As Audi’s most expensive crossover on sale yet, the 2021 Q8 is alone on Mount Flagship. Luckily, it’s a comfortable place to be.
This year, not much changes for the Q8. It’s still loaded with tech and conveniences, and performance versions heap on all of the above, smothered in extra horsepower.
It’s an 8 for features thanks to good standard equipment, a good touchscreen, and gee-whiz features to woo buyers.
Like last year, the Q8 is available in Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trim levels and starts at $69,195, including destination. Top trims command more than $80,000 when loaded with options, and the higher-horsepower SQ8 starts at more than $90,000 for Premium Plus models—it runs to six figures almost as quickly as it runs to 60 mph. The even higher-horsepower RS Q8 starts at more than $113,000 and doesn’t look back.
The Q8 Premium wants for little and is equipped with 20-inch wheels, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 10.1-inch touchscreen, 8.6-inch touchscreen for vehicle functions and climate controls, wireless Apple CarPlay compatibility, Bluetooth, a panoramic sunroof, active safety features, leather upholstery, wood trim, and navigation.
There’s little else we could ask for, but there’s a little white space between Premium and Prestige models that we’d sidle into comfortably. We recommend the Q8 Premium Plus models 21-inch wheels (c’mon, you’re not going off road anyway), four-zone climate control, uprated headlights, premium audio, a surround-view camera system, and available driver assistance features that can reduce fatigue on long drives or stupendously boring commutes. Included in a new executive package that includes those driver-assist features are rear seat heaters and leather upholstered armrests; count us in. An optional air suspension is available on Q8 Premium Plus models (standard on SQ8 and RS Q8), and we recommend it, too. That puts our recommended Q8 at more than $75,000 because we know how to treat ourselves.
Audi’s standard 4-year/50,000-mile warranty is relatively generous but doesn’t include complimentary maintenance. Shucks.
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