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So my Q8 finally arrived and I picked it up late last week. First, I wanted to thank everyone on this board for helpful feedback and great pics/posts to hold me over lol. As soon as I picked it up I had the front windows tinted to match the rears and had the amber light section tinted (below the main headlight). Here are my observations after just a week.
The Good:
1) The car looks amazing!! It looks like a NASA spaceship haha! I've seen the Q8 with Year-1 in black, blue, orange, gray, and white. They're all beautiful and you can't go wrong, but tbh it shows off the lines and the contrast with the black optics best in white. It's a beast. Okapi brown looks great also, very classy color.
2) I decided to get the Adaptive Chassis package...highly recommended. The car is comfortable on 22s and looks great when lowered in Dynamic mode. I haven't really noticed the benefit of 4 wheel steering, but perhaps as I drive it more.
3) I'm finding the MMI very easy to use. It was a little irritating the first couple of days, but after learning and customizing it, it works great. Not a single problem with Apple Carplay, works perfect every time. Wireless phone charging heats the phone a bit, but not to the point where I'm concerned.
4) The drive is great. It's like driving a tank, but with agility and some pick-up. I've driven my sister's RRS many times, it's got a similar feeling except this is quicker and has better handling. Of course it could use a little more power as it is a bit labored at times depending on how you're accelerating, but overall it's enough for me given that it's a large SUV. And I'm coming from Audi S cars (S3 & S5).
5) I LOVE...the welcome music...the way the seatbelt tightens once you get moving...how it reminds you that you forgot your phone in the charging compartment again...that your seat moves back when you're getting out of the car...the interior lighting at night...the 3D cameras especially when you're parking/pull out of tight spots...etc. etc. etc.
The Bad:
1) The cup holders are absurdly small. I make a small cup of coffee each morning and drink it on the way to work...it's a small cup. It barely fits, has to be squeezed in. Forget about medium or large cups, not gonna happen lol
2) The MMI does not play music from my ipod...granted it's an older generation one. So I downloaded the music onto a USB and it still doesn't play it since it's still in that format. I don't have a lot of this music in Itunes, so now I have to re-download hundreds of songs.
3) Sometimes the car doesn't turn on from the first time I hit the start button. Anyone notice this? Once every 5 or 6 times, I have to press the button 3 times or so to get the car on...very strange.
4) The front doors are heavy and thus require some serious push to close. I don't have the soft close option (maybe that's on Prestige only?). It's something I won't mind as I get used to closing them daily, but passengers will probably never get used to it.
5) Opening the trunk with your foot does not work regularly. It works every other time for me despite not having the tow hitch (which btw looks great without it).
6) I HATE having to clean the touchscreen daily...that the back window gets dirty quickly...lack of storage...gas consumption currently 14.5 MPG...auto start/stop (though I just turn it off).
Questions:
1) Did anyone notice that the rear tires are supposed to have more air than the front...I think 42 psi vs. 39 or something? Mine were filled up 39 psi all around.
2) The Nav screen in the steering column always zooms out even though I zoom in, is this cutomizable?
3) Again, anyone have to press the start button a few times to get the car on sometimes?
4) Plan on customizing using OBDeleven but don't have any Android device...any ideas?
5) More of an opinion question. Would you upgrade to an SQ8 after owning the Q8? Personally, I would value the upgrade in power/interior at $5K-$10K, so basically not enough to upgrade lol. The exterior will probably look the same as Year-1, and the moderately nicer interior and small upgrade in power just doesn't seem worth it. I think it's a great value at my price point (P+ with 5% discount)....not so much at $90K-$100K.
Congrats! I am a fan of the high contrast route for exterior colors so really like this. For your questions I put the ones I have any input on below:
2) In the map options you can change the auto zoom feature to off and it will stay where you put it - I think on the map screen you hit the button on the wheel that looks like a list and it will bring up options and you can change from there
3) I haven't noticed this in mine at all
5) I initially thought the SQ8 would be a no brainer upgrade but after having the Q8 for a month now I am not so sure. Like you said it will probably be pretty hard to tell a SQ apart from a Q but the potential for hybrid assist or active anti roll bars is appealing. Now I have pretty much moved on to waiting on the RSQ8 where I think the visual and engine upgrades will be more noticeable.
Re: Bad #2: I’m using a 6th generation iPod Touch plugged into one of the USB ports in the center console. Works great. It’s much easier to navigate playlists, artists, etc. with this new touchscreen setup than it was with my 17 Q7.
I know that older iPods (Nano, etc.) wouldn’t work in the new MMI’s in the 4M Q7, B9 A4 & Q5, etc.
Start button always works - of course as long as have foot on brake pedal
The rear kick to open is reliable if you kick in the correct spot - you must kick to the left of the hitch between the notch on the bumper and where it curves down around the fake exhaust. That square between the 2 is where you have to kick.
1) Critter: I'm going to price out an A7 vs S7 vs RS7 and see the price difference to gauge the SQ8 and RSQ8. But I think we're in agreement that the SQ8 may not be enough of an upgrade to justify the increase in price over the Q8. Now if you can swing the RSQ8, that's another story lol. I'll try out the Nav zoom functions, thanks!
2) Everyone: I'm going to pay very careful attention to the start button issue and try to document it. It's very strange. Perhaps I'm not stepping on the brake pedal with enough force sometimes.
3) Coleman: Thanks for the tip, I'll pick up a cheap phone and try that out.
4) Cad: My ipod was an older generation, so I guess I understand why it wouldn't work. I've been downloading songs onto a USB and it's been quite easy to navigate and the sound is great. And it was like $30 for one that fits thousands of songs.
5) Cbl1: I guess I need to perfect my kick, though I've been kicking in the same general area. I'll practice and get back to you lol
6) rahrah: I actually got the chance to see the Q8 in both whites, though one of them was not Year-1. I liked Glacier better and went with it. Good choice. Pictures really don't do it justice.
1) Critter: I'm going to price out an A7 vs S7 vs RS7 and see the price difference to gauge the SQ8 and RSQ8. But I think we're in agreement that the SQ8 may not be enough of an upgrade to justify the increase in price over the Q8. Now if you can swing the RSQ8, that's another story lol. I'll try out the Nav zoom functions, thanks!
A while back while I was waiting for my car (and going crazy) I looked at the price difference between A and S and S and RS cars currently being produced. From that it seems like lit might be 100-115 for the SQ8 and 130-150 for the RS. I was using a pretty maxed out Q8 price though to get to those numbers ($95K). There will probably be other options for the S and RS model that we cant get that will add (like carbon exterior bits and brakes).
Will be interesting to see if they do a RSQ8 and a RSQ8 performance version like they did for the RS7. Take it with a grain of salt but my dealer said RSQ8s in showrooms by end of year - I would bet money that slips into early 2020 though.
3.) Start button - I’ve noticed this a few times in 3K miles. I think it happens coinciding with the brake pedal not depressing at all. The pedal will feel hard as a rock and won’t travel. Very strange.
4.) Get the OBD Tool, lot of really nice upgrades.
03-21-2019, 08:27 AM
The Spaceship Has Landed
