2025 Audi Q7 And Q8 First Drive Review: Doubling Down And Choosing Sides

The Audi Q7 and Q8 represent two of the market’s most balanced premium mid-size crossover SUVs, with the main difference between the two being that the Q7 has three rows of seating to accommodate up to eight people, while the Q8 seats up to five and offers a sporty coupe-like body style. Essentially, the Q7 aims to be a full family lifestyle vehicle, while the Q8 is more of an all-rounder slanted towards enjoyment for the driver in everyday life.

This is reflected in the base engines for each of these cars, with the Q7 having a tamer turbocharged four-cylinder as standard (although you can upgrade) and the Q8 getting a turbo V6 off the bat. Either way, the Audi siblings are upscale offerings that lean into Audi’s return to its roots of Vorsprung Durch Technik, meaning ‘Advancement Through Technology’.

Although both models move into 2025 with some new kit, the update to the Q7 is more substantial. The Q8 was facelifted for the 2024 model year so it carries over into 2025 with just a few extra interior tidbits that we’ll tell you about later on. Audi brought us to Utah to drive the Q7, Q8, then the sportier SQ7 and SQ8 back to back (we’ll cover the S models separately) back to back to really zone in on what each car does best.

First Drive events provide our initial impressions of a vehicle in a restricted environment under certain time constraints. Keep an eye on DrivingOnRoad for our comprehensive Test Drive review which will follow soon.

Exterior: The Same But Different

The Audi Q8 was given significant updates for 2024, so it looks the same even though the 2025 models come with a few interior additions. The Q7 gets the new front and rear fascias and a reworked front spoiler to bring it in line with the latest brand styling. The exterior dimensions of the two SUVs show the core differences between them, with the Q7 being the longer, wider and taller of the two, although the Q8 is much heavier.

The Q8 has a sportier look with its sloping, coupe-like roofline while the Q7 is typical in its SUV shape. And, whereas the Q7 arrives on 19-inch wheels, the Q8 rolls on 22-inch items. Both cars are upgradeable in terms of larger wheels, with the Q8 going up to 23-inch units.

The refreshed models include new bumpers, colors, wheel styles, badges, and diffusers, leading to a subtle but effective upgrade. Looking at the pair next to each other, the Q8 has the more attractive and more ground-hugging look – particularly when sitting on 23-inch wheels. Audi even manages to reference the game-changing 1980s Audi Quattro coupe in its body angles. The Q7 isn’t exactly frumpy, though. The new fascias up the sophistication, particularly in the Prestige trim, which introduces Audi’s upgraded HD Matrix-design LED headlights with Audi laser light technology.

Interestingly, if you upgrade to the HD Matrix-design LED headlights, you have the capability built-in of the LEDs always being in the high beam setting but adjusting the brightness of specific pixels to prevent blind oncoming traffic. Unfortunately, this ability is locked in the US due to outdated laws. However, Audi is ready to unlock the technology when the laws are adjusted.

Interior: Letting The Quality Shine

For the 2025 model year, the updates to the Q8 are minor, including things like the LED interior lighting package becoming standard across the range, passenger seat memory and massage functions becoming standard in the Prestige trim, and red stitching added to the seats of the Sport Package. We would, frankly, ignore the Sport Package as it is purely aesthetic.

Instead, we would go for the more relaxing, elegant options. Our testers were all higher-end trims that come rather well optioned, but the interior we loved the most was the Saiga Beige leather with the open-pore wood inlays. Comfort-wise, the seats are excellent for support on long journeys.

The seats up front are only eight-way adjustable rather than the usual 10, but we found that’s all they need to find a great driving position. The Q8 offers plenty of room in the rear seat for large adults, but legroom drops by around three inches in the Q7, and it’s noticeable for this six-foot-one writer. The third row is cramped, and we wouldn’t be comfortable recommending it for everyday use. However, if you find you suddenly need to transport an extra child or two, it’ll do.

