GTS Jay

Thanks guys - I should be picking up the A8 tomorrow or Wed. I'll post pics as soon as I can...

Andy E.

Sport Package Jay?

GTS Jay

No sport pkg, but it does have 19" wheels and air suspension. It seems that every car I'm interested in is very hard to find - at least at the price I want to pay, so my choices were limited. That said, I think I'm OK not having the sport pkg as I'm very impressed with how flat it corners, especially in dynamic mode. I also really like the ride quality and I really wouldn't want it to be any stiffer, especially given it's luxury intent.

I'm not planning on doing much modding at all but I may see if I can find a steering wheel with paddle shifters. While it's no DSG it seems to shift real well in manual mode and the shifts are fairly quick - much quicker than in my GTS. I'll have to see if I can find a nice OEM steering wheel with heat and paddle shifters but first I need to find out if it's even doable. I read somewhere on-line that it's plug n' play but will need to be programmed. I'll have to do a bit of research.

Here are a couple pics - I'm impressed for a vehicle under $28K...

ArneeA

Very nice indeed. One on my list to replace the X5.

Andy E.

Nice car Jay. Congrats!

GTS Jay

Thanks guys! Lots to learn but overall it's pretty intuitive - much more so than the GTS. The radio stations actually show me the frequency! :-) The only problem I've having so far is keeping my iphone paired. It pairs and works just fine but I have to pair it every time I go for a drive. I don't see anything obviously wrong so I'm wondering if perhaps it needs a software update. Other than that it's quite an enjoyable drive...

endless_corners

btw if your VAG product has a turbo it will really respond well to a tune. Do you have a v8 or turbo'd 6?

ArneeA

A8 has V8 or W12 only.

endless_corners

Oh well, I'm sure it has scoot anyway.

GTS Jay

Yeah - it has the 4.2 V8, no turbo. It has 350hp and it scoots along quite well. I would love to have an S8 with the 5.2 V10 engine and I actually looked into that a bit, but for a similar year it would have cost about $20K more which would have defeated the purpose of the car swap. Depending on how this car treats me for the next couple of years, an S8 may just end up on my short list for my next car though...

endless_corners

so... I know these are apples and oranges.. but what's your quick take? What is it like to toggle over to a 4 door saloon after driving a porker sport ute. What are you noticing?

AdMan21

I'd like to know as well. I know your still in the honeymoon phase but we need some juicy details.

GTS Jay

Good question..., but I really need more seat time to give you a good review. Here are my initial impressions moving from my porker SUV to this...

- The side mirrors are tiny!
- Feels fairly light for a big car - especially coming from the GTS which feels very heavy...
- Much more relaxing drive - the road isn't pulling the tires all over the place like in the GTS with the 21" Michelins (my 18" winter tires didn't tramline nearly as much though) and overall it feels very easy to drive and to keep in your lane.
- The engine has a nice growl when you get on it, but you have to be paying attention to hear it. GTS in sport mode sounded better.
- Super nice, classy interior and well put together. For a 2008 I thought the GTS's interior was way outdated and some of the plastics were downright toyish looking/feeling for a PORSCHE (console switches, door over HVAC switches) and the placement of the nav was horrible. That said, I LOVE the interior of the 958. The interior looks especially good at night with all the little red lights all over the cabin. It also has some very classy white mood lighting on all 4 doors and in the foot wells - they look LED white so I'm guessing that's what they are. They're also adjustable.
- The A8 has WAY more gadgets/adjustments - seems that just about everything can be fine tuned - I like gadgets & options
- I like the door closers, power trunk, power rear shade (that can be operated front or back)
- Surprised at how flat the A8 takes corners - especially in dynamic mode. I looked for a GTS with PDCC specifically because I wanted a flat cornering vehicle but the A8 is almost as good.
- Excellent ride quality for the handling prowess - excellent balance between comfort & handling
- The car doesn't seem as big (long) as I thought it would (it's not the long wheel base version) and in fact I just love the size of it. Plenty of room front and back but not boaty at all.
- Tolerances seem very tight inside & out - very well put together overall.
- With 350hp it's fast enough - while I always want more power there's plenty there to keep keep me entertained. The power doesn't amaze me (I've owned much faster cars) but it feels at least as fast as the GTS if not just a tad faster.
- Although it doesn't have a DSG transmission or paddle shifters, I'm impressed with how quickly the transmission shifts - noticeably faster than the GTS. In fact, I think it shifts fast and firmly enough to warrant adding a paddle shift wheel for a bit of added entertainment. It also seems to be in the right gear more often than the GTS (which I thought was pretty decent as well).
- Love the seats and all the adjustments (16 way, ALL power) - especially the thigh extensions & upper back adjustments.
- Seems to be getting excellent mileage even though I've been playing a bit. I can easily see it getting 25mpg + on a long trip which I think is amazing for a big V8 luxury sedan.
- Not sure what I don't like yet but I wish it had folding rear seats so I could put bigger stuff in it when needed. I don't even think this was an option. It does have a ski bag & pass through though.
- The car stickered for $77K new and it looks and feels like a car in that price range. My GTS stickered for almost $97K new and to tell you the truth, I just didn't see it. The 958's perhaps, but not the 957/995...

That's about it for now. Overall I feel pretty stoked with the car and it seems like a hell of a lot of car for under $28K. I think it's super classy looking inside & out - just very well designed...

AdMan21

Are you afraid of repairs? I know coming from a P!G you shouldn't be-but I almost pulled the trigger on an 05 s4 with the same v8...Especially the issue with the crank shaft rail made of plastic. I'd probably still get one because I'm a risky kinda guy..but at that moment I couldn't pull the trigger.

Thanks for the write up on your impressions, I also would like on that doesn't have the long wheel base, but they seem more difficult to find. Maybe I'll just try my luck at an s4 this time and hope for the best.

jes999

What did you get for the GTS?