An aerodynamically slippery exterior with a low .27 drag coefficient helps make the interior a quiet place, with only a hint of wind noise at speed and a throaty growl from the big V8 under hard acceleration to break the silence. The 12-speaker Bose audio system, which includes a six-disc CD changer tucked into the glove box, is excellent, though the user interface can make accessing its functions more aggravating than it ought to be.
While this is admittedly one of the nicest interiors of any mainstream car on the market today, it is not without its flaws. The raised bottom cushion of the center rear seating position and the substantial floor hump makes the three-place back seat much better suited to just two passengers. Most buyers will also want for a bit more storage space than the shallow trays inside the front seat’s dual center armrests provide. But these shortcomings pale by comparison to the A8L’s sophisticated central command system known in Audi-speak as the Multi Media Interface (MMI). Similar to the iDrive system virtually everyone loves to hate in the latest generation of BMW’s 7- and 5-Series sedans, Audi’s MMI consists of a large central knob surrounded by four buttons you use to navigate through a wide variety of functions from setting radio presets to adjusting the temperature of the optional seat heaters. Even with all the sophisticated systems on these cars, there simply has to be a more intuitive—and less infuriating—way to control them. For everyone’s sake, let’s hope they find it soon. Out back, the trunk is nothing short of cavernous with a low lift-over height. A power-assisted opening and closing feature is both slick and practical, especially when you have your hands full of grocery bags, dry-cleaning, kids, or all three.
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