markcincinnati

Well, I'm in my mid-60's (as is my wife.) We never even considered a Q7, the alternative to the Q8 was our THIRD SQ5 Prestige and loaded up. We did test drive the X6 even though we thought it would take a super deal on one to even be half-serious. Audi intended the Q8 to appeal to folks who find the X5 and Q7 (and some others) unappealing. The fact that some people cross shop the Q8 with either an X5 or Q7 and (almost predictably) end up with either the X5 or Q7 and then "dump on" the Q8 for whatever reason would probably not surprise Audi marketing managers (brand managers). I'm sure the Q7 and X5 are great cars -- and I'm sure that Audi (the company) want as many customers as they can get into the Q8 fold. However, the Q8 is unlikely to be purchased/lease by someone who is/was in the market (before the Q8 hit the dealers) for either a Q7 or X5. If you were "drawn" to an X5 and went to an Audi dealership to test a Q7 and happen to see the Q8, you might be tempted to take a test drive. But, if you were thinking "Q7" (or X5) initially, it was probably for a reason -- and the reason is that the body style of the X6 and Q8 will probably NOT meet your needs.

I would think a prospect looking for a "boxy" (no offense) SUV is unlikely to go for the Q8 (broadly speaking). My wife, for a split-second, actually thought, "how about a Macan Turbo" NOT a Q7. Then we bought the Q8 -- neither the X5 nor Q7 was seen, even remotely, as an alternative.

15 people (or even 25 or more) replying to this post swearing that they tested the X5 and Q8 (and bought the Q8) might be interesting posts, but the marketing (brand) managers brought the Q8 to fruition as an alternative to the Q7 or X5, not as a competitor to the Q7 (or X5). I have to assume it is more likely that 15 or 25 people will say they tested the X5 and Q8 and bought the X5 (or Q7) -- and this may well have happened -- but I would assume such customers were interested in the "utility" of the X5 (or Q7) not the "function following form" inversion of the oft-used Audi theme of "form follows function." There are exceptions to almost every "rule," All of the publically available information and reviews pertaining to the Q8 seem to suggest the target market for the Q8 is not the same as the target market of the Q7 (or X5). No wrong or right, just different.

I tend to agree that the analog to the Q8 is the A7, FWIW.

GK12345EMAIL

f10

PNW.

riazah

RJC 1

Yup, this is what I've been saying, and have been told all along.

Those who are willing to fork over $85,000-$90,000+ for only YR-1 Q8's will begin fade once the newness of the Q8 wears off....I'd give it 6 mos. The Q8 is a nice vehicle, but not a great vehicle based upon my significant testing of several and in various levels of trim.

angrypengu

Has anyone driven both the Q7 and the Q8 if you live in the US of A?

I believe double glazed windows are available for both cars (versus just the Q8 in Canada). I would not be surprised to learn the Q7 is quieter than the Q8 due to the lack of frameless windows. Perhaps that's why customers are overwhelmingly choosing the Q7?

Just a guess, nothing more.

RJC 1

I have...the double pane glass is available with lux pkg here...the non lux Q8's windows make one hell of a racket moving around in the window seals...the dual pane is more stable and emits less noise. I found the single pane glass in our Q7 to bit a bit thicker than the non-dual pane in the Q8

markcincinnati

We have a P+ Q8 (single pane glass)

We also have a 2018 Prestige S4 (dual pane glass)

I was loaned (for over 10 days) a 2018 A8L.

I have been in numerous cars including a Tesla.

The Q8 (ours, without dual pane glass) is the quietest car (other than the Tesla) I have ever been in, period.

I can assume and imagine that a Prestige Q8 could be quieter, but the P+ allows conversations at speed, it must have pounds and pounds and pounds of sound deadening materials.

Our dealer seems to move $80K versions fairly quickly. The bummer about the base Q8 is the sound system -- it is, uh, "weak" (or lame). At this price point, a crappy stereo is just not expected. Perhaps this is why the base Q8s are not flying off dealer's lots.

P+
Orca Black
Yr-1
CD/DVD player
Cold Weather Package
Driver Assistance Package
Towing package
Black Leather

$79,340

As close as I could configure, a 2019 Cayenne is about $12K more and has a 0-60 performance of 5.9 seconds versus the Q8's 5.6 seconds. The Q8 if another $12K worth of options were added would be just that much better.

The Q8 is the Cayenne Porsche wishes it had.

GK12345EMAIL

Precisely why I chose to order a Prestige Q8 around $91k. The Cayenne is even more expensive, usually has less discounts, and doesn't look anywhere near as nice as the Q8. I looked at the Cayenne S. That would be around $116k. No thanks. A quick search on cars.com found that most Cayenne's within 500 miles of my location are near base models with the Premium Pkg (max 76k MSRP) or then some Turbo models. There were hardly any (16 only) S models listed.

Is the Q8 a cheap car ? No. Would I like to see more features or power at this price ? Definitely. But IMO it is the best stylish SUV out there (if you're not looking for a 3rd row or max space) as of now. Especially if you love a high tech interior.

I never needed a 3rd row, and I now rarely need the luggage space of a "boxy" SUV. If I did, I would keep my Q7 or get the new X5 instead.

RJC 1

Comparing most any vehicle to a Porsche will always yield the same result making the other vehicle look like a bargain so to speak, as Porsche has the highest gross profit margin of ALL mainstream manufacturers