D3 S8 vs D4 4.2 tdi

[Palmer]

Im thinking of coming back to an A8 later this year. Ive owned 2 D3 V8 diesels, one mapped, and a D2 S8.

Ive averaged 707 miles a month over the past 12 months. This year only 600 so far. So im thinking of getting something a bit jucier.

My current mondeo was a temporary car thats ended up with me for 4 years (50k miles) and costs £127 a month to run covering 800 miles @ 35mpg.

A D4 4.2 tdi will cost me £300 to run a month @25mpg, and an S8 just over £400 @15mpg. Ironically the S8 is half the insurance price of a D4.

Im kinda torn between the two.


D3: Looks much better than the D4 exterior wise. Good sounding V10. Its an S model so carbon interior and little nichè touches.

D4 4.2 tdi: interior is nicer than the D3. Not saying that the D3 isnt a nice place to be. Lower tax and id say alot better fuel economy with the 8 speed box. Mapped they are 420bhp /950nm i think? It looks like a big A4 though which is a big pitfall imo. Just doesnt look special like the D3. Torque will be addicitive though. No noise.


Any thoughts? Has an S8 owner here got less than 15mpg over the average of a tank?

Also does anyone know the trim levels for a D4?! The D3 was easy i just had a sport model. But all im seeing is SE or Executive models?!

[steamship]

Originally Posted by Palmer

Also does anyone know the trim levels for a D4?! The D3 was easy i just had a sport model. But all im seeing is SE or Executive models?!

Check out the following thread which has several D4 A8 brochures attached:

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/showthread.php?t=11030

[Palmer]

Originally Posted by steamship

Check out the following thread which has several D4 A8 brochures attached:

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/showthread.php?t=11030

Legend!

[S81]

I have a d3 s8 v10 ,and a d4 a8 3.0 tdi ,they are 2 total different machines ,i like them both but I use them for 2 different purposes , the a8 is for work ( lots of long journeys) and it's excellent,and the s8 is for pleasure( and it is pure pleasure ) I'm not sure i could (personally )use the s8 for work with constant long journeys

[Palmer]

Originally Posted by S81

I have a d3 s8 v10 ,and a d4 a8 3.0 tdi ,they are 2 total different machines ,i like them both but I use them for 2 different purposes , the a8 is for work ( lots of long journeys) and it's excellent,and the s8 is for pleasure( and it is pure pleasure ) I'm not sure i could (personally )use the s8 for work with constant long journeys

This is the thing i dont really go anywhere to be honest. I know from my old A8 diesels ill get around 25mpg with my driving style minimum. But im unsure what i would get on an S8! Surely people dont get single figures over the course of a tank?!

[steamship]

Originally Posted by Palmer

This is the thing i dont really go anywhere to be honest. I know from my old A8 diesels ill get around 25mpg with my driving style minimum. But im unsure what i would get on an S8! Surely people dont get single figures over the course of a tank?!

I think it would take some doing to average single figures over the course of a full tank of fuel in the S8.

Regarding your comment that you don't really go anywhere, I dug out the spreadsheet that I kept when I had my S8. First thing to note is that I used what I would call bog standard petrol, whatever everyone sells here. I didn't use the higher octane ones or the likes of Shell V-power or BP Ultimate, and that was mainly because we don't get Shell or BP here in Northern Ireland and for any of the other higher octanes fuels it would mean a 70 mile round trip.

In the time I had the car I covered 5,500 miles and that literally consisted of two long journeys. Those were trips for the 2018 and 2019 Annual Meets in the Derbyshire Dales and Cornwall. Apart from that, I did maybe 5-6 other little day out runs of around 150-200 miles. Everything else was just short runs of around 30-40 miles and I avoided driving anything less. Overall average based on my figures, not the car DIS, worked out at 19.65mpg, with the only motorway driving being the drive to/from the annual meets.

[Palmer]

Originally Posted by steamship

I think it would take some doing to average single figures over the course of a full tank of fuel in the S8.

Regarding your comment that you don't really go anywhere, I dug out the spreadsheet that I kept when I had my S8. First thing to note is that I used what I would call bog standard petrol, whatever everyone sells here. I didn't use the higher octane ones or the likes of Shell V-power or BP Ultimate, and that was mainly because we don't get Shell or BP here in Northern Ireland and for any of the other higher octanes fuels it would mean a 70 mile round trip.

In the time I had the car I covered 5,500 miles and that literally consisted of two long journeys. Those were trips for the 2018 and 2019 Annual Meets in the Derbyshire Dales and Cornwall. Apart from that, I did maybe 5-6 other little day out runs of around 150-200 miles. Everything else was just short runs of around 30-40 miles and I avoided driving anything less. Overall average based on my figures, not the car DIS, worked out at 19.65mpg, with the only motorway driving being the drive to/from the annual meets.

Thats really not too shabby. My old V8 S8 i used to average around 17 on the dis. Smaller engine but that 5 speed auto too.

I dont really do long journeys either so that kills any diesel economy.

[Palmer]

Found out today ive got the opportunity to progress at work. Includes a 22 mile each way commute though - so that immediately raises fuel concerns for an S8. This isnt until around june / july which is when i was aiming for a new motor. If that move is confirmed it will have to be a diesel D4.

400+hp and 650+ft lb with a gentle hum isnt bad though right guys?!

[Palmer]

Originally Posted by Palmer

Found out today ive got the opportunity to progress at work. Includes a 22 mile each way commute though - so that immediately raises fuel concerns for an S8. This isnt until around june / july which is when i was aiming for a new motor. If that move is confirmed it will have to be a diesel D4.

400+hp and 650+ft lb with a gentle hum isnt bad though right guys?!

Ive declined this. Further opportunities will arise in my area. The furthest commute i will have is around 7 miles each way.

Im a little concerned with fuel on the S8 still - i recently did 1100 miles last month doing family errands and stuff for myself. That would have been £400+ in an S8....

I average around 40 mpg in my mondeo driving normally. 80 quid fill up gets me 500-550.

[briang9]

I think TBH if fuel consumption is a concern then an S8 might not be the best car for you