NADA Guides Picks Audi A8L as Top Luxury Car 2009. Why?

NADA Guides is one of the most objective and impartial consumer advocates within the automotive industry– providing you redfine the words “objective” and “impartial” to mean “your ass is mine.” National Automobile Dealers Association? ‘Nuff said. (As if.) Working for the dark side, NADA has primo access to primo product; their blog is, as of late, extremely Aston friendly. Yes, of course we’re bitter and twisted; it’s our m.o. But we gotta give NADA G [some] credit. Even though they provide no insight into their selection process whatsoever, their choice for Top Luxury Car of 2009 is both prescient (2009?) and, I reckon, accurate. The Audi A8 L is one Hell of a rig.

Don’t talk to me about reliability, resale or reliability. The uber-Audi is one of the smoothest, most comfortable and elegant automobiles you can buy at any price. Fine. Props to the propaganda propagators. But even if we ignore NADA’s lack of transparency– which is why I keep bringing it up, obviously– their model choice is wrong on every level.

The A8 L W12? The engine may be pull like a young Tom Jones, but it’s a huge aural disappointment (unlike Tom), it ruins the A8’s handling AND it sucks fuel at or below 10mpg (EPA combined 15). NADA gives the nod to the A8 L W12 with the BOSE audio system. Huh? Noise canceling headphones, sure. But the Doctor on the mountain has been bested by B&O, which has fit the A8 L with the cleanest, clearest, LOUDEST automotive ICE this Little Feat lover has ever heard.

Also, $120k? As Will Smith says in every movie he’s ever made, “Oh Hell no.” The $77,900 4.2-liter V8 is the one to have. Used. Anyway, congrats to Audi and commiserations to its corporate sister Bentley. Ye Olde $224,900 Arnage was beat by the $32,250 Hyundai Genesis. For some reason.