Under The Hood: You’ll Want The V6

The Q7’s turbocharged four-cylinder engine makes a reasonable 261 horsepower and enough torque to haul the SUV’s hefty weight. However, a premium luxury vehicle should have enough power to be effortless. The Q7 thus has the potion to upgrade to the 55 TFSI V6 engine, which is the standard mill on the Q8 – it’s specs are 335 hp and 369 lb-ft. It’s plentiful without being over the top for the size and weight of the vehicle, and will see the Q8 (the heavier of the two vehicles) hit 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, according to Audi.

The engine is matched with an eight-speed automatic that combines to deliver a smooth rapidness worthy of the Audi badge. Joining a fast-moving freeway is a drama-free event, as is overtaking slow traffic on a back road. All you have to do when in normal mode is be prepared for the second or so delay between putting the accelerator to the floor and the power coming on strong. For overtaking, it is best to put it in Dynamic mode, so the revs are already up and ready to go. And, as it’s an Audi, all-wheel-drive is standard through the brand’s exactingly engineered system.

Infotainment: A Lot To Take In

Audi likes to fill its infotainment systems with features, and the result is a large and detailed gauge display for the driver and two touch screens in the center console — the top one for general infotainment and the lower one for the climate controls. Audi’s MMI system in the Q7 and Q8 is wonderfully sharp and responsive, and reasonably logically laid out to access the deeper settings. Our testers included Audi Navigation plus but, like every other OEM navigation system, it’s passable but not great. Thankfully, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included.

Something Audi was keen to tell us about is a new feature it calls ‘Audi Themes’. For $12.99, you can download a pretty desktop picture, mostly hidden behind the large icons on the screen, that combines with the interior lighting to create the theme. We’re not going to waste too much time on detailing it here; suffice it to say that we suspect it won’t be something many people bother with, and the Master League Soccer (MLS) tie-in is pretty weak.

A high point on the options menu is the Bang & Olufsen Advanced Sound System with 3D sound. We wouldn’t file it as a highly accurate system, but we will describe it as one of the most distinctively fun premium systems we’ve come across. The sound is big and bombastic, the separation of instruments then vocals is excellent, and the bass is beautifully tuned. It’s easily one of the best OEM sound systems on the market.

On The Road: A Distinctive Blend

The overall experience of driving the Q7 and Q8 is in how the package comes together. The smooth engine compliments the supple ride (it’s worth noting that all the vehicles we drove were equipped with adaptive air suspension), which combines nicely with the cabin’s luxurious refinement. Again, remember we were driving top-trim and well-optioned models, including the Prestige package and its dual-pane acoustic glass.

We hope to drive a model without the adaptive air suspension at some point for comparison, but the optional system is excellent – Audi’s suspension setups are some of the best in the business, in our opinion. It soaks up bumps beautifully, and with the cabin’s sound dampening in effect, it makes it easy to find yourself thinking you’re meeting the speed limit but are, in fact, some miles per hour over.

While these are not the sporty models, the Q7 and Q8 love a winding road and show off with impressive chassis control and nicely weighted steering. Dynamic mode gives the crossovers a bit of a bite, improving throttle response and putting the engine in ready-to-go mode. It’s also where the adaptive part of the air suspension shines brightest — while the suspension stiffens up, very little is sacrificed in ride quality.

Conclusion: Get The Q8

We spent a long morning driving on various roads to learn how equally well the Q7 and Q8 remain consistently great. Whether on a freeway, back road, or cruising around town, there’s a comforting consistency in how these cars drive. However, the Q7 does have its flaws: It feels like the third row has been crammed in. It could certainly use a few extra inches of wheelbase and ventilation to reach back there before it becomes an easy recommendation for a larger family. If the third row is more of a safety net for being a kid’s taxi, then it becomes a great crossover.

The Q8 is proportionately great, though, and comes out of the box with the correct engine. Put it up against the BMW X6 and you find the perfect middle ground. You have the kind of driving dynamics BMW customers are often looking for mixed with the level of tech, premium materials, and build quality Mercedes is famous for. Whether it can compare to the performance and driving engagement of the Porsche Cayenne Coupe remains to be seen, but both the Audi Q7 and Q8 have their own distinct style and overall experience, and it’s one we can get behind.