EmailBest Reviewed
Sports Cars
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- Tech-lover's sports car 2010 Nissan GT-R *Est. $80790
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- Supercar performance
- Comfortable, attractive cabin
- All-wheel drive
- Eye-catching design
- V-10 coupe and convertible for 2010
- Very expensive
- Slower than some cheaper supercars
- Clunky optional automatic transmission
- Tiny trunk
As supercars go, the Audi R8 is neither the fastest nor the least expensive, but reviewers say it's among the most striking and easy-to-drive sports cars you can buy.
It's fast -- zero-to-60 takes just 4.2 seconds, according to Edmunds.com -- but the less expensive 2010 Nissan GT-R (*Est. $80,790 to $83,040) is faster. A new V-10 engined variant, the 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI (*Est. $146,000 to $155,100), adds an extra shot of speed that thrills testers, although it's still not as fast as either the Nissan or Chevy Corvette. (A convertible Audi R8 V-10 will be offered in 2010.)
What it lacks in all-out speed, the R8 makes up for dynamically. It flits through corners faster than either the Nissan GT-R or the Corvette in tests thanks to its all-wheel drive and balanced weight distribution. The two-seat Audi R8 has its engine mounted in the middle of the car, in a lighted compartment with a transparent engine cover. Aft of the doors, "side blades" (various finishes are available) cover intakes that direct air to the engine and add some visual flash to the Audi R8's head-turning style.
Edmunds.com, Car and Driver and Road & Track all say the Audi R8 is truly an everyday supercar -- meaning it's easy to handle, comfortable inside and the ride's not unbearably harsh. But it's still an exotic sports car, with a tiny trunk, voracious appetite for premium gas and a sobering six-figure sticker price.
Experts advise shoppers pick the smooth, six-speed manual transmission. Audi's optional six-speed R tronic automated manual feels clunky and outdated in tests. The standard 420-horsepower, 4.2-liter, V-8 engine is predictably thirsty. Expect 15 mpg in combined driving with either transmission (12 mpg city and 19 mpg highway with the manual, 13 mpg city and 18 mpg highway with the automatic).
The Audi R8 comes pretty much loaded, including power leather sport seats, 19-inch wheels, a retractable rear spoiler, automatic climate control, Bluetooth and a six-CD changer. Options include a carbon-fiber engine compartment cover (*Est. $3,600), various side-blade materials, upgraded leather and stereo, a rearview camera, and hill-hold assist. Audi also protects the car with a four-year, 50,000-mile warranty.
Edmunds.com provides the most comprehensive look at the 2009 Audi R8 4.2 (essentially carried over unchanged for 2010), based on expert testing. Road & Track pits the R8 against nine rival sports cars on four different tracks. Shorter reviews at Car and Driver and Automobile Magazine are also based on testing. All of these sources also test the Audi R8 5.2 V-10 model. Edmunds.com's Inside Line tests it head-to-head against other supercars. FuelEconomy.gov shows how the R8's fuel economy compares with other sports cars'.
Our Sources
1. Edmunds.com
The Audi R8 is one of Edmunds.com's 2009 Top Recommended Coupes over $60,000, along with the Porsche 911. Editors say the R8 is a supercar that's "docile enough to be driven every day," but they point out several drawbacks, including the price.
Review: 2009 Audi R8 Review, Editors of Edmunds.com
2. Road & TrackDetails/Subscribe
The Audi R8 finishes smack in the middle of the pack on every component of this test: short- and long-road courses, autocross and oval. It trails the Nissan GT-R (among others) but finishes ahead of the Chevy Corvette Z06, BMW M3 and Lotus Exige S 240.
Review: The Ultimate Track Test, Road & Track Staff, Sept. 2008
3. Car and DriverDetails/Subscribe
The Audi R8 has beaten the iconic Porsche 911 Turbo in a head-to-head test at Car and Driver, prompting editors to praise it as "sports-car perfection." However, they go on to find a few flaws, including rear blind spots.
Review: 2009 Audi R8, Editors of Car and Driver
4. Automobile MagazineDetails/Subscribe
As outgoing Automobile of the Year for 2008, the Audi R8 leads off the 2009 All-Stars feature. No other supercar is "quite as comfortable or quite as satisfactory for everyday, all-weather use" as the R8, Automobile Magazine's Robert Cumberford says.
Review: 2009 Automobile All-Stars, Robert Cumberford, Dec. 5, 2008
Edmunds.com's Inside Line tests the 2009 V-10 Audi R8 alongside supercars from Porsche, Chevy and Aston Martin on Germany's famous Nürburgring Nordschleife racetrack. Reviewer Henry Catchpole likes the lighter-on-its-feet V-8 Audi R8 better than the new V-10 model. However, he prefers the Porsche 911 GT3 to either one.
Review: Road Ragers at the Nürburgring, Henry Catchpole, June 29, 2009
The Audi R8 lands near the bottom of this Environmental Protection Agency fuel-economy list, alongside exotic sports cars from Lamborghini, Maserati and Aston Martin. The sortable chart makes it easy to see which sports cars pollute most heavily and guzzle the most gas.
Review: 2009 Sports/Sporty Cars, Editors of FuelEconomy.gov
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