2025 Audi Q8

For those who have grown beyond needing a 3-row premium SUV, the Q8 is a comfortable, safe, and luxuriously spacious choice. The Q8’s prestige, elegant exterior design, and classy cabin make it the passion-driven choice among the Audi flagship SUV line.

Based on the Q7 (which sports three rows of seats), the Q8’s cabin is roomy in both rows. The sporty SQ8 and high-performance RS Q8 are each reviewed separately.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of midsize luxury SUVs, including the Audi Q8.

All versions of the 2025 Audi Q8 now come with road sign recognition as standard. Driver and front passenger-seat memory and massage functions become standard in the Q8’s Prestige trim.

The 2025 Audi Q8 is near the sharp end of the luxury SUV realm, with equally world-class competition, including the BMW X6, Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, and Porsche Cayenne Coupe. The BMW starts around the same price as the Audi, while the Mercedes-Benz is a bit pricier. Starting at more than $81,000, the new Genesis GV80 Coupe is spendy, but provides more standard equipment. The Cayenne is the most costly of the group, starting in the low-$90,000 region. Offering greater thrills and bills, the new range-topping RS Q8 Performance starts at $137,495, about on par with the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe. If you like the Q8 but want 3-row seating, check out the more approachable Audi Q7, starting at the low-$60,000 bracket.

Before buying a Q8 luxury SUV, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. The Audi Q8’s resale value is about the same as that of other vehicles in its class. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

The base Audi Q8 employs a 335-horsepower turbocharged V6, enabling a 5.5-second sprint time from zero to 60 mph. That’s solid performance for a sizable luxury SUV, and competitive with the BMW X6, which is about a third of a second quicker in xDrive40i form.

Beyond its innate sportiness, the Q8 is also comfortable, with a supple ride quality and supportive seats. It would make a fine road tripper, provided you don’t mind the fuel economy.

Fuel Economy

While the cost of a gallon of gas (or how far it will take you) is likely low on the list of priorities of an Audi Q8 owner, it’s still a relevant point of comparison. The base Q8 55 achieves 19 mpg combined (17 city/23 hwy), five less than the competitive BMW X6 and two less than the competitive Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe.

Audi has earned a reputation for gorgeous, well-made interiors; the Q8 is yet another example. Clean, futuristic, and without any gimmickry in its design or functions, the Q8’s cabin is a place of welcome, comfort, luxury, and high-tech features.

With only five seats in the cabin, the Q8 has plenty of space for every seating position. The Q8’s rear passengers have 40.2 inches of legroom, about five more than the BMW X6 offers, or about 1.5 inches more than the Genesis GV80 Coupe.

The Q8 provides 60.7 cubic feet of cargo area with the rear seats folded down, or 30.5 cubic feet with those seats upright. That’s about the same as the GV80 Coupe and a few cubic feet more than the BMW X6.

Our only complaint about the Q8’s interior is its outward sight lines, which the wide rear pillars obstruct. That can make it tricky to back up safely and accurately. Fortunately, the Q8 has standard blind-spot monitoring and can be configured with surround-view cameras.

Crisp, clean, elegant design has been the hallmark of Audi’s exterior design for many years, and the Q8 is a fantastic example. Design revisions for last year brought subtle updates.

As far as coupe-like SUVs go, the Q8’s interpretation is a bit milder than some. Its raked yet not too steep roof line preserves quite a bit of utility.

This year sees no changes to the appearance or exterior packages.

Virtual Cockpit Plus
Audi was one of the pioneers of the screen-based digital instrument cluster, and Virtual Cockpit Plus remains one of the best systems. Fully configurable and customizable, we’ve also found the system intuitive to use.

Animated Matrix-design LED headlights
This standard feature automatically adapts the headlight beams to keep out of oncoming drivers’ eyes while maximizing the illuminated area ahead. The headlights can also project animated patterns on walls when parked — a fun party trick.

Bang & Olufsen audio
Take advantage of the Q8’s quiet cabin with this excellent 17-speaker,730-watt sound system from Bang & Olufsen, which is available with the Premium Plus and Prestige trims.

360-degree camera system
This field of view shows the complete surroundings of the Q8, minimizing the rearward blind spots, and making it much easier and safer to park or negotiate obstacles. This feature is standard in the Premium Plus and Prestige trims.

Remote Park Assist Plus
This self-parking feature for parallel and perpendicular spaces, available at the Prestige level, perfectly complements a luxury SUV of the Q8’s size.

Adaptive air suspension
For the most refined ride quality, choose the Q8 Prestige trim, which has this adaptive air suspension system as standard equipment. It also improves cornering composure and helps aerodynamics by lowering the vehicle at speed.

Every 2025 Audi Q8 comes standard with all-wheel drive (AWD) and an 8-speed automatic transmission. The Q8 55 uses a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that develops 335 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque and can accelerate from a standstill to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds.

The SQ8’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 makes 500 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque, hitting 60 mph in four seconds. At the top of the Q8’s powertrain range is the RS Q8 Performance, with 631 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, and capable of 3.4-second zero-to-60-mph runs.

4-Year/50,000-Mile Warranty

Audi’s new-car warranty lasts four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. That’s a typical warranty period for European luxury car manufacturers.

Safety Ratings

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the Audi Q8 a maximum 5-Star overall safety rating. It also received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest score of Good on the three tests performed. Standard safety equipment includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.