Nearly 17 feet in length, the A8 L is longer than the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 745Li and 760Li. The wheelbase of the new A8 L stretches to 121.1 inches. That's 3 inches longer than the wheelbase of the previous-generation A8 L, essentially identical to that of the Mercedes S-Class, nearly as long as the BMW 745Li and 760Li, and substantially longer than that of the Cadillac DeVille. (The wheelbase is the distance between the front wheels and the rear wheels. A longer wheelbase tends to offer more passenger room and increased stability.) The Audi is slightly wider than the Mercedes and comparable to the BMW. The A8 L's rear doors are long, allowing for convenient passenger entry and exit.

Front and rear doors open extra wide. The outside door handles are attractive, but are the lever style, which we find harder to use than the kind you can put your hand through, such as those on a Mercedes.

Seven-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels with 255/55R17 tires come standard and provide excellent handling and ride comfort and superb grip in the wet. Optional 18- and 19- inch wheels and tires are available that visually fill the wheel wells and provide a surprisingly smooth ride in spite of their short sidewalls. The taillights fit flush with the clean rear design. Turn signals use LED technology and feature side repeater lamps to signal drivers alongside of your intentions. Dual exhaust pokes from below the beautifully integrated rear bumper.

Audi says its use of an aluminum space frame saves about 300 pounds, which allows adding more features without overburdening the car with weight. Those added features include the sophisticated air suspension, the elaborate Bose sound system. The new space-frame design uses fewer parts, fewer joints for increased rigidity. That increased rigidity eliminates flex, giving the A8 L the feeling of being carved from a single block of bar-stock aluminum. The body is also made of aluminum.