LOOKS
Luxury has two key components; look and feel. On both accounts, the A8 L comes through with flying colors.

The exterior design of the vehicle is highlighted by the telltale Audi rings and large grille, and the overall shape and design have an air of elegance. You know what company makes this vehicle from a distance, even if the four rings weren’t there. This ride does not blend in, it stands out.

Once you get inside, it’s even more impressive. This is a true full-sized sedan, with tons of leg room in front and back and plenty of head room all around.

Materials used on the interior do not disappoint and convey a pure luxury ambience.
Everything feels comfortable and high-class, from the heated Valetta leather seats, to the leather steering wheel, to the soft Valcona leather on the interior of the doors. There is also a sunroof, and rear windows with power shades to keep out the sun, among other touches.

ENGINE, HORSEPOWER
My test vehicle featured a 3.0-liter TDI clean diesel V6 engine that offered 240 horsepower and 428 lb.-ft. of torque. It was all-wheel drive, with an 8-speed Tiptronic transmission. There are also non-diesel engines offered if you want to go more traditional.

From a stop, the A8 L was pretty fast for a vehicle of this size (4,564 pounds), and I felt confident maneuvering through traffic in this large luxury vessel -- no stiff feeling or lack of response to be found.

And no, the engine is not overly noisy -- despite it being a diesel.

Does it sound different, yes -- a little. But the new generation of diesel engines is putting to rest a lot of the old wives’ tales about them. If no one told you this was a diesel engine, you probably wouldn’t know -- and that’s a compliment.

TECHNOLOGY
If you’re going to be in boss mode, you need the latest technology, and Audi does not disappoint in this flagship ride.

One addition this year is standard LED headlights, and you’ll notice the difference in illumination. I also like how Audi designed the main info screen, letting it slide down into the dash when your car shuts off, then pop up when you hit the start button. When you’re not in the car, there’s no need for it to be seen, so it makes sense.

Controlling the screen is not done by touch, instead by a knob in the center console. At first this was a bit of an odd feel, but I quickly got used to it. Some will find it tedious, but there are also voice controls, which worked well and the vehicle seemed to understand what I was saying without a lot of repetition..

The screen is well-organized, listing all categories you might want to access (Telephone, Audi Connect, Radio, Navigation, Car info, etc.)

A head-up display is offered -- allowing you to keep your eyes on the road and know how fast you are going. This is one of my favorite auto tech innovations of recent years and I’m glad to see it making its way to more vehicles.

The rearview camera system on the Audi A8 L is one of the best I’ve seen, with a handful of camera angles offered that show every possible angle of what is around you (front, rear, side and top views). There is no reason you should ever hit anything with the amount of info you are getting on that screen when backing up.

My only complaint is that with so much tech offered in the car, the setup seems a big cluttered.

One area this is noticeable is with all the levers sticking out of the steering column.
You get one for wipers, another for turn signal, and another for the cruise control. Having too many things sticking out so close to each other made it confusing at times and I had to think about which lever to adjust. Cruise control would have been better contained to control via buttons on the steering wheel for simplicity’s sake.

SAFETY
At this level of luxury, you are going to get the safety options that are becoming more pervasive in today’s vehicles.

Blind spot monitoring (via lights on the side mirrors) was included on my test vehicle, and there is also a lane-departure warning system, both of which were helpful.

Adaptive cruise control will slow down the vehicle if the car ahead of you slows down or someone jumps in your lane.

Another feature lets the A8 stop itself (very abruptly I might add) if something in your path. It may have actually been too effective of a system, as I was a bit taken aback first time this system engaged (when it detected some trash in the middle of the road).

MPG
Official mpg numbers on the diesel version of the 2015 Audi A8 L are 24 city/36 highway/28 combined. I averaged close to 30 mpg during my time in the vehicle. With a 23.8-gallon fuel tank, do the math and you’ll see that a full tank will get you more than 700 miles (and if you’re mostly on the highway it can top 800 miles). That’s pretty hard to beat, and while your fill-ups won’t be cheap with such a large fuel tank, they definitely won’t happen very often -- so it all kind of evens out.

Compared to most large luxury sedans, these mpg numbers are extremely impressive, and I would recommend the diesel (TDI) option for folks shopping Volkswagen or Audi vehicles.

PRICE
The base version of the 2015 Audi A8 L starts at $81,400. The diesel version I tested started at $85,100, but by the time all extra packages were added it came to a grand total of $98,575. This is not a vehicle for the common man, it’s a vehicle for the boss, unless you want to try to play the part and get a really expensive lease.

Audi knows its market, and prices their vehicles accordingly. Yes, there are competitors that beat Audi on pricing for their full-size luxury sedans (BMW 7-series and Lexus LS models start lower, and there is more affordable competition from Kia and Hyundai via their K900 and Equus models, respectively), but the reality is that once you get in the A8, you’re probably going to like it better than most of its competition. It just has that special feel to it.

BOTTOM LINE
The 2015 Audi A8 L is not a perfect vehicle (I’m pretty sure no vehicle is, actually), but I’m still giving it a five-star rating.

Why? Because despite its few flaws, it’s about as beautifully/luxuriously designed, technologically advanced and fun to drive as any vehicle I’ve tested.
If I were a CEO/businessman and looking to purchase a full-size luxury sedan to drive every day and take clients around town in, this would be my first choice -- without a doubt.

Nothing against Lexus or BMW or other luxury automakers, as their offerings are all fine vehicles too, but the Audi takes the crown for me. The diesel option and the extra fuel mileage that it brings is another added bonus on top of the overall luxury.

The number of people who can afford vehicles in this segment is small, so you have to offer something special to entice customers -- and Audi has definitely done that.

 AutoTechReviews.com can be found on Twitter @AutoTechReview, or stay updated at the AutoTechReviews Facebook page. Matt Myftiu can be found on Twitter @MattMyftiu.