Audi Q8 review
Audi’s big coupe-SUV is a comfortable one, but its rivals BMW and Mercedes give it a run for their money
Our opinion on the Audi Q8
The Audi Q8 is luxurious, extravagant and stylish, and it’s an admirable executive SUV for owners who aren’t too worried about its rather obvious packaging compromises. It takes up about as much room on the road as a Q7, but has only five seats and a much less useful boot. In spite of its more dynamic and contemporary styling, it doesn’t offer significantly more involvement or engagement for the driver either, and is less sharp on the road than the BMW X6, a key rival.
But the Q8 does offer good road manners and superb refinement, as well as a plush ride (if you avoid Dynamic mode). This is further enhanced by a fabulous interior ambience with its twin-touchscreen interior and lavish appointments. As such, it’s a thoroughly appealing choice for drivers who place style and comfort above sports car-like driving responses.
About the Audi Q8
The Audi Q8 is a large and luxurious coupe-SUV, which, like most of its closest rivals, is focused almost entirely on road use, and aims to seduce drivers who might otherwise consider other ‘sporty’ lifestyle SUVs. There’s a sense of form over function on the inside, too, as the Q8’s design makes it less practical than the Audi Q7, which uses the same platform.
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The Q8’s sleek body is lower, wider and shorter than its boxier stablemate, and also a bit more aggressively styled with the brand’s eight-sided grille, swoopy headlamps and wide wheelarches said to be inspired by old Quattro rally cars. In order to keep up with its younger rivals, the Q8 received a mid-life facelift in 2024. This saw some additional styling tweaks, but these changes were fairly minor.
As with a number of other Audi models, there are also high-performance Audi SQ8 and Audi RS Q8 variants available for those who want to ramp up the power.
We lined up the Audi Q8 against the family-friendly Volkswagen Touareg to see which car offers the most all-round appeal. Unfortunately, the Audi fell short of the VW in crucial areas like ride comfort and price. However, we were impressed by its flawless cabin quality and superior body control.
Audi Q8 prices and latest deals
You probably don’t need us to tell you that this premium German coupe-SUV isn’t exactly a cheap car to buy. In base S Line spec, you’re looking at a starting price of around £81,000, and this jumps up to nearly £86,000 if you upgrade to the Black Edition. At the top of the standard Q8 line-up sits the Vorsprung, and this’ll cost you an eye-watering £104,400.
But wait, there’s more! If you’re tempted by the added zestiness of the SQ8, the entry model here is the Black Edition which starts from £104,100, while the fancier Vorsprung commands at least £123,000.
Last but certainly not least comes the mighty RS Q8, and this powerhouse offers supercar-like acceleration for an equally supercar-like £127,000. Still not enough? The RS Q8 Performance pumps things up even further, but that'll set you back an almighty £142,000 in base spec, increasing to a dizzying high of £161,000 in the fanciest Vorsprung trim.
Who said you can’t save on a fancy SUV, though? That’s where the Auto Express Buy a Car service comes in, as we can save you thousands of pounds when you build your perfect Audi Q8 with us. We also have plenty of Q8 leasing deals, as well as used Q8 models to choose from.
Performance & driving experience
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The Q8 feels a lot like its Audi Q7 stablemate on the road, which is unsurprising given the fact the two share a platform and powertrains. That’s great if you’re looking for a deft and reasonably sharp handling large SUV, but less so if you’re looking for something that’s more rewarding to drive. The BMW X6, Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover Sport are all more obviously sporty, but the Audi has more of an edge when it comes to comfort.
All Q8s sold in the UK sit on advanced adaptive air suspension, and on its softest setting the car is softly compliant while resisting roll admirably in corners. The Dynamic setting is less rewarding, as although the Q8 will tackle corners with little body roll and prodigious levels of grip, the ride quality becomes distinctly rough around the edges. Unless you’re on perfectly smooth tarmac, it’s hard to see the advantages and the compromises are considerable. We also found the larger 22-inch wheels to be a little skittish at lower speeds. The Q8 is supremely quiet at speed, though, with barely any wind or road noise and a very well muted engine bay.
