C7 S6 vs. D4 S8

[TD_05]

I've been contemplating a new or gently used post refresh C7 S6. Prices on used D4 S8's are now in the same price range. I'm wondering what you guys think of the S8, especially those of you who have driven both. I'm looking to get feedback mainly on the driving / handling aspects of the S8. Obviously it's a bigger car, but many reviews I have read state the S8 feels smaller then it is. FWIW currently I'm in a B7 S4...

Thanks,

TD

[Brooklyn]

It is a ROCKET SHIP. The interior is on par with the S6, if not better, though I prefer the more clean layout (and lack of what looks like a million knobs) in the S6. I think the styling of the S6 is slightly better, but that and the interior are obviously subjective. Amazingly, Audi seems to have figured out how to do comfort seats in the S8 while retaining seat stitching options.

The killer for me with the S8 is the fact that, as far as I can tell, the rear seats don't fold down. My S6 is my daily, and there are numerous times - often unexpected - where I've had to drop the back seats to accommodate cargo. The S8 is also a bigger car in general, additional size that I don't necessarily need. But every now and again I do a search on used S8's. Stock, the performance appears to be damned near what my tuned S6 is pushing out. And the APR tune for the S8...whoa.

[sciblades]

D4 s8 all day!

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[Chris Morales]

I never drove or tested a S6, but went straight for the used S8. Just boss. Can't tell you about the comparative handling other than it's just fine. I don't understand why more people don't seem to consider a used S8 instead of a new or used S6 or S7. Already have run a 10.9 in mine with an APR tune. Meth, downpipes, and stage 2 tune are on the menu. Should be a mid-10s rarely seen luxury sedan.

[bmoreS4]

This thread needs a lot more pics

[tonymission]

I never drove or tested a S6, but went straight for the used S8. Just boss. Can't tell you about the comparative handling other than it's just fine. I don't understand why more people don't seem to consider a used S8 instead of a new or used S6 or S7. Already have run a 10.9 in mine with an APR tune. Meth, downpipes, and stage 2 tune are on the menu. Should be a mid-10s rarely seen luxury sedan.

Me personally it's just a little bit big looking and I feel like I'm not old enough for it, but there's a guy in my neighborhood with one and I'm always in awe when we drive by each other. Ultimate sleeper sedan IMO.

[VVG]

A lot of it has to do with the size, I think. I considered the S8 but it just drove too big for my tastes. Even the S6 drives a little bigger than what I would like, but the solid feel and comfort make it an acceptable trade off. Cars in general are getting too big for my tastes. I am also not a fan of the "droopy" look of the running light design of the older 8 series

[VeryBadman]

I have driven S6, S8, and RS7. Obviously RS7 would be the most sporty and driving RS7 looks younger than driving S8 so I picked RS7 but if I have to pick between S6 and S8 I would go with S8. For the car this size I don't think the ability to corner is that much of the concern but S8 is quicker in straight line and more comfortable.

[Qweklain]

I owned a 2013 S8 for about a year and now I am in a 2016 S6. The reason is simple; The S6 feels much more nimble and the S8 rear seats DO NOT fold and the trunk is a bit shallower in depth, but deeper in height. The S8 I think puts up the same cornering abilities, but it is longer and wider and I can say the S6 is just more fun to push around.

I did much prefer the control layout in the S8 and it had the Baloa Brown Audi Design package (my favorite interior ever so far) which WRAPPED THE DASH AND DOOR PANELS IN MATCHING COLOR (why the FUCK is that not possible in the C7 chassis?!), but my S6 has everything the S8 did except soft-close doors (my S8 was fully loaded except for rear entertainment package). The S8 does NOT feel like a large sedan, but it most definitely feels and drives larger than the S6; Larger turn radius, pain in the ass in tight spaces and to park, etc.

If you want ultimate comfort, spacious cabin, and AWESOME back seats with a fuck-ton of power... S8.

If you want it more fun to drive, rear seats that fold down, can get all the options the S8 has, and the ability to make the car "yours" since it actually has aftermarket parts available... S6.

