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Show AUTOMOTIVE F-2 The Salt Lake Tribune Friday, June 23, 2000 Audi A8& L gives hew meaning to rear-seat room By Ann M. Job For The Associated Press They sure don’t build back seats like they usedto. Audi's new A8.Lis one of the latest large, luxury sedans to improve rearsseat.room. It’s about time. With 38.4 inches of legroom in theback ofits regular AB, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Nomore. This year Audi introduced a longer-wheelbase A8 called the A8 L. and every dimension of backseat room has been expanded Legroom grows to 41.1 inches, topping the 39.2 inches in the VandenPlasand the 40.3 inches in the S-Class. I had enough roomto easily extend my legs in the A8 L, even with the front seats pushed back. In the L, the wheelbase distance between the middle of the front and rear wheels is stretched from the regular A8’s 113.4 inches to |! That's longer than the 115.4-inch wheelbase of the 2000 Cadillac DeVille. And headroomfor back-seat riders grows from37.9 inches to 38.2 inchesin the sunroof-appointed A8 L more than the VandenPlas and Lincoln Town CarCartier L. Despite the extra room, Audi didn’t shrink the 17,6-cubic-foot trunk. The new AudiAé L has a longer wheelbase than the A8, expanding legroom to more than 40 inches. The 2000-A8 L hasthe-same formalstyling as a regular A8, Audi’s flagshipcar since 1996. But the L’s back doorsare larger andfor easier access to that newly roomyrear. There also are manual sunshades on the rear doors to keep out hot sun and prying eyes. The L comes standard with the same Quattroall-wheel-drive system and 310-horsepower V8as in the A8, It has the same five-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic, too. Tiptronic allows a driver to shift gears manually without having to use a clutchpedal. The L’sstarting pricetag is nearly $6,000 higher than the regular A8’s, and it comeswith a few more luxury appointments. An electronic stability system and navigation system arestandard, for example. Like the A8, the L has a hightech, aluminum space-frame body. Audi notes that on the A8, this space frame stood up so well in government crash testing that it wasthefirst in the premium luxury segmentto receive five-star ratings for driver and front passenger in a frontal crash. But don’t think an aluminum meansflighty lightweight. This 4,156-pound sedanfeelslike the substantial carit is. You hear the solid thud as doors close. You're enveloped by the serious, almost studious environment inside. The A8 and A8 L’sinterior of firm,leatherseats,tastefully placed wood -trim-and-non-gimmickycontrols remind me of an executive's office, albeit mobile and with autobahn-ready manners. Everything is laid out in an orderly way. Nothing shouts at you orflashes gaudily. Torqueis plentiful in this big car, with the maximum 302 footpounds available from 3,000 to 4,000 rpm.The 310 horsepower, by the way, is more than the maximum 300 in the 2000 Cadillac DeVille DTSwith Northstar V8 and the 200 horses in the Town Car Cartier L with 4.7-liter V8. Still, the long-wheelbase A8L is 88 poundsheavier than the A8’s so its 0-60 mph of 6.8 secondsis a second longer. Average drivers won't notice, of course. The A8 tester surged forward smoothly and powerfully from standstill and jetted ahead of othercars in city traffic, It smoothly accelerated onto the highway and slotted itself easily into traffic as I switchedlanes. There wasn’t any sense that this nearly 17-foot-long car — shod with optionat, 18-inch performance tires in the tester — was unwieldy or difficult to handle. In fact, I tossed it cautiously into corners and was amazed at how well it held its line. Standard safety features in the A8 L_ include adjustable head restraints, three-point safety belts, Audi’s inflatable Sideguard curtain air bags and rear-seat side air bags. But this largest Audistill only seats five. To get a six-seat large luxury sedan,youstill must look at domestic brands like Lincoln and Cadillac. Fuel economyis the same in both A8 models — 17 mpgin the city and 24 mpg on the highway. Audi recommends the more costly premium fuel, while Northstar V8 in the 2000 Cadillac DeVille uses regular unleaded. The A8L starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price including destination charge is $68,425 — $5,900 morethan an A8. The 2000 Jaguar Vanden Plas starts at $65,345, and the Mercedes S-Class at $70,345 for an $430. Bae 1justjust pure purchased 2000 wid ete ter fo Sarme a ey i a foating”’ to gainst paint damage al acid tain, bugs ‘and bird droppings. Normally, I would just write this off as a moneymens scheme, but since non-! based: automotive poap ‘been around that long, it makes me wonderif this coating might actually preservethe life of my automotive paintfinish. Orisit just a $300 wax job? AzIt’s not a $300 wax, but it’s not necessary, either, so your first inclination to write it off as a moneymaking scheme makes the most sense. If you want to protect your vehicle finish, you might wantto invest in a few items that will cost substantially less than $300 — a hose, bucket and sponge. Q: I’m told my car, an '87 Porsche 944, only