2019 Audi A8 L- Enjoying The Spoils Of Audi's Flagship Sedan

Enjoying the spoils of Audi's flagship Sedan

- Collin Woodard

Nobody needs a luxury flagship. By definition, luxuries are things people don’t need, and the flagship banner only emphasizes the point. Besides, midsize luxury sedans have gotten so large these days that it’s hard to imagine anyone who drives themself needing a modern full-sized barge. And for the same money, you typically have the choice between a midsizer that’s loaded to the gills and a base-model flagship.

Instead, you buy (or more likely, lease) a car such as the A8 because you want it. It’s a status symbol, a sign that you've clearly made it. So tossing logic and practicality aside for a moment, is the 2019 Audi A8 a car that makes you desire it? Does it stroke your ego and make you feel special, the way a luxury pinnacle should?

Judged purely on exterior design, likely not. In spite of the light show it displays every time it’s unlocked, the A8 is understated, almost to the point of looking plain. But that’s kind of the purpose of this segment, the understatement of status on the outside while feting the owners in luxurious cabins stuffed with cutting-edge technology.

As with all corporate boardroom jousts, however, size still matters. The U.S. only gets the longer-wheelbase A8 L, which has a 123.1-inch wheelbase and measures 208.7 inches overall. That’s a foot-plus longer than the A6, and from curbside it seems even more than that.