The steering feel is like several other Audis, which means it offers no sense whatsoever of the road through the steering wheel rim, but is accurate and responsive to inputs anyway. The eight-speed automatic is not a dual-clutch device but a torque converter gearbox, and can be a little hesitant off the line.
However, the more powerful SQ8 goes some way to tackling the dynamic flaws of the standard car. It features an electric roll stabilisation system and rear wheel steering to help improve agility through corners, enabling the driver to not only turn into corners more keenly, but to also have the confidence to continue pushing through and back out again. The enormous tyres at each corner, in combination with the quattro four-wheel-drive system, also help in creating bags of extra grip.
If the SQ8 doesn't pack a big enough punch, Audi has the answer in the form of the 600bhp RS Q8. It uses a 4.0-litre V8 powerplant, and is packed with driving tech to help the supersized SUV go like a true Audi Sport model. If your need for speed still hasn't been satisfied, though, there's also the fully top-spec RS Q8 Performance, which ups the power to 631bhp.
Adaptive sports air suspension, quattro all-wheel drive, electromechanical active roll stabilisation, RS carbon-ceramic brakes, all-wheel steering and a quattro sport differential are just a few highlights, although none do anything to reduce the RS Q8's biggest problem - its 2.4-tonne kerbweight.
| Model | Power | 0-62mph | Top speed |
| Q8 3.0 TFSI Quattro 340 S Line | 340bhp | 5.6 seconds | 155mph |
| Q8 3.0 TDI Quattro 286 S Line | 286bhp | 6.1 seconds | 150mph |
| RS Q8 TFSI Quattro Tiptronic | 600bhp | 3.8 seconds | 155mph |
Performance, 0-60mph acceleration and top speed
The core Audi Q8 range comes with a choice of two engines. First is a 3.0-litre V6 diesel TDI unit. It’s an impressively smooth and refined engine that includes sophisticated mild-hybrid technology, and with 286bhp it offers pretty rapid acceleration, too. 0-62mph arrives in 6.1 seconds, and top speed is 150mph. The other option is a 340bhp 3.0-litre V6 TFSI petrol. This will propel the Q8 from 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds.
The hotter SQ8 gets a larger 4.0-litre petrol V8 which produces 500bhp and 770Nm of torque. This allows the bulky coupe-SUV to sprint from 0-62mph in a mere 4.1 seconds, and then proceed onto a limited top speed of 155mph.
The slightly bonkers RS Q8, meanwhile, also uses a TFSI V8 petrol engine, only this time it’s been cranked up to return 600bhp and 800Nm of torque. This results in a supercar-esque 0-62mph sprint time of just 3.8 seconds. The RS Q8 also has a limited top speed of 155mph. The completely bonkers RS Q8 Performance, meanwhile, trims this sprint time down even further to just 3.6 seconds.
Town driving, visibility and parking
The Q8 does well to hide its overall proportions in pictures, but this is a big car and it feels it from behind the wheel. The high and long bonnet needs getting used to, and while the windscreen and windows are big, the car is wider than it can sometimes feel, especially around the hips. It doesn’t, however, have a traditionally sloping roofline in the mould of a BMW X6 or Mercedes GLE Coupe, so visibility out the back isn’t too bad.
On the move, however, the experience is very serene. The smooth-shifting automatic transmission and generally refined powertrains make this an effortless car to pilot around at low speeds. The steering is light, but very accurate, and when fitted with the optional rear-wheel steering has a good turning radius for its size.
Low speed ride is generally well contained, but fit your Q8 with bigger wheels at your peril, as anything over 21 inches in diameter will give the whole car a slightly brittle road feel.
Country road driving and handling
As speeds rise, the effort level to the steering does go up, but with this comes a good sense of connection and control. It’s not a particularly engaging car to drive at speed, but it does feel intuitive and connected in a way that the rival Mercedes doesn’t. It still isn’t quite as engrossing as a Porsche Cayenne or BMW X6, but it isn’t far off either.
The payback for this is an excellent high-speed ride quality. Most models come fitted with air springs as standard, and so long as the wheels aren’t too big, it makes for one comfortable SUV. Things like supportive seats, the thin-rimmed steering wheel and excellent refinement levels only add to a talented cruiser, especially when there’s a V8 fitted under the bonnet.
