Audi Q8 e-tron (2023-2025) Review

The Q8 e-tron is effectively the car formerly known as the Audi e-tron, but with a more confident name, a cleaner design and a much more convincing answer to the question that mattered most with the original car: range.

The first e-tron, which was launched in 2018, always felt like a very polished luxury EV, but it also felt slightly behind the curve on efficiency and usable range. The Q8 e-tron addressed that without changing the car’s fundamental character. It was still a large, luxurious electric SUV built around refinement, quietness and premium Audi polish rather than showmanship.

That remains the key to its used appeal. The cabin feels beautifully made, the road manners are calm and composed, and the improved battery options make it a more convincing long-distance EV than the earlier e-tron. It still isn’t the most playful or most cutting-edge electric SUV of its era, but it's one of the most complete-feeling.

It also now needs to be judged as a used EV in its own right rather than as a current Audi model. Audi’s electric SUV range has moved on again, with the Q6 e-tron now occupying the central premium electric-SUV role in the line-up. That leaves the Q8 e-tron to stand on its own merits, which actually suits it rather well. It still feels like a deeply polished, high-end EV, just no longer the newest expression of Audi’s electric thinking.

For most used buyers, the 55 is the version to look for. It has the bigger battery, the more convincing range and enough performance to make the Q8 e-tron feel properly effortless.

The 50 is still usefully quick and will be good enough for some buyers, especially if the price is right, but the 55 is easier to justify because it better suits the car’s big, luxury-SUV character.

Trim matters less than you might expect because even Sport is well equipped. Unless you specifically want the extra visual attitude or luxury kit, there's a good case for starting with a lower trim and prioritising battery size, condition and specification over chasing the fanciest badge.

Used Audi Q8 e-tron prices now start from around £40,000 for early 50 Sport models, with 55s, Vorsprung cars and the SQ8 e-tron sitting higher.

There's enough choice on the used market to be selective, which matters because wheel size, trim and options all have a real effect on how convincing the car feels.

For many buyers, the sweet spot sits with a clean 55 in Sport or S line trim rather than the cheapest 50 or the most lavishly specified car.

The BMW iX is the obvious alternative if you want a more rounded and more efficient premium electric SUV, while the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV is the one to look at if you want a similarly comfort-led German EV with a more recent feel.

The Jaguar I-Pace remains the more driver-focused option, while the Tesla Model X is bigger, stranger and more dramatic in its own way. The Q8 e-tron’s strength is that it still feels like one of the most mature and most straightforward luxury EVs of its era.

The Q8 e-tron is a large SUV and it uses its size well. Up front there's loads of room, generous adjustment and the kind of seating comfort that suits long-distance driving particularly well.

Rear-seat space is another strength. Adults have ample legroom and headroom, and the cabin feels airier than some rivals despite the broad centre console and the screen-heavy dashboard layout up front.

The boot is usefully large too. At 569 litres in the regular SUV, it's more than generous enough for family life, and there's also a 62-litre front storage compartment for charging cables or smaller items. The Sportback takes a small hit on luggage space, but the regular SUV is the more practical choice.

The Audi Q8 e-tron measures 4,915mm long, 2,189mm wide and 1,629mm high. That makes it a substantial SUV, but not an absurdly oversized one.

In practice, it feels easier to manoeuvre than some bigger luxury SUVs, and the easy-to-use controls help make it less intimidating than its size first suggests.

The Q8 e-tron uses Audi’s familiar dual-screen setup, with the upper display handling infotainment and the lower one mainly dealing with climate functions. It still looks smart, still feels high-tech and is backed up by Audi’s excellent Virtual Cockpit digital driver display.

The issue is the same one that crops up in other screen-heavy Audis of this era. It looks cleaner than a dashboard full of physical buttons, but it's not always easier to use on the move.

Virtual door mirrors are the other notable talking point. They remain a neat idea on paper, but in practice they are harder to judge than conventional mirrors and best avoided if you have the choice.

Material quality is exactly where you would want it to be in an Audi like this. The dashboard, trim, seats and switchgear all feel dense and expensive, and the cabin has the sort of reassuring solidity that helps the Q8 e-tron stand out even now.

This is one of the main reasons the car still works so well as a used luxury EV. Even next to newer alternatives, the interior often still feels more convincing.

The main choice is between the 50 and 55, while the SQ8 sits separately as the performance flagship. The 50 uses the smaller battery and officially manages up to 283 miles in SUV form, while the 55 stretches to 333 miles. Sportback versions go a little further still.

That puts the Q8 e-tron on much firmer ground than the old e-tron, even if newer rivals still go further on a charge. Real-world results will naturally fall below the headline figures, especially in cold weather or on faster motorway runs, but the 55 is a much more convincing long-distance EV than the model it replaced.

Performance is strong in every version. The 50 already feels properly brisk, while the 55 adds more punch without changing the car’s essential character. The SQ8 is genuinely rapid, but it still feels more like a luxury express than a hard-edged driver’s EV.

The Q8 e-tron’s standard air suspension is a big part of its appeal. It gives the car a relaxed, comfortable feel and does a good job of dealing with the sort of poor surfaces you’re likely to encounter on British rooads.

It's not perfect, and larger wheels on higher-spec cars can chip away at the suppleness a bit, but the overall balance of comfort and control is strong. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t pretend to be sporty, yet it still feels tidy and secure enough in corners.

Refinement is where it really shines. Wind noise, road noise and general mechanical fuss are all very well suppressed, even by EV standards. This is one of those cars that can make even a routine journey feel unusually calm and expensive.

The Audi Q8 e-tron inherits a strong safety base from the earlier e-tron, which scored the full five stars from independent safety organisation Euro NCAP in 2019.

Standard kit is generous, and many cars will also have desirable option packs fitted that add more of the advanced assistance features buyers in this part of the market expect. As always, it's worth checking the exact specification of any used example.

Charging is respectable for the era. The 50 can charge at up to 150kW DC, while the 55 and SQ8 can take up to 170kW, which means all can recover a useful amount of range quickly on a suitably powerful rapid charger.

At home, you’re looking at an overnight charge rather than a quick top-up, which is exactly what you would expect for a large-battery luxury EV of this type.

Any remaining manufacturer warranty will depend on the age of the car, but Audi Approved Used examples remain the most reassuring place to start.

Audi Approved Used currently includes a minimum of a one-year Audi Warranty, one year of roadside assistance and a 30-day exchange plan, which adds useful reassurance on a used premium EV.

Audi also offers dedicated e-tron service plans for fully electric Audi models, and on used examples it's worth checking not just the servicing record but also software history, charging hardware condition and tyre wear.

Insurance is one of the Q8 e-tron’s weaker points on paper. Even the lesser versions sit very high in the groupings, and many models are right at the top end of the scale.

That will not matter to every buyer, but it's worth checking quotes carefully before you commit because this is not a car that slips under the radar with insurers.

As all Q8 e-trons were first registered before 1 April 2025, they fall under the earlier EV Vehicle Excise Duty treatment that now results in the standard annual rate applying.

That means used Q8 e-trons generally pay £200 a year in VED. The later £50,000 Expensive Car Supplement threshold for EVs does not change the picture here because these cars pre-date the new rules.