All classmates are situated in approximately the same price range – around 10 million rubles, and in terms of power, they do not lag far behind – ranging from 435-450 horsepower. Rivals: Audi A8L quattro with a 4.0-liter engine; BMW 750Li xDrive; Mercedes-Benz S 500L 4Matic.
BMW 7 Series
The width of the wheels of the seventh series of BMW is 3210 mm, and it features a unique three-dimensional circular view modeling system. The car accelerates to a hundred in 4.5 seconds, and the iDrive system can interpret driver gestures. It could be said with confidence that BMW is the best car in its class. However, it has competitors.
Audi A8L
The car does not have a projection monitor and lacks a sophisticated multimedia system and modern manipulative iDrive. However, the engine power, all-wheel drive, and hydromechanics do not fall behind BMW.
The model first appeared in December 2009. The first restyling took place in 2013. The transmission has an 8-speed automatic gearbox.
The model handles broken roads well, the good suspension does not let you feel the road bumps. It has good maneuverability and controllability, but the smoothness of the ride does not match that of BMW. The cost of the Audi A8L is largely determined by the presence of a powerful engine. So, for a model with a gasoline engine, you will have to pay:
- 3.0 TFSI (310 hp) – from 5.3 million rubles.
- 4.0 TFSI (435 hp) – from 6.3 million rubles.
- W12 6.3 FSI (500 hp) – from 8.8 million rubles.
Despite all its advantages, it also has some inconvenient drawbacks:
- Lack of slots for charging mobile devices in the front of the car.
- Budget steering wheel and a single rearview camera.
- Plastic inserts in the interior, which look cheap and of poor quality.
- Inconvenient placement of the automatic transmission lever, more resembling a hand rest.
- No USB port.
- Seat backs do not recline fully.
- Lack of a footrest, which is inconvenient on long journeys.
Exterior
On the outside, the Audi A8 maintains its conservatism. Among all its classmates, it is Audi that leaves car enthusiasts with a sense of an aggressive, fierce, and daring car. The presence of a hexagonal radiator grille with a special arrangement of slats gives it a distinctive look.
In this respect, BMW only has a weak false grille, which remains recognizable for all BMW models. Mercedes has an elongated version of the radiator grille, somewhat resembling a smile.
The window shapes of Audi and Mercedes are largely similar – the rear pillars are slightly sloped, giving the cars a forward-moving effect. The rear exterior of the cars differs significantly among all models.
In Audi, the stern is illuminated by the taillights, Mercedes stands out with lights featuring vertical three-section forms, while BMW reflects the road with a wide strip of light.
Interior
Audi A8 and Mercedes can boast of surprising their owners by being both an office and a living room on wheels. In this regard, the design engineers have thought of everything down to the smallest detail, focusing on the consumer.
Audi lags behind its peers in comfort but surpasses them in technological advances. Just the positioning of the internal door handles is worth noting. In Audi, they are located at the bottom, which may be inconvenient at first, but it has its advantages – it prevents accidental handle pressing and door opening while driving.
Unlike its counterparts, Mercedes features a wide variety of various electronic displays and touch buttons. Audi also strives not to fall behind in this aspect. The model also surprises with the duplication of button controls in the car through voice commands. Mercedes duplicates buttons on the steering wheel as well.
The only drawback of Audi is the presence of a large area of glossy plastic that retains fingerprints. BMW, in this regard, is slightly more modest than its counterparts. Having a standard base monitor and gesture control function, BMW also stands out with all panel instruments and buttons positioned slightly closer to the driver and at a convenient angle. So the driver does not have to be distracted from the road.
The Audi's interior finish pleasantly surprises. The ergonomics, seating, and functionality of the seats in Audi are much more comfortable than those of its competitors. The seat height and door frame are meticulously calibrated in the car down to the millimeter. However, BMW slightly lags behind and offers another missed advantage compared to its counterparts – a stepped door lock.
All models have a similarity – the presence of an armrest with a multimedia system between the seats, which instantly connects to passengers' mobile gadgets. The front seat backs have tablet PCs, which are also conveniently controlled through the multimedia system.
Mercedes goes a step further – a small table slides out from the armrest, which is convenient for hands when working with the monitor.
For passenger relaxation, all models are equipped with the ability to provide lumbar and foot massage.
Read: Test Drive of BMW X6 and X6M 2016 Models
Technical Capabilities
BMW can be considered the most technologically advanced car. It has 4 turbocharged diesel engines with power up to 400 horsepower. Or an option with 4 petrol engines with a maximum power of up to 609 horses.
Mercedes can boast two diesel units (286 and 340 hp) and four variations of petrol engines – from 367 hp to 530. Considering the AMG configuration, we get a power of 612 and 630 hp.
Audi lags behind its peers and slides to third place. It only has a petrol engine with 340 horsepower. In European countries, Audi is available with a diesel engine, but it is not sold in Russia.
All three models accelerate differently. Audi offers greater smoothness and stability on the road, Mercedes responds instantly to the request for increased speed, while BMW gives the sensation of flight without obstacles. BMW does not provide smoothness and softness of movement, although you won't feel road bumps.
Despite the smoothness of the ride, Audi tends to drift slightly on sharp turns, which is not the best feeling. Mercedes is quite stable in this regard. However, all three variants have «comfort» or «sport» modes for such driving. You just need to choose the most suitable for the type of road.
When choosing a car for a modest amount, it is worth considering Audi or Mercedes. If you need a more powerful and expensive car, then the best choice is BMW.
In the end, there is no one-sided leader – winner in the comparison. Since one lags in certain characteristics, while the others win. It turns out that they are all on the same level. This is not bad, considering that if a car with perfect characteristics were created, automakers would not give car enthusiasts the opportunity to make a choice.