Motorway driving and long-distance comfort
When on the motorway, the Q8 feels very stable, refined and confident, however a couple of quirks do show up when you’re doing the national speed limit. Engine refinement is excellent, but the car can throw up a bit of wind noise around the mirrors and door seals when you’re doing continental speeds.
The bluff front end also seems to negatively affect aerodynamics at these speeds too, as fuel economy seems to take a dive at higher speeds.
“Even before you set off, the TDI’s mild-hybrid set-up differentiates it from the VW Touareg. The engine fires up smoothly and near-instantly, and continues to be smooth when shuffling along in busy traffic or when coasting at higher speeds.” - Alex Ingram, former chief reviewer.
MPG & running costs
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The two engine options in the standard Audi Q8 line-up give buyers the choice of petrol or diesel power, and the latter is fitted with mild-hybrid electric assistance. As you’d expect, the Q8 diesel is markedly more efficient than the petrol, offering a best of 34.9mpg on the WLTP combined cycle with CO2 emissions of 212g/km.
This mild-hybrid tech is powered by a lithium-ion battery that’s located under the boot floor, which is regenerated under braking. When coasting between 34mph and 99mph, the diesel engine’s stop-start tech cuts fuel and progress is maintained using the belt drive starter motor.
When we tested this model against the less curvaceous Volkswagen Touareg, The Q8 TDI returned an average of 30.1mpg after covering several miles across a range of various speeds and roads, which is a reasonable enough performance. The boxier VW fared slightly better after the same round of testing, though, with an average of 32mpg. This was only slightly down from its official 34.4mpg figure.
The petrol-powered TFSI models are a bit quicker but they’re also a fair bit thirstier, coming in at 27.4mpg on the WLTP combined cycle. This engine is also more polluting at a rate of up to 251g/km of CO2.
If you really want to put a smile on your local petrol station owner’s face, though, you’ll want the SQ8 or RS Q8. These models officially deliver up to 23mpg and 21.5mpg respectively. Don’t be too surprised if these numbers drop sharply when you drive these high-performance cars as intended, though.
| Model | MPG | CO2 | Insurance group |
| Q8 3.0 TFSI Quattro 340 S Line | 27.4mpg | 234g/km | 50 |
| Q8 3.0 TDI Quattro 286 S Line | 34.9mpg | 212g/km | 50 |
| RS Q8 TFSI Quattro Tiptronic | 21.4mpg | 301g/km | 50 |
Insurance groups
The high price and strong performance of the Audi Q8 ensures high insurance premiums, too. The entire line-up, including the SQ8 and RS Q8, sits in insurance group 50, and it’s the exact same story with the Q8’s arch-rival, the BMW X6.
If you’re not too bothered about the coupe element, the closely-related Audi Q7 sits as low as group 44 in entry-level S Line spec.
Tax
High prices and emissions mean there’s no tax forgiveness when you drive an Audi Q8. On top of your standard VED road tax bill, you’ll also face the luxury car tax between the second and sixth year after the car is first registered.
If you’re considering this stylish coupe-SUV as a company car, you’ll enjoy significantly lower Benefit-in-Kind tax rates if you opt for a fully electric model instead. Unfortunately, the Audi Q8 e-tron has been axed, so for somewhat similar alternatives you’ll need to look towards models like the Polestar 4 or Skoda Enyaq Coupe. If you’re determined to drive an Audi, the Q6 e-tron is now the firm’s largest electric SUV.
Depreciation
Our market data suggests that the standard Q8s should fare reasonably well after three years or 36,000 miles, retaining around 46 to 50 per cent of their initial value. The SQ8 and RS Q8 manage a similar 45 to 52 per cent. However, it’s important to remember that all Q8s have a high list price, so it should still be worth a lot when the time comes to sell it on.
BMW X6 owners face a similar fate, as the standard models retain 47 to 50 per cent after the same period. It’s pretty disastrous news for those who opt for the hotted ‘M’ models, though, as this dip is as low as 39 per cent. That’s bound to cause a few tears as these cars start from around £140,000.
Interior, design & technology
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The exterior of the Q8 is quite a step on from the relatively restrained Audi Q7. Features like the larger front grille, more aggressively styled bumpers, LED headlamp designs and a full-width lighting strip across the boot lid give the Q8 a more upmarket and opulent feel.
