critter6835

I got the chance to drive on of my dealers first Q8s on Friday. It was pretty much loaded except for cold weather, upgraded B&O system and night vision. The car was daytona gray over black. I have been looking for a SUV and really want to stay within the Audi family. The top of my list before driving the Q8 was the SQ5. The Q7 is just too big for me (I really don’t need the third row), I am not a fan of the pop up screen in the dash and don’t care for the supercharged six cylinder in it.

After driving the Q8 I can say it is moved to top of my list and I will be ordering one within the next month (trying to time the arrival to late March). Planning to order a navarra blue over sarder brown with all the boxes checked except for night vision. I am not 100% on the interior color yet. My dealer is getting a sarder brown one in this week that I am going to check out.

A few thoughts for others considering:
Pros

• The exterior looks GREAT. The car looks wide low and mean with the year one package. I haven’t felt this way about an Audi since I first saw the original A7.
• The interior also looks amazing. The new tech and layout makes the SQ5 (and most other Audis) look old and outdated on the inside.
• The new touch screen is very responsive and just like using an iPhone. It works a lot better for things like CarPlay and entering destinations.
• The car seemed to handle well on my short test drive. Very confident and very little roll in corners. Even with the giant wheels the ride was mostly smooth.
• The car is whisper quiet inside. I previously had a S class coupe and thought that car was a vault but the Q8 is on par.

Cons

• While the engine is plenty powerful enough it just feels like the car would benefit from more power. It looks aggressive and fast standing still and needs an engine to match. Looking forward to seeing what kind of power the SQ/RS gets.
• The tops of the doors are soft touch but not leather covered. This seems odd in a ‘8’ level car - especially considering the Q7 can now be had with leather everywhere. It looks especially strange where they butt up to the leather covered dash.
• The normal B&O system seems fine but for my ear was missing some punch - the upgraded system should take care of this.
• Finger prints - so many finger prints! I knew the screens would collect finger prints but didn’t realize how much of the dash and center console is a shiny black surface that will collect finger prints, dash and scratches over time.

Here are some quick iPhone photos I snapped.

BrooklynSQ5

That is gorgeous!! Wow perfectly equipped with that exterior color and those 22" wheels! I've already looked into leasing one but the numbers are currently pretty crappy. I'll wait to the rates and residuals get better and see where they shake out.

bh1969

You nailed the cons. I also didn't like that the cupholders didn't have a cover and the plastic door tops were really strange to me. I test drove one over the weekend along with the new X5. The Q8 is a really nice car. Comparing it to the new X5, hard to say Audi has the best or most up to date technology any more. The all electronic dash does look cool and nice, but the Audi lacks on parking assists (unless I am totally missing it on the website and when we drove it). While it used to seem that Audi had more technology and better pricing than its competition, the X5 comes in with all the driver assist packages and its V6 has more umph to it than the Q8, which leads to the con of the engine seeming a little small for the car. Add on that the luxury package gets upgraded leather and massaging seats at $6K, where it is only $2.5K for the BMW, along with some of the extras like parking assist, remote start, heated/cooled cupholders in the BMW makes me think the Q8 is overpriced for what you get. Even without the luxury package in the Q8, you still get more technology with the X5. Seems Audi likes the gimmicky all electronic dash to claim technological superiority.

Really enjoyed the drive and may very well get the Q8, but I will need to rationize away some things that I like in the X5. May come down to pricing and discounts for me. I always feel the same way with the Cayenne, it's a great car but can't justify paying more for worse performance and features. Others may, which is why it will be interesting to see where pricing stabilizes on the Q8. Not meaning for this to sound like a negative post, because it is a fabulous car, just has competition from the new Cayenne, X5, GLE, Range Rover. Great time to be looking at these new cars.

kelisko

Thanks for the detailed review. Very much appreciated!
I'm not an SUV guy, but this, I want!

ven7782

Test drove the new X5 and I loved it. Yet to test drive the Q8. I am also deciding between the X5 and Q8. As you said, X5 offers more for less price. I am also getting a 6% discount on the new X5 plus $1500 cash back. It will eventually come down to price/features.

markcincinnati

Contrarian perspective: I wouldn' take the car with the leather dash if you PAID me $1,250 -- putting in the Prestige package was a decision made by WHOM?

The Q7 has a luxury package option -- the Q8 needs such a package for those who would pay for a leather dash. We picked up our new Q8 P+ with:

Premium Plus
Orca Black
First Year Package
Cold Weather
Towing
CD/DVD player
Driver assistance package
Black leather
Audi beam rings

$79,340 MSRP (not including 7% sales tax.)

Added AudiCare
Subtracted $2,000 discount and $12,500 trade in equity from a 2018 SQ5 Prestige.

I'd personally want the brown interior, but this is EXACTLY what my wife wanted -- the thing is quieter than anything (other than a Tesla) that I've ever been in, including an A8.

This makes our 34th Audi -- and, I must say, best Audi yet. Of course, I still love my "young" 2018 S4 Prestige.

Thank god you can get the red calipers -- they are offered "stand alone."

The red caliper equipped versions, go faster, as if you didn't already know that.

Jesse.d

TheTurtleBoy

Why do you say that? I have never seen a leather dashboard that I can remember so I don't have any experience with them. Are they harder to maintain? Not look as good? etc?

markcincinnati

Leather over time (in the blazing sun no less) fades and simply looks (to me) terrible. Of course, if the leather is cared for, it will likely be good for years. The place for leather is in a luxury package -- putting in the Prestige package was probably done because they didn't have anything else they could think of that would be good in the Prestige trim. It can be had as a stand-alone option, but the HUD can't be had without paying for leather on the dash.

I just wish AoA would unbundle things thus allowing the customers more flexibility in the cars.

If YOU want a leather dash, that is OK with me, it's your car, after all.

I'm just expressing my opinion. Until this Q8, I was not a fan of black interiors -- somehow in the Q8 the black leather manages to pull off an airy and open feel, even with the sunroof closed.

In any case, it is my wife's car 95% of the time, I drive an S4. I really like both of these cars -- in fact, I love the Q8, I wish it had a skosh more power since it's an $80,000 dollar car and it's the flagship.

I'd simply want Audi to allow the customers to option the cars as they want even if it is a bit more expensive.

Getting Prestige is a good thing, overall. The leather dash is a pet peeve of mine. Let it pass. I will.

TheTurtleBoy

Thanks for the explanation, I understand what you are saying.