Used 2022 Audi Q8

The 2022 Audi Q8 is the flagship SUV of the Audi lineup, meaning the best of the best in performance and luxury. It’s a 5-seater midsize SUV with a sloping roofline that gives it a coupe-like look with the performance to back up its sporty appearance. That sloped roof does cut into the cargo area a bit, but doesn’t interfere with the roomy seating for front and rear occupants.

The interior of the Q8 is a pleasant place to be with top-notch design and materials. The tech features are as modern as you’ll find in any new car and they’re well designed to be user-friendly for the driver. The driver will also be enjoying the engaging performance that comes with every Q8, especially if you have the means to upgrade to the V8-powered SQ8 or even higher-powered RS Q8.

The Audi Q8 drives in a way that’s characteristic of the Audi brand. It delivers upscale luxury and engaging dynamics with little compromise. This crossover is a bit of a chameleon that can adapt to whatever style of driving you’d like. This is thanks to the selectable drive modes (Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, and Individual). It adds up to a luxury SUV that’s smooth and comfortable on the daily drive and powerful and engaging when you want to have some fun.

The Q8 has the sharp and precise steering of a smaller sports car. Part of the reason this SUV handles so well is the standard quattro all-wheel-drive (AWD) system that delivers 60% of the engine’s power to the rear wheels. This carefully engineered power delivery system keeps the Q8 composed when driven hard in the corners, but it still can’t shake the fact that it’s a midsize SUV that weighs a little over 5,000 lbs.

The standard turbocharged V6 engine in the Audi Q8 will be more than sufficient for most drivers in the market for a midsize luxury SUV. However, if you’re buying a Q8 because you want a luxury crossover that’s also a blast to drive, you’ll be interested in upgrading to the twin-turbo V8-powered SQ8. Other performance upgrades on top of the bigger engine include bigger brakes and S-tuned air suspension with all-wheel steering.

Finally, if you have a six-digit budget, consider the even more powerful Audi RS Q8. The RS model upgrades performance even further with almost 600 horsepower. However, it’s hard to justify the price since its list of features is similar to the much lower-priced Q8 Prestige.

Audi has spent decades developing a reputation for crafting some of the finest interiors in the highly competitive luxury car world. That well-earned reputation is on full display in the Audi Q8. As the brand’s flagship SUV, the Q8 has an exquisite interior with an attractive design, high-quality materials, and user-friendly tech features.

Infotainment systems that use multiple screens are hit or miss, and the one in the Audi Q8 is definitely a hit. This is a well-designed system with a 10.1-inch upper screen for phone connectivity, navigation, and audio. The 8.6-inch lower screen is for functions normally delegated to buttons like climate control. The lower screen can also be used for hand-written commands, which works surprisingly well.

The seats in the Q8 are roomy and comfortable in both rows. A standard panoramic sunroof contributes to an airy feeling in the cabin. Sometimes the SUV “coupe” design results in tight headroom for back-seat passengers, but that’s not the case in the adult-friendly second row of the Q8.

One of our only gripes about this interior is that the cargo area is a little tight for an SUV this size. That’s because the sloping roofline cuts into the cargo area, sacrificing utility for style. If that’s a tradeoff you’re willing to make, then the compromised cargo space probably won’t bother you.

Audi has been getting a little more adventurous in the exterior design of its SUVs in the past few years. That new attitude is evidenced by the body of the Audi Q8. This is one Audi that no one will accuse of looking boring thanks to its bold, hexagonal grille, sharp light signature, and muscular body lines.

Sometimes SUV “coupes” can look a little goofy toward the back, but Audi kept the sloping roof of the Q8 relatively subtle, yet decidedly sporty. The various paint colors and wheel designs make the Q8 pop even more.

The look of the Q8 changes a bit depending on which model you go with. For example, the SQ8 has a new-for-2022 SQ8 Carbon Optic package, which adds carbon fiber mirror housings, door inlays, and rear diffuser trim. Upgrading to the RS Q8 gives this SUV the attitude of a supercar with less chrome, more black, and an intimidating stance.

Adaptive Air Suspension with All-Wheel Steering

The sophisticated adaptive air suspension system bundles in all-wheel steering to make the Q8 both sportier and more comfortable. It’s an option on the Q8 and standard on the SQ8 and RS Q8.

Audi Virtual Cockpit

One of our favorite features of any Audi model is the Audi Virtual Cockpit, which comes standard on the Q8. Virtual Cockpit turns the whole gauge cluster into a customizable screen that can show you everything you want to see and nothing you don’t want to see.

The base Q8 Premium is so well-equipped that it’s the model that makes the most sense for most drivers shopping in this segment. Standard equipment includes leather seats (heated in front), tri-zone automatic climate control, a dual-screen infotainment system with navigation, Audi Virtual Cockpit, a panoramic sunroof, LED headlights, adaptive suspension, and much more.

Standard driver assistance technology on every Q8 includes forward and reverse automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, and automatic high beams.

The Q8 is available in Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trims. The SQ8 is available in Premium Plus or Prestige, and the RS Q8 only has one trim, which is equipped similarly to the Q8 Prestige.

Upgrading to Premium Plus brings in more luxury and tech features including adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, active lane assist, Bang & Olufsen premium audio, ambient LED lighting, a heated steering wheel, and an available Executive Package that adds HD Matrix headlights, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, rear sunshades, and leather-wrapped armrests.

The Prestige model has all of the features of Premium Plus with the Executive Package and adds adaptive air suspension and a head-up display.

The SQ8 Premium Plus and Prestige models are equipped similarly to their Q8 counterparts. The big difference is the upgrade to the V8 engine, bigger brakes, and standard S-tuned adaptive air suspension with all-wheel steering.

The RS Q8 has even more power than the Q8 and has feature content similar to the Q8 Prestige, but has some unique available options like its own Executive Package with traffic sign recognition and intersection assist and an RS-design package.

The 2022 Audi Q8 is available with a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 or a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8. There are two different iterations of the V8. There’s the milder and more affordable SQ8 and the more powerful and more expensive RS Q8. Most drivers will be more than content with the V6, but enthusiasts with a big budget will be very interested in the more raucous V8. Every version of the Q8 has an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters and quattro all-wheel drive.

3.0-liter turbocharged V6 (Q8)
335 horsepower @ 5,000-6,400 rpm
369 lb-ft of torque @ 1,370-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/23 mpg

4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 (SQ8)
500 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
568 lb-ft of torque @ 2,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 15/21 mpg

4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 (RS Q8)
591 horsepower
590 lb-ft of torque
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 13/19 mpg