is it as fun to drive as the Porsche Panamera Turbo. And it’s not a plug-in hybrid like the BMW M5 and Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid, which almost certainly counts it out for company car drivers.

You know that saying ‘speak quietly and carry a big stick’? The S8 does exactly that. At a time when so many high-performance saloons look and feel very aggressive, we really like that about it.

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What’s new?

The latest Audi S8 was facelifted in 2022 along with the rest of the A8 range. Updates included revised styling, new LED headlights and a dual-screen dashboard. The upper screen houses the infotainment system, the lower screen operates the climate control.

This fourth generation of S8 was launched in 2020, three years after the main A8 range. It’s actually more of a very heavy update of the third-generation version, which dates back to 2010. But Audi found ways of making it look and feel like a big step on, particularly in the tech department.

The A8 lineage dates back to 1994. The first V8-powered S8 came along in 1996 and became a petrolhead hero after its starring role in the cult film Ronin. The second-generation followed in 2002, the S8 powered by an iconoclastic V10 engine. 2010’s third-gen switched to a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that’s also found in the current car.

The A8 and S8 have always been very fine luxury saloons, but have perennially trailed the Mercedes S-Class, Porsche Panamera and BMW 7 Series in the sales charts. Because of that relative rarity, the S8 flies under the radar. Petrolheads recognise and respect what it is. To the non-enthusiast, it’s an elegant, luxurious car that just happens to go very fast.

We’ve driven the current Audi S8 extensively in the UK, covering 1,000 miles in a week on all types of road. You can read more about how we test cars at Parkers if you’re interested. So, should this high-performance luxury saloon be on your shopping list? Let’s find out.

What’s it like inside?

Step into the Audi S8 and all there is to tell it apart from a regular A8 are the ‘S’ logos stitched into the seats and some rather ill-judged carbon fibre trim inserts (wood isn’t an option). The dashboard is dominated by a pair of touchscreens. The upper one controls the infotainment system and myriad vehicle functions, the lower screen takes care of the climate control.

The set-up isn’t as impressive as the Mercedes’ Hyperscreen, but it’s arguably more user-friendly. It hardly lacks standard features, either. There’s wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, 3D sat nav, 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit instrument display, a thumping Bang & Olufsen stereo, two-zone aircon and heated, electrically adjustable seats clad in ultra-plush Valcona leather.

You’d expect a car that’s 5.2 metres long to be extremely spacious, and so the S8 proves. I’m 5ft 10in and felt a bit lost in the driver’s seat with all the room there is. Only exceptionally tall or broad people will feel even slightly pinched. Same goes in the back. There isn’t as much legroom as in long wheelbase versions of the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series or A8, but they’re really only necessary if you want airline-style reclining seats.

At 505 litres, the boot is pretty big too. Not quite as big as that in the S-Class or 7 series, and the back seats don’t fold down as they do in the hatchback Porsche Panamera – a load-through hatch is an option. Still, the boot’s a wide, deep space that’ll swallow two large suitcases plus several soft bags. If you need to take more stuff, you could always spec the optional towbar and hook up a trailer. Or a big caravan – the S8 has a towing capacity of 2,300kg.

Comfort

Open the S8’s doors and it rises a few inches so there’s less far to travel to or from the seat. Not a unique feature, but a really nice touch. Both the front and back seats are extremely comfortable, just on the right side of firm, providing support in all the right places. In 1,000 miles with the S8, my dodgy back didn’t give a hint of complaint.

Aside from the occasional thump and jar as the 21-inch wheels go through really big holes, the S8 rides beautifully smoothly on its adaptive air suspension. The system counteracts roll and pitch in corners and primes itself to soak up speedbumps. The next-gen adaptive suspension found in the Porsche Panamera and Taycan achieve even greater control and smoothness, but we shouldn’t let the exceptional obscure the merely very good.  

Engine

The Audi S8 is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 producing 571hp and 800Nm of torque. That’s enough to get this 2,200kg car from 0-62mph in just 3.8 seconds; top speed is limited to 155mph. Impressive numbers in isolation, but the S8 is comparatively lightly armed against the 680hp Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid and 727hp BMW M5.

But numbers don’t tell the whole story. In the real world, the S8 is ballistically fast – you can overtake slow moving traffic at will. Be careful, though. Even a relatively light touch on the throttle will have you pulling back in at anti-social speeds. Though you’ll be enjoying the soaring, hard-edged exhaust noise so much you might not notice. By any standard, the S8’s is an immensely powerful, hugely charismatic engine. 

Also one that’s capable of being entirely docile. The S8 will happily move quietly, discreetly through town centre traffic. Cruising along the motorway at 70mph, the engine’s spinning barely audibly at less than 1,500rpm. As thrilling as it can be, it can also be deeply relaxing.

What’s it like to drive?

The S8 is equipped with quattro four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering. The former provides extremely sure-footed traction, especially in poor weather. The latter creates a usefully tight turning circle and gives a feeling of both agility and security in corners. Add in direct steering and resolute body control, and the S8 is hugely effective on a country road, absolutely stable on motorways and surprisingly easy to thread through town.

It’s a hugely satisfying car to drive – but not a particularly engaging. You don’t feel isolated from what’s going on per se, but you don’t get the feedback through seat and steering wheel that makes a car truly involving. I do like the large diameter, thin-rimmed wheel, though. Too many high-performance cars have wheels you can barely wrap your hands around – looking at you, BMW M5.

Ownership costs and reliability

According to the official WLTP figures, the Audi S8 returns average fuel economy of 24.5mpg, with CO2 emissions of 261g/km. That may not seem particularly good, but for this sort of car it is. It’s certainly a lot more efficient than similarly powerful SUVs. And you can do a lot better – I saw 30mpg on the motorway. But however long the fuel lasts, the 82-litre fuel tank will always be costly to fill.

It’s worth noting the S8 has a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, which may contribute a small improvement in the car’s efficiency. It certainly takes the strain of powering the complex electronics off the engine.

Servicing intervals are every two years or 19,000 miles – whichever comes first. Expect costs be to be fairly hefty; unfortunately, Audi doesn’t do service plans for the S8. The standard warranty lasts for three years or 60,000 miles and you can extend it to four years/75,000 miles or five years/90,000 miles.

We’re not aware of any reliability issues this generation of S8 has and there haven’t been any recalls for it. In my week with it, there wasn’t a hint of weakness in the build quality, either.

What models and trims are available?

There are two trim levels currently available on the S8: Black Edition and Vorsprung. Spec highlights in the Black Edition include a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and 3D satnav, electrically adjustable heated front seats with memory, Valcona leather upholstery, adaptive cruise control, adaptive suspension, head-up display, surround-view, Matrix LED headlights and a Bang & Olufsen stereo.

Vorsprung adds an opening panoramic sunroof, ventilated and massaging front seats, electrically adjustable heated rear seats, four-zone climate control, extra leather trim, and a rear touchscreen controller for the climate control and seat functions.

Click through to the next page to see our ratings and what we like – and don’t – about the Audi S8.