Compare the2023 Rolls-Royce PhantomVS 2023 Audi A8

The Phantom has standard whiplash protection, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the whiplash protection system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The A8 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Phantom has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the A8’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Phantom has standard Cross Traffic Warning, helping the driver avoid collisions. Audi charges extra for Rear Cross-Traffic Assist on the A8.

The Phantom’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The A8 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Phantom and the A8 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The Rolls-Royce Phantom weighs 981 to 1091 pounds more than the Audi A8. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Phantom comes with a full 4-year/unlimited-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The A8’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires sooner.

Rolls-Royce pays for scheduled maintenance on the Phantom for 4 years and unlimited miles. Rolls-Royce will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the A8.

The Phantom’s 6.8 turbo V12 produces 228 more horsepower (563 vs. 335) and 295 lbs.-ft. more torque (664 vs. 369) than the A8’s 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Rolls-Royce Phantom uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The A8 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Phantom has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the A8 (23.8 vs. 21.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Phantom has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the A8. The Phantom’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels optional on the A8.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the Phantom can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The A8 doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

The Phantom has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The A8 doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Phantom’s wheelbase is 16.6 inches longer than on the A8 (139.8 inches vs. 123.2 inches). The Phantom EWB’s wheelbase is 25.3 inches longer than on the A8 (148.5 inches vs. 123.2 inches).

The Phantom has 5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A8 (116 vs. 111).

The Phantom has 2.9 inches more front headroom and .3 inches more front shoulder room than the A8.

The Phantom has a much larger trunk than the A8 (19 vs. 12.5 cubic feet).

Laser headlights, standard on the Phantom, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the A8’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

The Phantom has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the A8.