has to pass the (Illinois) state emissions test for the 1987 model year. So how do I know whether the state is using that year’s standard or the current standards that will force older cars such as mineoff the road? A: When you pull in with a 1987 model car and hand overthe notice calling you in for your test, the computer takes over to ensure the standards in effect in 1987 are the ones your car has to meet. Don’t know whether the standards eventually will force your car off the road or whether the stupid dyno test that needlessly shakes, rattles androlls your'vehicle will. Q: Can the 2001 Ford SuperCrew short bed handie a fifth-wheel trailer or will the trailer hit the cab on tight turns? A;Fordsaid no, yesneed at least an 8-foot box in back for a fifth wheel to properly negotiate turns. The SuperCrew bed is 5 1/2 feet long. Escape Continued from Page F-1 mirror and hazard-light controls. Ourtest vehicle came with bucket seats upfront (with side air bags in each) and a 60/40 split bench in back in which the seat bottomsflip and seat backs fold for an even larger and flat cargo hold to store the gear. For somereason, however,the cloth loop you pull to get the seat cushiontoflip seemed to resent being tugged and needed prodding. The rear seat affords ample head, leg and arm room for two adults and, at most, one small child. If the trip is long, the rear seat backsrecline so you can snooze orlay back and look up at the sky through the optional ($595) moonroof. Thecargo holdwill carry gear, gro Ir golf clubs — morethan oneset. There's also an accessory power plug and a minicompartmentin the wall for small items. You can open the rear hatch as one piece or the glassbyitself. The front, side and rear windows are large to provideexcellentvisibility, but the outside mirrors are too small and hinderside vision Bigger mirrors would be more in keeping with the image of an SUVandallow better sight lines whenpulling into/out of the passing lane. XLTbaseprice is $19,195 in FWDversion, $20,820 with 4WD. The XLS starts at $17,645 in FWD, $19,270 with 4WD Four-wheel antilock brakes are standard on the XLT,a $575 option on the XLS Options can quickly raise the price, but there are some you can do without, such as the'$870 leather comfort groupandits leather seats/leather-wrapped steering wheel. Leather in a low-cost SUV doesn’t make a MTL sense. And forget the $325 convenience group with speed control, floor mats and a retractable cargo cover. The $275 side step bars are designed for easier entry/exit, but step in/out heightis low enoughto do without them. Besides, though the step bars look good, they catch snowandice in the winter and mud and dirt in the summer and can transfer-all to your pant legs whenslipping over them. Skipping those optionswill leave you only $10 shy ofthe $1,480 neededforthe optional V6 with four-speed automatic with overdrive. The savingsin not having to dry clean yourpants will more thanoffset that $10. But consider the $565 power moonroofand $345 side-impactair bags. Standard equipmentincludes power locks with keyless entry; powermirrors; roof rack; air front/rear h ey center console storage bin with coin holder; AM/FMradio with clock;cassette and single CDplayer; rear-floor heat ducts; power windowswith driver’s side express down; cargo floor hooks; four-wheel independentsuspension; andintermittent wipers. Towing capacity is 3,500 pounds when you opt for the V6 and a special towing package. Ford says Escape will pull water scooters, snowmobiles or a small boat. While Ford says Escapeis aimed at RAV4 and CR-V, we would expect General Motors to try to lure Escape intenders into the new Pontiac Aztek, a larger (108-inch wheelbase/182-inch long) SUVthat offers FWD or 4WD (after thefirst ofnext year)for less than $25,000,but with a few more attractions for youth, such as a center console that doubles as a portable cooler and ks in the doors. 900—Domestic Domestic Cars AMC EAC jen, oulo, Runs woh 51.008:SIE Spd, 20h pn BUCK Century, culo. 3800 v-6 loaded, whe wih 30000 ries 0 $12,980. MURDOC i CHEVROLET 298-8090 4 Tooded pe!metalic Soca ot80 ice, Save big 9784's V6, tah Woe BUCK RegalLS, ob,I,crite, ‘Ande, 398" All Xterras, Maximas, Quests, Crew Cabs, Pathfinders & Sentras At Liquidat on Prices! OVER 200 NEW & USED VEHICLES. TO CHOOSE FROM COMING SOON KEN GARFF NISSAN DOWNTOWN www.kengarffnissan.com/sic uns excellent 673-5865 9900 obo 320,995 advertised inthe Salt Lake’ 2280 South State Street Pi 322-5663 while, tow mi. ‘Call '262-2479, Dogonce#5242, shar ‘ihgat me poe All new car dealers pay the sameprice forthe cars they sell — it's the dealer that makes a difference. We will always match or beat any advertisedprice.* "Cars are so good today, you really can't buy a bad car — only a bad dealer." Comesee why — It's Different Here. ‘We will matchor beat any RICK WARNER NISSAN 777 So. WestTemple 566-3800 Cont 4 6 cy $4550, 480747 ‘94 BUCK Pork Ave, #3269, white wilh gay locther, and 53k ‘mi hay ina ony $10,995 ‘arloson Codi: 521-444 RUNS EXCALENTH A "Lagan, SOR87O7 oizie MClean Start Datias Fox, Director 933-1805 AM CHRYSLER@PLYMOUTH@JEEP OHN Salt Lake City, Utah wwwiohnmecham.com sMECHAM |
