2024 Audi RS Q8: Having it all, but paying a lot for it

2024 Audi RS Q8: Comfortable and fun, but thirsty.

Price: $143,330 as tested. The $3,250 Black Optic Package and $595 orange paint really let people know you are coming. The $2,850 Executive Package made the doors soft close, added acoustic glass, and more. More below.

Conventional wisdom: Car and Driver liked that it “nearly keeps up with the Lamborghini Urus in acceleration, surprisingly smooth ride for a performance vehicle, luxury cabin environs,” but not that it “lacks the auditory drama we expect from a boosted V-8, RS6 Avant wagon is slightly quicker and looks even cooler.”

Marketer’s pitch: “Ignite every sense. The RS Q8 is a flawless blend of practicality, performance, and design. You really can have it all.”

Reality: Can’t really argue with that.

What’s new: The two-row luxury SUV with the angled sporty rear end carries on fairly unchanged since its 2020 debut, as the company still uses that year’s photos in the press material.

But why mess with success?

Competition: Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT, Lamborghini Urus, BMW X5M, Acura MDX Type 5.

Up to speed: The Audi RS Q8 is all about getting up to speed. Floor it and the vehicle starts to move from side to side in anticipation, like a cat about to pounce. With 591 horses being brewed by the twin-turbo V-8, the SUV gets to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds, according to Audi. I believe it.

Sure, many EVs are equal to the task these days. But we’re talking EIGHT CYLINDERS here, which is so much more awesome than that buzzy little fan motor, right?

Shifty: The 8-speed transmission is shiftable from paddles or from Audi’s cool T-bar shifter. It’s nice and solid, with a firm movement when the gear changes, but not a jerk. (Well, except for some drivers, but they’re usually in Beemers, right?)

On the road: The RS Q8 is worth every penny on the side roads, on the main roads, in the slalom, on the racetrack. It’s just a dream to operate, feeling like a sports car despite being an SUV.

Ride can be firm, but not at all harsh, and certainly nowhere near pillowy. Even the Comfort setting brought through the jostles of a rough stretch of Northeast Extension, but it was just enough to make you not bust up the tires or rims.

Driver’s Seat: The Driver’s Seat is not nearly as firm as the run-of-the-mill Audi offering. Even after a 180-mile round trip from central Chester County to a drive-in theater near Allentown for a summer night’s entertainment of an Oscar-nominated movie — (grabs acoustic guitar) “I wanna push you around, well I will…” — no spines were stiffened or legs made achy.

If soreness had befallen me, the massage feature would get all the kinks out (Part of the $1,500 Luxury Package, which also added Dinamica headliner). Even though I was not technically sore, I still used it on every trip. An ounce of prevention and all that.

The dashboard is a beautiful shiny ebony that blends into the infotainment screen, and the gauges feature cool shift notations that resemble the countdown at the races.

Friends and stuff: Sturgis Kid 4.0 declared the backseat “really great,” which is strong praise from him. There’s plenty of room all around and the seat itself is delightful.

Cargo space is 30.5 cubic feet behind the rear seat and 60.7 with the seat folded. The seat backs fold flat with a quick pull of a lever on the side of the seats.

Play some tunes: Sound from the Bang & Olufsen system is delightful, an A, but at $4,900, it darn well oughta be. It features adjustment beyond bass, treble, and midrange; the surround setting adds just the right dimension.

The system features a volume knob, and then everything else is touchscreen city. But it’s a nice big touchscreen and the heavy push needed for Audi touchscreens is, well, a nice touch. It limits oopsies, and so drivers should be less likely to be distracted and let something stupid happen.

Keeping warm and cool: The HVAC digital display is separate from the infotainment display, the way it should be. Each feature is large and easy to read when you’re parked.

Still, I found that one time I wanted to turn the blower down on a country road and the limitations of the system were put on display — the touchscreen slider for the fan speed was almost impossible to reach without taking my eyes from the road.

Night shift: The $2,250 night vision assistant helped with an in-screen representation of potential obstacles beyond headlight range.

Fuel economy: I averaged just under 17 mpg, a level that was begun under previous regimes, who left the trip odometer with about 150 miles on it.

Where it’s built: Bratislava, Slovakia.

How it’s built: Consumer Reports predicts the Q8 reliability to be a 44 out of 100.

In the end: The Audi, the BMW, the Porsche; so many options at this price range.

For people who don’t wish to burn so much dead dinosaur, at least directly, the E-Tron version is also a great option.