The first time you step into an Audi is an experience you’ll remember for the rest of your life. As you melt into the ergonomic seating, you’re engorged by luxury and refinement.
Unlike some of its competitors in the motor industry, Audi isn’t afraid of evolution. And that’s no more evident than inside the cabin.
You can tell great thought and care has gone into every piece of an Audi interior. There’s nothing in there that doesn’t add to the overall driving experience. And the materials surpass those used by almost every other prestige car maker.
Audi’s key message has always been ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’, which means ‘progress through technology’ or ‘advancement through technology’, depending on who you speak to.
But no matter which translation you use, they both relay the same message; using technology to move forward.
And that’s what really sets the Audi interior apart from any other manufacturer, their ability to harness tomorrow’s technology for your comfort and convenience today.
Whether it’s their industry-leading onboard MMI system, Virtual Cockpit or vehicle data, all available at the press of a finger, inside an Audi, you’re surrounded by unrivalled opportunity.
However, the German manufacturer’s strict attention to detail and focus on superiority doesn’t stop with the copious amounts of the technology packed into their cars.
Audi understands that comfort and luxury is just as important, and with the finest leathers, richest materials, and far-reaching modernism, they achieve nothing short of the perfect interior.
What Makes A Comfortable Interior?
Making a comfortable interior isn’t just about plush leather seats and a smart steering wheel.
Although they’re vitally important, and Audi’s taut, refined materials certainly provide a fulfilling space, both in aesthetics and a practical sense, it’s not everything.
A comfortable interior is created by a culmination of factors. The seats and steering wheel are part of that, but it also includes things such as the vehicle’s suspension, road noise and the ever-increasing focal point of technology.
And it would be fair to say that Audi brings all of those components together in a way no one else does.
Even from the basics of the tyres. Audi only partners with prestige manufacturers, such as Bridgestone, Toyo, Dunlop and Goodyear, and each model is matched with the tyre that suits best. It’s not the blanket approach taken by some, it’s attention to detail. It’s complete craftsmanship.
The same can be said about the suspension components. From Audi’s ‘standard’ suspension, which provides a balance between sport and comfort, to the lowered out-and-out ‘sport’, the electronically-controlled ‘adaptive air suspension’, or the ‘dynamic’ which combines precision and dynamism, Audi takes no shortcuts in ensuring a complete driving experience.
The attention to detail even filters down to the minimal cabin noise and the privacy offered through tinted windows.
Then, of course, there’s the technology. We already know Audi excels in this area, and by adding heating components to the seats, responsive buttons and dials, as well as a smooth touchscreen interface, there isn’t a single space overlooked or under optimised.
Which Audi Has The Most Comfortable & Luxurious Interior?
So, back to the question we came here to answer: Which Audi has the most comfortable and luxurious interior?
It’s not an easy one to satisfy, as each is a symbol of what that car represents. But that doesn’t mean we won’t try.
Audi A1
The Audi A1 is the smallest car in the Audi range, but it’s not any less detailed.
Depending on the trim level, you can choose between standard and sport suspension with adaptive dampers, privacy glass from the S Line Style Edition up and noise-reducing tyres.
Inside, cushioned leather sports seats come as standard, and you have the option to add the Plus, Technology and Comfort and Sound packs.
The Plus pack offers dual-zone electric climate control, a foldable armrest with storage and the option to add privacy glass to any trim level.
The Technology pack upgrades the infotainment system to MMI Navigation and Touch, equips the driver with a Virtual Cockpit – meaning your full attention can stay fixed to the road – provides Audi Connect, which serves up an internet-based traffic and motor assistance service, and comes with the facilities to pair two phones to the Bluetooth system simultaneously as well as charge your devices wirelessly.
The Comfort and Sound pack meanwhile installs a Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system, front and rear parking assistance, heated front seats and a rear-view camera.
Admittedly, the A1 doesn’t give you the same grandeur an A8 will, simply due to the difference in size and engine choices. But on the inside, when you add the packs, which range from around £700 to £1700 each, it’s equipped with everything you’d need for tackling the city and beyond.
Audi A8
Speaking of the A8, it seems a sensible segway to inspect the contrast between Audi’s entry-level hatchback and its premium saloon.
Aside from the obvious space advantage, as you’d expect, there are some significant differences.
Although the interior of the A1 is both comfortable and luxurious, those words take on new meanings in the A8.
Refinement in every stitch, the A8’s Valcona leather seats shield you from any disruptions and are helped by the car’s all-new predictive adaptive air suspension, which uses a compact electric motor next to each wheel to soften any discrepancy in the road’s surface.
In the cabin, you’re greeted with a gloss dashboard coated in technology. Two screens give greater customisation over the cockpit’s controls, including its climate, while also providing a futuristic aesthetic.
You’re afforded ample space for storage throughout, and in the back, there’s more than enough room for two adults to ride in luxurious comfort, with the middle seat converting into an armrest to add the final touch of elegance.
Driver assistance is also a prominent feature, with many of the A1’s options as standard in the A8, including the Virtual Cockpit and navigation system. However, you can make it more your own with the Comfort and Sound pack.
Again, it upgrades the sound system, but in the A8 it also provides a 360-degree camera view, automatic parking and ambient interior lighting made up of a choice of six colours.
In its price bracket, there’s nothing that comes close to the ride of the A8. Sure, there are sportier cars – although there’s an S8 option, too – but the standard is no slouch. Its suspension gives it an edge in the corners while not deferring too far from its primary role of comfort and luxury above all else.
Audi A3
The Audi A3 is in a bit of a world on its own. The Sportback takes on the BMW 1 Series and Mercedes-Benz A-Class, while the saloon has the likes of the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class for company.
Whether it topples its respective opponents is usually down to personal preference, but an area where it does stand out is, in both, is on the equipment front.
As standard with the A3, you have access to Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, MMI Navigation Plus, a 10.1” touchscreen system and the all-new Audi pre-sense, which monitors vehicles in front of you and searches for potential hazards.
Comfort-orientated seating can be equipped with four-way lumbar support as well as heating components, which comes as part of the Comfort and Sound pack, all of which inhabit a minimalist setting.
Like the A1, you also have a choice of suspension options, and privacy glass is available from the S Line up.
Audi Q7
The Audi Q7 has made big strides in comfort and luxury since its inception in 2005. The new model follows the Audi trend with its interior styling, although its SUV stature provides even more protection from the road.
High, full-leather seats provide unparalleled comfort, while its adaptive air suspension, coupled with either 19” or 20” alloy wheels make driving effortless.
Like the A8, the Q7 comes with a pair of touchscreens, making driving customisation simpler, while the Audio and Comfort pack adds an upgraded sound system, a 360-degree camera, keyless entry and drive, interior ambient lighting, parking assistance and an electronic tailgate.
All of this gives you both the comfort and luxury you’d expect from a prestige SUV, with only the A8 potentially pipping the Q7 to the post in terms of comfort across the Audi range.
2021
As things stand, the Audi A4, A6, Q2 and Q5 are yet to receive the German automaker’s highly-lauded interior redesign, which is now featured in almost every other car in the range. But they’re coming in 2021.
And when that happens, things may change. However, right now, the Audi A8 is the most comfortable and luxurious Audi on the market.
But if you don’t have that kind of money, or you’re looking for something different, pick any car from Audi’s offering and you won’t be disappointed.
Their attention to detail and obsession with comfort and luxury gives you complete driving satisfaction, from the A1 all the way to the Q7.