Life with an Audi Q8 is easy and enjoyable

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Car Reviewed: Audi Q8 55 TFSI

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It’s no micro machine at 16.4ft long, 7.2ft wide and 5.6ft tall. Inside, it loses out to the Q7’s seven-seat layout, but you can comfortably get three adults in the second row, and it only has 605 litres of boot space versus the Q7’s 865 litres. The sloping roofline means anyone over 6ft might find it a bit tight.

Even after various attempts at saying “Call dad” and “Play Jazz FM”, the Q8’s voice recognition system wouldn’t understand me: my phone was connected, and I spoke as clearly as a Scottish man could. Eventually, I gave up leaving my phone call until I arrived home and changed to Jazz FM using the Q8’s responsive touch screen.

Everything in the interior feels incredibly upmarket, just as you’d expect from an £83,665 car. If other household members plan on driving it, there’s a nifty user selection setting, which will adjust seats, climate settings and other gizmos depending on the user profile selected. It’s a clever option, and creating a user doesn’t take long.

During my week with the Q8, it was 3.5°C outside, and some nights were below zero, but by having both heated front and rear seats, all occupants were kept happy. One thing not included as standard was a heated steering wheel. It’s a godsend during bitter winters and should indeed be included as standard in a car costing nearly £90k.

My test car landed in at £87,395: £795 for the front sports seats in black leather, a £660 delivery charge, which includes a half tank of fuel and number plates, the road fund license was £2,220, and the first registration fee was £55.

The twin-turbo 55 TFSI produces 335bhp and 500Nm, which is more than enough for everyday use. Planting the throttle from a standstill does result in some lag, but the Q8 does weigh north of 2.8 tonnes, and there’s plenty of punch for overtaking. Still, it could do with a bit more oomph. Up a twisty back road, the Q8’s size, weight, and girth quickly become apparent. Despite its heft, the Q8 handles surprisingly well, with minimal body roll and responsive steering. Hustling it isn’t easy, but if you do show enthusiasm, it’ll oblige.

A semi-large heavy Audi with a decent amount of power and stacks of tech can only mean rubbish economy, right? Not exactly. The Q8 won’t be kicking any hybrids off the mpg charts, but if you cover mainly motorway mileage, you should see anything between 24-27mpg — the latter being a figure that popped up frequently during my testing. This means that on a long motorway journey, the Q8 can be surprisingly efficient. Around town, this dropped to 17-20mpg, which is still respectable for a car of its size and power.

Overall, life with a Q8 is easy and enjoyable, but there’s more to come. It’s a comfortable cruiser that returns semi-decent economy, but it lacks soul — something that many of its competitors offer.