Also another thing that aggravated me about the S8 is that the doors are larger, but they did not have the drink "cubby" like even my 2008 S5 did and my S6 has. How can a car get larger, but lose something like that? I just, I can't even...

Handling is similar between the two models. The S6 is a little smaller and lighter but the S8 has slightly wider rubber. For daily driving the S8 will be a bit smoother than the S6 because it has the ZF 8spd auto vs the S6's twin clutch 7-speed. It's a tough call because the S6 will be a brand spanking new car and the S8 will be used...

In response to Vol, go take a look at my review of the 034 trans insert in the D4 forum. The trans was NOT as smooth in 1-2 and 2-3 (up or down) as it should have been. Stock to stock, in D, the S6 is smoother shifting than the S8 was. With the trans insert in both of them, they are pretty equal. This also could have just been because my S8 was the first model (in the states anyway) and may have been worked out in the later models.

[kouzman]

S8 is freeaking awesome! if there wasn't an RS7, then the S8 would have been the one!

[Chris Morales]

I boil all that down to: the rear seats fold down in the S6 but not the S8.

A tuned S8 is pretty damn fun to push around. And it's faster.

I owned a 2013 S8 for about a year and now I am in a 2016 S6. The reason is simple; The S6 feels much more nimble and the S8 rear seats DO NOT fold and the trunk is a bit shallower in depth, but deeper in height. The S8 I think puts up the same cornering abilities, but it is longer and wider and I can say the S6 is just more fun to push around.

I did much prefer the control layout in the S8 and it had the Baloa Brown Audi Design package (my favorite interior ever so far) which WRAPPED THE DASH AND DOOR PANELS IN MATCHING COLOR (why the FUCK is that not possible in the C7 chassis?!), but my S6 has everything the S8 did except soft-close doors (my S8 was fully loaded except for rear entertainment package). The S8 does NOT feel like a large sedan, but it most definitely feels and drives larger than the S6; Larger turn radius, pain in the ass in tight spaces and to park, etc.

If you want ultimate comfort, spacious cabin, and AWESOME back seats with a fuck-ton of power... S8.

If you want it more fun to drive, rear seats that fold down, can get all the options the S8 has, and the ability to make the car "yours" since it actually has aftermarket parts available... S6.

Also another thing that aggravated me about the S8 is that the doors are larger, but they did not have the drink "cubby" like even my 2008 S5 did and my S6 has. How can a car get larger, but lose something like that? I just, I can't even...



In response to Vol, go take a look at my review of the 034 trans insert in the D4 forum. The trans was NOT as smooth in 1-2 and 2-3 (up or down) as it should have been. Stock to stock, in D, the S6 is smoother shifting than the S8 was. With the trans insert in both of them, they are pretty equal. This also could have just been because my S8 was the first model (in the states anyway) and may have been worked out in the later models.

[Qweklain]

I boil all that down to: the rear seats fold down in the S6 but not the S8.

A tuned S8 is pretty damn fun to push around. And it's faster.

It's all subjective man! I did autocross the S8 and I was putting times down that a car that large should not even be capable of. It was SUPER fun tracking just because it is so big you have this psychological element of "I cannot take this chicane at this speed," but then you just keep pushing it harder every heat and it keeps on returning. I also enjoyed the "WTF" factor I got from people when they would come up to me and go "I have never seen anything so goddamn large at an event!" or even more so when people are surprised by the times and go "How the hell did you do that?"

In the S6, I have already come close to its limit in its current form on some of my common "test" corners, but I also feel more confident pushing it than I did the S8 which is part of why I say it is more fun to drive. I have driven coupes all my life, then I went into the S8 so the feel of small coupes to an executive sedan was about the most drastic jump one could make. I think if I was not such a small framed man (5'10" at 155), the seats may have grabbed me better which I would have been more apt to push it then. However, even with the seats as tight as I could get them (comfort package, so 22-way adjustable), I had too much space in them to slide around.

I do not like drag racing (it's cool, but I am not into it), so the faster statement does not apply to the type of driving I like to do.
Straight line: S8
Corners: S6