A minor refresh in 2024 saw Audi carry out some adjustments to the Q8’s styling. Newly-designed grilles, enlarged side intakes, altered tailpipes and an updated badge are the most notable exterior differences, but the overall appearance remains pretty much the same.
Interior and dashboard design
Inside things step up a gear again from the Q7, with a truly impressive feel that’s inspired largely by the Audi A8 limo. There’s lots of piano black trim and brushed metal finishes on display, and the whole fascia is configured around the MMI Touch dual-screen infotainment set-up we know from elsewhere in the Audi range.
As with other models, the top 10.1-inch screen delivers the infotainment, while the lower 8.6-inch screen takes care of more fundamental systems like the climate control and car set-up options. It also features handwriting recognition, but this may be a step too far for many right-handed drivers.
The Q8 also features Audi’s Virtual Cockpit as standard, which replaces the traditional instrument pack with a wide full-colour display that can be configured with high-resolution navigation maps or instrument graphics.
Although the muscular SQ8 and RS Q8 provide more power and grunt than standard versions, there isn't much to tell the cabins apart. In fact, the interiors are largely identical. It's certainly not a step-up in interior quality, so you're essentially paying the extra premium for added performance.
Materials and build quality
As an Audi of the former generation, the cabin reeks of quality in a way the brand’s latest models just don’t. This feeling of robustness is here from the moment you pull open the heavy door. When inside, not all materials feel plush or particularly luxurious, but they are very solid and feel of high quality. The gear selector is a particular highlight in this generation of Audi, as the unit isn’t just heavy and made from nice materials, but gives a very satisfying click as you engage a gear.
The twin-screen console can get fingerprint-laden, but Audi uses enough high-quality plastics around it to keep it looking classy. There is lots of glossy black to deal with, too, but as it’s not near where you need to touch, and is used on a vertical surface that won't accumulate too much dust either.
Pretty much all of the cabin materials, front and rear, feel robust and of high quality. For something a little more opulent, the optional Nappa leather finishes on high-end S Q8 and RS Q8 only add to the high-class feeling.
Infotainment, sat-nav and stereo
Audi’s dual-screen infotainment system isn’t a class-leader, but it’s well-formed and thought out in general. The top screen will handle all the main infotainment needs from navigation, media and most car settings, with the lower screen operating the climate control and a few other static controls. Both have a haptic feature which feels more intuitive than a standard touchscreen, and the response times are generally good.
In front of the driver is Audi’s original 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit, and it works brilliantly. Day-to-day use sees a dual-dial setup give you all the key information, with different displays then able to expand into the main screen setting. This includes a full map view – this isn’t cutting edge in 2026, but Audi’s system is still one of the best in class.
Being of an older vintage Audi model, there’s still physical controls on the steering wheel and centre console, and both feel easy to operate without having to look down. In terms of stereo, most models will come with the upgraded Bang & Olufsen system which is still world-class in terms of sound quality.
“The good news for Audi drivers is that there’s little evidence of VW borrowing parts from the posher brand, at least for the bits you can see.” - Alex Ingram, former chief reviewer.
Boot space & practicality
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The Audi Q8 only comes in the one body style, and only as a five-seater. Its rakish rear hatch rules out the possibility of an extra third row of seats, even for kids.
You have to climb up into the Q8 which can be a bit of a stretch, and although you ride marginally lower than in the Audi Q7, the view out of the front is pretty much just as good. Rear visibility is a little less impressive, but there are lots of parking assistance sensors and systems available to help with that.
A vast range of driver sizes can be accommodated thanks to lots of adjustment in the seats and steering column, and there’s loads of storage around the cabin thanks to a big centre console bin, large glovebox and door bins.
