2022 Audi Q8 Expert Review

The Audi Q8 is a little different than your typical luxury SUV. Sporting a raked roof, the Q8 mixes practicality and style in equal measure. It competes in a niche class with other " SUV coupes " including the BMW X6, Porsche Cayenne Coupe, and Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class Coupe.

What's New

Premium trim gets new standard features including 21-inch wheels with all-season tires; heated, auto-dimming, and power folding mirrors with memory function; rear side airbags; and direct tire pressure monitoring system
Premium Plus trim receives adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist and lane keep assist with emergency assist
Executive package for Premium Plus trim now features a leather package, ventilated front seats, and rear sunshades
Prestige trim receives an adaptive air suspension, leather package that extends to the armrests
All-wheel steering added as a standalone option on the Prestige trim
New equipment on the SQ8, including Carbon Optic package with carbon accents, black exterior trim, and 22-inch gray wheels

What We Think

The Q8 is considered Audi's flagship SUV, although it doesn't feel a step above the Q7 like it should. We have mixed opinions about the drive experience. Some editors praise the Q8 for its composed ride and good body control, but others think it needs a little refinement. In a First Test, we complimented the Q8's "stout launch" off the line from 0-60 mph, but summed up its handling this way: It's "not exactly dripping with personality, but it gets the job done."

If you're looking for an emotional drive experience, the Q8 might not be for you (although the RS Q8 kicks things up a notch). When we drove that 591-hp hunk, we were impressed with its sky-high levels of traction and acceleration, but it never felt anything but huge and the ride is too busy for our liking.

Overall, the interior is spacious and elegant, but material quality in a few places could be better. As with some other Audis, the Q8 has a sleek dual screen setup in the center of the dashboard. The fully digital instrument cluster, called the Audi Virtual Cockpit, features sharp graphics and contributes to the cabin's high-tech feel. We just wish the whole vehicle was as refined as the interior technologies.

Performance and Fuel Economy

Every Q8 model features a 48-volt mild hybrid system, and an eight-speed automatic transmission routing power to all four wheels.

Packing a 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine and mild hybrid system good for 335 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, the Audi Q8 reaches 60 mph in an MT-tested 5.7 seconds. The SQ8 ups the ante with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 producing 500 hp and 568 lb-ft. Finally, the RS Q8 uses that V-8 to deliver 591 hp and 590 lb-ft. The highest-output version of the Q8 sprints from 0-60 mph in just 3.7 seconds according to our instrumented testing.

Fuel economy on the 2022 Audi Q8 is 18/23 mpg city/highway, the 2022 SQ8 is rated at 15/21 mpg, while the RS Q8 gets only 13/19 mpg.

Audi Q7 vs. Q8: What's the Difference?

You may think that the Q8 is more luxurious than the Q7 given that it's Audi's flagship SUV, but that's not necessarily the case. In past reviews, we argue that the Q8 isn't any plusher than its Audi sibling.

The Q8 is based on the Q7, but it features a sportier raked roof exterior design and five seats instead of seven. Both SUVs offer a 3.0-liter six-cylinder with 335 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, although the Q8 doesn't have a four-cylinder option like the Q7. Even when equipped with the same engine, the Q8 carries a significant price markup against the Q7.

Cargo Space and Interior Room

When it comes to cargo space and legroom, the Audi Q8 bests the BMW X6.

Cargo space (behind first/second rows):

Q8: 60.7/30.5 cubic feet

X6: 59.6/27.4 cubic feet

Legroom (first/second rows):

Q8: 41.6/40.2 inches

X6: 40.4/35.7 inches

Safety Ratings and Features

The 2022 Audi Q8 received partial ratings from the NHTSA. It scored five stars in the frontal crash and rollover tests. The IIHS gave the 2022 Q8 a Top Safety Pick award, earning Good scores in all crash categories.

Standard safety features on the Q8 include automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and auto high beams.

Technology

Contributing to the Q8's stylish cabin is a sleek dual screen setup. This standard feature includes an upper touchscreen for infotainment functions and a lower touchscreen for climate controls. Audi's 12.3-inch instrument cluster display, called the Audi Virtual Cockpit, is also standard on the Q8.

Recommended Trim

If you can spend the extra coin, we'd recommend the Premium Plus trim. It nets a few extra goodies over the base model including ventilated front seats, four-zone automatic climate control, a Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system, and handy 360-degree camera. Not to mention the new-for-2022 adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist.

That said, the base Premium trim has abundant standard features including the dual screen infotainment setup, Audi virtual cockpit digital instrument cluster, parking sensors, and panoramic sunroof. Prestige models top the lineup with a head-up display, power soft-closing doors, and a few other indulgences.