2025 Audi Q8

For those who have grown beyond the need for a 3-row SUV, the Q8 is a comfortable, safe, and luxuriously spacious choice. The Q8’s brand prestige, elegant exterior design, and classy cabin make it the passion-driven choice among the Audi flagship SUV line, especially in sporty SQ8 or very sporty RS Q8 forms.

Based on the Q7, which does sport three rows of seats, the Q8’s cabin is roomy in the front and rear rows. The Q8 variant focuses on comfort, while the SQ8 and RS Q8 add increasing touches of track-themed style and feel to the interior as well as the equipment list.

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

The headline news for 2025 is the addition of the RS Q8 Performance (styled “RS Q8 performance” by Audi), a 631-horsepower, even-higher-performance variant that replaces the standard RS Q8. The new model also gets an updated exterior design, new lightweight forged wheels, ceramic brakes, and adaptive air suspension.

All versions of the Audi Q8 now get traffic sign recognition as standard equipment. The SQ8 also gets a range of minor appearance and feature adjustments, including standard LED interior lighting on all trim levels.

Going forward driver and front passenger seat memory and massage functions are standard on the Q8 Prestige trim. The SQ8 also gets two new appearance packages, one with carbon fiber accents and one with red accents.

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 (high $70s) is a bit more expensive. Starting at more than $81,000, the new Genesis GV80 Coupe is a bit pricier still, but it provides more standard equipment. The Cayenne is the priciest of the group, starting in the low $90s. If you like the Q8 but want 3-row seating, check out the more affordable Audi Q7, which starts in the low $60s. The new range-topping RS Q8 Performance starts at $137,495, about on par with the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe.

Before you buy 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 typically about the same as other vehicles in its class. Keep in mind that the better the resale value, the more you will have to put down on a new vehicle.

The base Audi Q8 gets a 335-horsepower turbocharged V6 good for 5.6-second 0-60-mph runs. That’s solid performance for a sizable luxury SUV, and competitive with the BMW X6, which is about 0.3 seconds quicker in xDrive40i form.

Where the Q8 is focused on comfort while retaining rapidity, the SQ8 takes sportiness up several notches, with its 500-hp output and more precise handling.

The new RS Q8 Performance turns the knob to 11, with a super sports car-like 3.4-second zero-to-60 mph dash and 631 hp on tap–40 horsepower more than last year’s RS Q8. Rivals like the BMW X6 M Competition, Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S, and Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT are sharper handling, but that doesn’t make the RS Q8 any less entertaining.

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 gets 19 mpg combined (17 city/23 hwy), 5 mpg less than the competitive BMW X6, and 2 mpg less than the competitive Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe.

The SQ8 nets 17 mpg combined (15 city, 21 hwy), and the even higher-performance RS Q8 takes 1 mpg off each of those figures for 16 mpg combined (14 city/20 hwy). Those numbers are about on par with the BMW X6 M and the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S.

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

With only five seats to fit into the cabin, the Q8 has plenty of space for every seating position. The Q8’s rear-seat passengers get 40.2 inches of legroom, about 5 inches more than the BMW X6’s rear seat offers or about 1.5 inches more than the Genesis GV80 Coupe’s.

Cargo space, however, is somewhat more limited. The Q8 gets 60.7 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down or 30.5 cubic feet with the rear seat 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 are obstructed by the wide rear roof pillars. That can make it tricky to back up safely and accurately. Fortunately the Q8 comes with standard blind-spot monitoring, and can be configured with surround-view cameras.

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

As far as coupe-SUVs go, the Q8’s interpretation is a bit milder than some, with a raked but not too steep roofline that preserves a bit more 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, the system is also intuitive to use.

Animated Matrix-design LED headlights
This standard feature automatically adapts the headlight beam to keep your headlights out of oncoming drivers’ eyes while also maximizing the lighted area ahead. They 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 the excellent 17-speaker, 730-watt sound system from Bang & Olufsen, which is available with the Premium Plus and Prestige trims.

360-degree camera system
If you want to minimize the Q8’s rearward blind spots, opting for this system shows a complete view of the Q8’s surroundings, 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, is even more helpful when maneuvering.

Luxurious adaptive air suspension
For the most elegant ride quality, choose the Q8 Prestige trim, which gets this adaptive air suspension system as standard equipment. In addition to ride quality, the system improves cornering composure and helps aerodynamics by lowering the vehicle at speed.

The 2025 Audi Q8 is the entry point to the Q8 family, all of which get standard quattro all-wheel drive (AWD) and an 8-speed automatic transmission. The Q8 55 gets a turbocharged V6 engine with 335 hp, capable of slinging the Q8 from a stop to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds.

Step up to the SQ8 and its 500-hp turbocharged V8 and you’ll get even more grins and a 4-second zero-to-60 mph time. At the top of the Q8’s powertrain range is the RS Q8 Performance, a 631-hp beast 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 luxury car manufacturers.

Safety Ratings

The Audi Q8 scored a maximum 5-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Moreover, it 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.