Key strengths: Amazing engine
Areas for improvement: Very costly if things go wrong
When I bought the car, it was five years old, but looked and drove as if it was new. It didn't turn heads at stoplights, but it sure turned them when the light turned "green" and I floored it! With the automatic trans selector in "S" for "sport," it gave high shift points and always seemed to find "the right gear at the right time."
Motorway driving was equally fun. Flooring the accelerator at 70mph put the car at 100mph in a matter of seconds. I took it up to 150mph several times and was very impressed at how rock steady it was at that velocity.
The best part was absolutely humiliating BMW and Mercedes owners. I've "suckered" people into playing with me on wet, twisting roads and seen two of them spin off into the grass! People who drive dinosaurs shouldn't take on quattros - especially ones with V8's.
I knew before I bought the V8 Quattro that it was a thoroughbred, not a plow
horse. Thoroughbreds need more care and attention - but if they're given what they need, they win races!
When things go bad on a V8Q, the cost can get breathtaking if you go to the dealer. But, many of the components are shared with other Audis (such as the door lock vacuum pump) so a wise owner asks for the part under a different model.
I sold my V8Q to another Audi enthusiast who is still driving it daily. He, too, goes looking for BMW and Mercedes drivers to send spinning into the weeds!
The running costs for Audi Quattro 3.6 litre 32 valve V8 Automatic are very high
Safety: 73
Equipment: 70
Reliability: 70
Driving: 95
Comfort: 70
Design: 83