Dimensions and size
The is a little bit shorter than the Q7 but there’s not really much in it as it’s still longer than the BMW X6 and Mercedes GLC Coupe.
| Dimensions comparison | |||
| Model | Audi Q8 | BMW X6 | Mercedes GLC Coupe |
| Length | 5,006mm | 4,960mm | 4,764mm |
| Width | 1,705mm | 2,004mm | 1,890mm |
| Height | 1,995mm | 1,700mm | 1,614mm |
| Wheelbase | 3,000 mm | 2,980mm | 2,890mm |
| Boot space | 605 litres | 580 litres | 390 litres |
Seats & passenger space
Fortunately, the Q8’s swoopy roofline doesn’t impinge much on passenger space, as it only dives significantly downwards aft of the rear seats. That means there’s a decent amount of headroom, and the broad width of the car means there’s lots of elbow and shoulder room too. The Q8’s long wheelbase ensures that rear seat passengers aren’t hard done by for legroom either, even if there are tall passengers up front with the seats pushed right back.
Boot space
There’s a big boot lurking beneath the Q8’s tailgate, and at 605 litres its volume is a little larger than the boot in the rival BMW X6. It can’t match the luggage capacity of its seven-seater Q7 stablemate, though, as this way ahead with 770 litres of space.
The Q8’s aggressively sloping tailgate does have quite an impact on the practicality, too, as it means you may struggle to fit large boxy items such as washing machines or furniture. Even bicycles might be a problem, and it’s a long way up to the roof if you need to put them on a rack.
Towing
If you need to hook up a trailer, the petrol-powered Q8 only manages up to 750kg braked, however the diesel can take on a whopping 3,500kg. This is a match with the Mercedes GLE Coupe (provided it has the towing pack fitted), while the BMW X6 can only take on a maximum of 2,700kg.
“Seat-release levers aren’t available in the Audi, so you’ll need to go to the side doors if you want to drop the seat backs. They leave a ramp up from the floor, too.” - Alex Ingram, former chief reviewer.
Reliability & safety
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As you’d expect of an Audi flagship, there’s absolutely loads of safety kit wrapped up in the Q8’s big coupe-SUV body. Audi bundles its safety kit into packages, with the top spec Tour package offering adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, collision avoidance from the front and sides, and the ability to match speed limits via road sign recognition.
There are five systems at play in the city, monitoring cross-traffic front and rear, vehicles approaching from the side, plus exit and lane change warnings. A Park Plus Assist package prevents bumps during low-speed manoeuvres, and will also park the car autonomously.
Like the Q7, with which it shares a platform, the Q8 achieved a full, five-star rating in Euro NCAP’s crash tests back in 2019,, scoring 93 per cent for adult occupant protection and 87 per cent for child protection. However, due to the age of this test, this rating has since expired.
The Audi Q8 didn’t appear in our most recent Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, but the brand finished in a disappointing 19th place out of 31 carmakers in the best car manufacturer rankings. This is a pretty poor performance for any brand, let alone a premium one.
| Euro NCAP safety ratings | |
| Euro NCAP safety rating | Five stars (2019/expired) |
| Adult occupant protection | 93% |
| Child occupant protection | 87% |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 71% |
| Safety assist | 73% |
Buying and owning
- Best buy: Q8 3.0 TDI Quattro 286 S Line
Due to its superior towing ability and slightly reduced thirst for fuel, we think the TDI diesel engine makes more sense in the Q8 than the TFSI petrol. Due to the lack of any full- or plug-in hybrid model, this powertrain is the most efficient (just about), but there’s still more than enough power on tap for most needs. Entry-level S Line trim brings a plentiful list of standard kit, while keeping the price below the dreaded six-figure mark.
Audi Q8 alternatives
Fully-sized premium coupe-SUVs are fairly few and far between, but the Audi Q8’s most direct rivals come from two very traditional competitors. The BMW X6 and Mercedes GLE Coupe have a lot in common with the Audi Q8, so it’s worth taking a look at all three if you’re in the market. If you like the Audi Q8 but need something a bit more sensible, the Audi Q7 offers even more space as it forgoes the curvaceous styling in favour of a more traditional boxy SUV body.
If you’re keen on improving your green credentials, there are some electric coupe-SUVs to be found, although these are a bit less fancy than the Audi Q8. On the plus side, though, they’re also less expensive. The Skoda Enyaq Coupe vRS is one of the fancier options here, and it offers an appealing blend of performance and eye-catching style.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Audi Q8 gets the same warranty as everything else in the line-up, which means you’re covered for three-years but only 60,000 miles. BMW’s standard warranty is also three years, but you’re covered for unlimited mileage.
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