2025 Audi Q8 Review and Test Drive
This sporty coupelike luxury SUV requires few compromises.
Mark Takahashi
The 2025 Audi Q8 comes in Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trim levels, and base prices range from the mid-$70,000s to the low $80,000s, including the destination charge to ship the SUV from the Bratislava, Slovakia, factory that builds it to your local dealership.
For this 2025 Q8 review, I test-drove the Q8 Prestige in Southern California. Optional equipment highlights included the Luxury and Black Optic packages and a high-end Bang & Olufsen audio system, contributing to a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $101,090, including the $1,295 destination charge. Audi provided the vehicle for this Q8 review.
Mark Takahashi
Is the 2025 Audi Q8 a Good SUV?
The Audi Q8 distinguishes itself from typical SUVs with its edgy and modern styling while delivering plenty of comfort, technology, and cargo space. Performance is more than adequate, leaving room for more power and sharper handling from its SQ8 and RS Q8 siblings. It's an admirable choice among other coupelike SUVs that include the BMW X6, Mercedes-Benz GLE coupe, and Porsche Cayenne coupe.
Mark Takahashi
The Q8 Has the Style and Space to Satisfy Both Sides of Your Brain
If you took the more conventional Audi Q7 to a custom body shop, slashed the rear roof pillars and back window at an angle, lowered the ride height, and expanded the width by about an inch, you'd end up with something close to the Audi Q8.
As a result, the Q8 has a more expressive silhouette and athletic stance than the family-friendly Q7. Audi accents the taut bodywork with sharp-edged creases and facets that lend a more futuristic appearance while remaining tasteful and refined. Inside, echoes of the angular exterior blend with a distinctly tech-forward style, with a digital instrument panel and two glossy central touchscreens that flow into a wide center console.
Quality is top notch, and the smooth premium leather upholstery has a welcoming scent that reminds me of a pricey handbag store on Los Angeles' famed Rodeo Drive. With the all-black interior palette, the test model's cabin has a serious and understated tone. Opting for the brown or light tan upholstery gives the cabin a warmer and lighter feel.
Mark Takahashi
Build quality felt excellent, with a sturdy underlying construction devoid of creaks and flex. I'm not a fan of the piano-black plastic on the dashboard and console, however, as it creates distracting reflections and attracts dust and smudges. The silver metallic buttons also created some retina-searing glare in the midday sun. I did appreciate the placement of those buttons, though, and the touchscreens are within easy reach.
The front seats are firmly cushioned but well shaped for many hours of comfortable driving. In the top Prestige trim, the standard massage functions further reduce fatigue, making me forget about my aching lower back for at least a while.
Unlike most other coupe SUVs I've driven, the Q8 doesn't suffer drastically reduced rear headroom or cargo space. There's enough headroom to comfortably accommodate 6-foot-tall passengers, delivering slightly more space than some of its primary rivals. Behind those seats, the cargo area can hold up to 30.5 cubic-feet of luggage, which is comparable in this class.
Mark Takahashi
The Audi Q8 Is Bolstered by a Smart Use of Intuitive Technology
The Q8's infotainment system deserves praise for its sharp graphics, logical menus, and quick responses, but as with anything, there is room for improvement. The system needs only a few seconds to boot up, but the wireless Apple CarPlay requires almost a minute longer. A wireless charging pad in the center armrest bin keeps your smartphone secure, and the system will remind you that the phone is there when you park.
Audi positions the main infotainment touchscreen in the center of the dashboard, making it slightly more distracting to operate than locating it higher and within the driver's sightline. The native system features large on-screen buttons for easy use, but in Apple CarPlay, some buttons are much smaller and require attention to select.
The lower touchscreen display controls the climate functions and a few secondary systems. The lack of physical knobs or levers means you'll need to take your eyes off the road to make adjustments, but thankfully haptic clicks confirm your inputs. Natural voice commands bypass many on-screen functions and can be accessed by simply saying something like, "Hey Audi, turn on seat ventilation." A few seconds later, the system obliges.
Mark Takahashi
As an admitted audiophile, I think the $4,900 Bang & Olufsen Advanced 3D audio system is well worth the money. Paired with a quiet cabin, I was able to hear the kind of detail expected from premium headphones, along with powerful bass that can be felt. The tweeter speakers also emerge from the dashboard top, adding a subtle ritual at startup.
The Q8 comes with all of the typical safety features and driver assistants expected of a luxury SUV, and I found them well tuned to eliminate false alarms. The adaptive cruise control combined with lane-keeping assist reduces driver fatigue, whether on the open road or in bumper-to-bumper traffic. I'd suggest skipping the pricey night vision system option since you must watch the instrument panel instead of the road ahead for it to be effective.
Mark Takahashi
The Q8 Balances Comfort With Performance
A turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid assist system powers all Audi Q8 models. The combined output measures 335 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, delivered to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Upon initial acceleration, you'll experience a brief ramp-up of power before the SUV begins to move with authority. That little pause makes the Q8 feel a bit lazy when you really need to hustle from a stop, but selecting the Sport drive mode noticeably improves response.
The brake pedal has an appropriate amount of effort and makes it easy to come to a smooth stop while also instilling confidence when you need to slow down in a hurry. The steering is well weighted and precise. With the test model's optional all-wheel-steering system, cornering is sinuously smooth, but in tight parking spots, it doesn't yield the maneuverability to eliminate multipoint turns.
Mark Takahashi
On the serpentine roads above Malibu, the Q8 ably navigates each bend but doesn't encourage drivers to explore the vehicle's performance capabilities. The suspension favors a smooth ride over sporty cornering, which, in my opinion, is what most shoppers are seeking from a midsize luxury SUV.
Sport mode firms up the suspension for reduced body roll but doesn't fundamentally change the Q8's capabilities. For the enthusiast driver willing to sacrifice some comfort, the 500-hp Audi SQ8 and 591-hp Audi RS Q8 are worth checking out.
The EPA estimates the Q8 will return 17/23/19 mpg in city/highway/combined driving. That's identical to the base Porsche Cayenne Coupe and marginally less than estimates for the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, but the BMW X6 beats it by 5 mpg in combined driving. However, in my time with the Q8, I averaged a surprisingly satisfying 23.4 mpg in city and highway driving.
Mark Takahashi
The 2025 Audi Q8 strikes an optimal balance between luxurious comfort and confident performance. With attractive styling throughout, plenty of smart technology, and minimal sacrifices to space, it's an accomplished coupelike luxury SUV with broad appeal.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Mark TakahashiThere's no such thing as a perfect car, but I'm convinced that there is a perfect car for you. That's why I've spent the last two decades reviewing every type of vehicle I could get my hands on. From economy hatchbacks to high-performance sports cars and pickup trucks to family SUVs, I've driven them all. I aim to deliver the most comprehensive evaluation possible so you can see for yourself which vehicle is likely to be the best fit for your life and budget.
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