question on buying q8
 

Would love some advice from Q8 owners who have been in the cars for a bit. I am shortly coming off '18 q7 on short lease. Really, really like that car - very comfortable and well designed car imo. Better than my prior car, x5. LOVE the look of the q8, but have two questions...FIRST - is the lag on the start / stop issue a real deal killer out of the box? I don't have this issue on my Q7 so surprised to hear it on this forum (not worried about slight hesitation on jamming down the gas, i get that now with the q7, but i am talking about the reported 2-3 second lag when trying to make a left turn across traffic!). This really scares me especially with wife and teenage kids borrowing car. SECOND - how is the transition to touch screen mmi. I am really used to having a scroll wheel by the gear shift - i just love that design it is so incredibly easy and intuitive to use while driving - and I am worried that constantly having to reach over to screen to change anything, music tracks and sirius stations mostly, will be a distraction and hard to get used to. Any real world experience advice that it is great or a step back would be be nice. If i don't get q8 will very likely go back to x5. Seemingly very good reviews on new model, scroll wheel option along with touch screen, and no problems reported where you might stall out with oncoming traffic. No q8 design though.

Thanks for any advice!

Can’t give you an opinion between a Q7 and Q8 transition. However, I had the new model Volvo XC90 with its touch screen interface. I find that the Audi MMI is intuitive and greatly benefits from the dual screen approach. In this way here are controls always available directly on a screen. Whereas in the Volvo you sometimes had to swipe the main tablet to open the activity you wanted operate (eg audio, climate, Nav). The haptic feedback is a big plus as well on the Audi. I do not find that the screen approach is dangerous. Recognizing many controls can be altered via voice and the steering wheel as well.

As to the lag issue, there is an entire thread on this. Polarizing perspectives. I think much of it is due to the price point of the Q8 than the actual safety risk. At this price point I think there are expectations for instant response in all drive modes.

my personal opinion is that an owner should understand the Normal setting was created by Audi for gas mileage standards. The Q8 performs as it should in Sport mode, which is triggered by a simple double pull on the gear selector. Yes, it would nice to set it in Sport as the base setting at startup, but that is not an option.

best answer is to go drive one. I love mine after my first month.

We went from our 2013 Q7 to the new Q8 so had 6+ years of using the old style MMI and were very used to it so still getting used to the new touch screens. I think the touch pad and wheel is easier to use and less distracting than the pure touch screen while driving but the new MMI can do so much more and looks great. The voice controls also work very well and you can do lots changes using VC and don't have to take your hands of the wheel at all.

Don't have any of the 2-3 sec lag issues that some have seen, car is very responsive and handles well for its size. I would say test drive the one you are going to buy before you get it to make sure it does not have a lag issue.

I had a 2017 Q7 and a 2018 Q7 before moving to the Q8. I loved both of the Q7's but I don't regret the move to the Q8 at all. I think the lag on start / stop would be a deal killer for me going forward EXCEPT that by disabling the "feature" the issue goes away. Annoying to have to turn off the feature everytime i start the vehicle, but after a week or so, it became almost automatic. I don't even think about it anymore i just do it, most of the time. Should not have to do this in a vehicle this expensive. I know I will not buy another Q8 if this issue persists, well unless they decided to ship a big diesel to the U.S. then I could forgive a lot. :)

I like the touch screens, they look great and the function well. It was not hard for me to adjust coming from the Q7. If you don't have the map in the virtual cockpit, you can do most anything that you need to do while driving there. But I admit that may be me, generally once i start driving down the road i don't find the need to make too many ajustments.

If it counts for anything, I just picked up a Q9 Prestige for my wife today and put roughly 75 miles on her. I read all about this throttle lag concerns on this board and I have to be honest, we didnt experience ANY of it and trust me, I TRIED to make it happen. The drive is just absolutely amazing from A-Z! So again, it could be a bad few, some say it how some of the folks actually drive it...Who knows? But so far so good for us! Its a little perspective but its perspective...Hope this helps!

They make Q9s now?!? Man, I'm way behind.

Oh my...A little too quick on the keyboard! Q8 is what I was supposed to type...I guess my friend Jack Daniels didn't help too much either although Im hopeful to one day own a Q9 provided they make one! Cheers!

Would the Q9 be a 2 door??

No, I think I saw somewhere it would be a 7 door with 11 person seating....🥴