Audi S8 2024 Review

The 2024 Audi S8 doesn’t come cheap, with a starting price of $287,600 plus on-road costs and options.

Our test car was also fitted with a $19,000 Sensory package, pushing its as-tested price to just over $306,000, making it a very pricey proposition indeed. Thankfully, there’s no extra cost for the metallic Firmament Blue paint job and high-gloss styling package fitted to this car.

Perched atop the German luxury brand’s large A8 sedan range, the S8 comes decked out with all the luxury appointments you’d expect and more tech than you can poke a stick at. Not to mention V8 power, arguably making it a better proposition than similarly-pricey rivals like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (from $242,361 plus ORCs) and the much less powerful BMW 740i ($272,900 plus ORCs), which is powered by a 3.0-litre turbo-six.

Standard equipment on this luxury limousine includes 21-inch alloy wheels, HD Matrix LED headlights, active air suspension, dynamic all-wheel steering, quad-zone climate control, head-up display, panoramic sunroof, power-assisted door closure, heated front seats and armrests, and Audi’s wonderful virtual cockpit (digital instrument cluster) for the driver, and more.

On the safety side, you get adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane assist, rear cross-traffic assist, blind spot monitoring, and more. Night vision assist can even alert you (via the instrument cluster) to pedestrians or animals on the road ahead thanks to thermal imaging.

The aforementioned Sensory pack adds a Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system, heated, cooled, massage and electric-adjust (outboard) rear seats, plus a full interior leather pack with contrast stitching.

If that equipment list isn’t impressive enough, under the bonnet is a 4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V8, helped along by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that shifts power to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic.

Audi claims total outputs of 420kW of power and a whopping 800Nm of torque, as well as a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 3.8 seconds… not bad for a giant piece of machinery.

Almost everything.

The 2024 Audi S8 feels like the ultimate combination of luxury, performance and driving comfort. From the (predictive) air suspension that raises the S8 to greet you, to the opulent interior inclusions and soft-close doors, every penny seems to be accounted for.

Cocooned inside a cabin that smells of leather – and whichever in-built fragrance you’ve selected from the air-quality pack – no passenger is denied luxury, with supple appointments throughout and enough tech to keep those in the second row happy.

That includes a 5.7-inch touch-screen that allows rear passengers to adjust things like individual air temperatures, seat position, lighting, rear sun blind, and more. As you’d expect, there’s also plenty of headroom and decent legroom for the average-sized adult, so those with enough money to employ a driver will be just as comfy playing rear-seat passenger.

It’s just as glorious up front, where an array of touch-screens and digital displays – the most commanding of which is a 12.3-inch driver’s instrument cluster – blend seamlessly into the dash without feeling over the top and when it comes to functionality, resolution, and responsiveness, Audi’s tech is some of the best and most intuitive in the business.

But it’s in the driver’s seat where we still want to be.

Uber quiet and ultra-refined, you barely hear a peep of road noise, or even much commotion from that throbbing V8. That is, until you give it a prod.

It doesn’t immediately dart off the line – courtesy of this big limo’s 2.3-tonne kerb weight – but we certainly don’t doubt the S8’s claimed (very respectable) 3.8sec 0-100km/h sprint time.

The brisk nature with which the S8 hunkers down and builds speed is nothing short of impressive.

But this sporty passenger-hauling limousine is designed to prioritise passenger comfort over hoon-ability.

That’s not to say you can’t have plenty of fun in the S8, but you should probably just get an RS 6 if you want to cause a riot.

The S8 is effortless, from perfectly weighted steering to the way it soaks up just about every road surface and imperfection. The only thing you need worry about is keeping this 5190mm long, 1945mm wide sedan within your lane.

Indeed, it’s that sheer size that can make the 2024 Audi S8 difficult to park, even with its 360-degree camera, kerb-view camera and all of its sensors.

For someone that considers themselves an above-average parker, all that tech made a fool of me on at least two occasions, taking multiple attempts to straighten up in a regular car park. Maybe too much technology isn’t that good…

Beyond minor and admittedly self-inflicted parking woes, it’s truly difficult to find shortfalls with the Audi S8 because it feels as if it nails the brief of being a large, luxurious limo. But for the majority, the biggest sticking point will be its excessive price tag.

Still, few rivals can match the Audi S8’s value proposition – even at circa-$300K, you get a lot of car for your money – and without more than mild-hybrid electrification, it could be one of the last limos powered by a stonking V8.

Similarly, the S8 is one of the priciest Audi models to maintain, with a five-year service package available for $4520. But while that adds up to just over $900 per year, scheduled services are still due at the regular 12-month or 15,000km intervals.

As with other Audi models that employ a dedicated climate-control unit below the touch-screen, it can be fiddly to make adjustments on the move because there’s nowhere to stabilise your hand while doing so, which can result in incorrect selections.

On the outside, its understated design might be too watered down for some, but Audi’s more elegant and timeless approach to styling looks great to us. It looks more suave than athletic.

If you’ve got the funds, the 2024 Audi S8 is an incredible machine – one that we think few, if any, people would regret purchasing.

The S8 is the kind of luxury limousine one buys to silently – but convincingly – convey success. It’s not loud and it’s not brash, but it is extremely lavish and wonderful to drive.

We think it’s worth every cent.

2024 Audi S8 at a glance:
Price: $287,600 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Output: 420kW/800Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 245g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested