{"id":50303,"date":"2023-05-23T09:03:08","date_gmt":"2023-05-23T13:03:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=50303"},"modified":"2023-05-23T09:03:08","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T13:03:08","slug":"2024-audi-q8-etron-road-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=50303","title":{"rendered":"2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron Road Test: Upgraded (and renamed) EV is a great day tripper – Autoblog"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SEA RANCH, Calif. \u2013 Take a deep breath. Thumb the electronic shifter toggle into Park. Get comfy. Enjoy everything else about the 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron<\/a> besides driving it.<\/p>\n

The road ahead may be spectacular, but it\u2019s also under construction. Automated red lights meter traffic at various one-way portions, which means you\u2019re inevitably stuck waiting around for extended periods of time. And worse than that, once underway, there will still be traffic ahead. Actually, \u201ctraffic\u201d is too kind. There will<\/em> be a succession of leisurely moving leisure vehicles, which in my case at various points was a Ram<\/a> ProMaster RV by coachbuilder Entegra that might<\/em> have topped 25 at one point, a 2003 Silverado HD with a bed-mounted camper towing<\/a> an Airstream, and whatever the hell this was.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Such a pace is basically what you can expect your driving experience to entail while traversing the California 1 north of San Francisco. Its spectacular scenery rightfully draws a crowd, which means you\u2019re stuck in that crowd. Learn to accept that, and you\u2019ll have a much better time. Be behind the wheel of the Q8 E-Tron<\/a> and you just might have the makings of one of the most pleasurable and memorable drives in recent memory \u2013 I know I did.<\/p>\n

Q8 E-Tron would be the new name for the electric SUV formerly known as just E-Tron (you can dive deeper into the changes in our Q8 E-Tron and SQ8 E-Tron First Drive Review<\/a>). Audi says this was to emphasize this particular vehicle\u2019s status as a range-topping blah blah blah,<\/em> but come on, it\u2019s to make it a lot easier to differentiate it with the E-Tron GT, Q4 E-Tron and whatever other E-Trons are coming down the pipe in Audi\u2019s electrified future. That said, it is, in fact, a mid-cycle refresh of the previous E-Tron, and not a new electric version of the Audi Q8. The two Q8s are different vehicles, albeit with similar footprints and feature content.<\/p>\n

For the purposes of a road trip<\/a> like this one up the coast and back from Healdsburg in Sonoma wine country, the Q8 E-Tron is now good for 285 miles with its SUV body style, and 296 for its \u201cCoupe\u201d body style that to date has represented only about 10-15% of sales. That\u2019s a substantial improvement over the outgoing SUV\u2019s 226 miles thanks to a new, more efficiently designed battery<\/a> pack good for 114 kilowatt-hours versus 95 kWh. It also charges quicker: a still so-so 170-kW max versus 150 at public fast chargers<\/a>. AC home charging is either an equally so-so 9.6 kW or, with the optional second charger, a nutty 19.2 kW that should futureproof your car for whatever advanced home chargers are introduced (my state-of-the-art Wallbox Pulsar<\/a> tops out at the same 11.5 kW as many of today\u2019s other EVs). All told, I would return after a day of driving \u00ad\u2013 mostly leisurely, but some bits more vigorous \u2013 with 61 miles left. Good thing it got those 59 extra miles, eh?<\/p>\n

Besides the upgraded battery, those extra miles also result from the redesigned exterior\u2019s aerodynamic improvements that reduce drag by 6%. They also improve cabin noise, which Audi says is as quiet or quieter than the A8. Or, if you prefer, my iPhone\u2019s decibel meter app registered an average of 44 dB during a two-minute steady cruise at 60 mph. That\u2019s basically the same volume as an RS Q8 \u2026 parked<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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With that in mind and the Bundeswehr<\/em> troop transport still waiting for the light to turn green, it was time to make sample of the Q8 E-Tron\u2019s Bang & Olufsen sound system. Because, wow, is it ever good. The combination of silent car, soft-touch interior surfaces and whatever speaker magic B&O cooked up results in the closest thing you can get to a rolling<\/a> recording studio. I heard things for the first time in tracks I\u2019ve listened to countless times: birds chirping in Daisy the Great\u2019s \u201cRecord Player\u201d and water babbling at the end of Lord Huron\u2019s \u201cThe Night We Met.\u201d I could hear individual Dua Lipa\u2019s singing with Elton John on their quasi-duet of \u201cCold Heart,\u2019 and a lot more of Alanis singing backup for Dave Matthews on \u201cSpoon.\u201d I could swear the tambourine in the Beatles\u2019 \u201cDay in the Life\u201d was literally in the car banging away against the dead pedal.<\/p>\n

As Bang and his friend Olufsen provided the soundtrack, California provided the visuals as I mercifully managed to shake RVs on occasion in favor of a minivan<\/a> or Tahoe. Up here, California 1 hugs the coast atop gently rolling headlands still amply green after the winter\u2019s many atmospheric rivers. Glimpses of sandy white cliffs and the beaches below appear at points as the coast turns, while the ocean below has a surprisingly almost Caribbean-like turquoise hue (yes, we drove the white Q8 below but the photos were taken of a blue one). Though the pace remains leisurely, the constant corners provide just enough driver involvement as I glide the smooth, consistently weighted steering back and forth. All told, it truly was a joyful morning of driving and a feast for the senses: sound, sight and feel. And sure, the Q8 E-Tron smells pretty nice, too.<\/p>\n

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The lunch stop is The Sea Ranch Lodge, or rather the ocean-view restaurant adjacent to the soon-to-be-reopened hotel nestled on the headlands overlooking the Pacific. Every interior inch of its 1970s modern architecture is lined in wood \u2013 if it wasn\u2019t for the California coast out the windows, I\u2019d swear I was in Sweden.<\/p>\n

Scrumptious grilled cheese consumed, I climb back into the Q8 E-Tron and start running through the Apple CarPlay music app for my next selection when it suddenly dawns on me that no cars have passed by the driveway in quite some time. There must be a hold-up. CarPlay abandoned, I tap the shifter-toggle thingy into Drive and pull up to the driveway to see a phalanx of three more campers leading a downtrodden regiment of cars uphill: a fancy off-roading Sprinter, a Tundra with a canoe on the roof towing a 15-foot camper and, in the lead, that damn Entegra again. They really should\u2019ve bought the Type S.<\/p>\n

This was my chance. Sure, an electric bicycle<\/a> could outrun this parade, but I gun it. Foot to floor, the Q8 E-Tron does not possess that snap we\u2019ve come to expect from high-powered EVs. Yes, it has 408 horsepower and 490 pound-feet of torque, but it\u2019s also expected to launch about 6,000 pounds of rolling recording studio, I mean, Audi midsize SUV. Interestingly, power actually seems to progressively build as, well, not as revs rise but that is kind of what it feels like. The faster you\u2019re going, the quicker the E-Tron is to pile on even more speed. It\u2019s all accompanied with an electronic whine, which gets a bit rumblier in Dynamic mode, that sounds appropriate for the car and doesn\u2019t draw too much attention to itself.<\/p>\n

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Though the road ahead is now clear, I maintain a subdued pace until the route veers inland and the road gets even twistier. Time to see how Audi\u2019s engineers managed to address the outgoing non-Q8 E-Tron\u2019s biggest shortcoming: it was a flabby, bounding mess that made you aware of every one of the those 6,000-ish pounds. The steering is quicker, and 50% stiffer front control arm bushings were added for better response, especially on-center. It\u2019s still a bit too loosey-goosey on center in Auto or Comfort mode, but in Dynamic, its added on-center heft is more confidence-inspiring. The extra weighting upon turn-in is less appreciated, though, as it numbs some of the response and feels a tad unnatural.<\/p>\n

The suspension retains air springs at each corner, but they, along with the stability control system were re-tuned to improve body composure while handling, and it absolutely succeeded. You still feel its heft, but there\u2019s a poise and athleticism here that was missing before. The Q8 E-Tron glided through a lengthy series of tighter corners along a winding river woodland, back and forth, up and down, smoothly maintaining pace and composure despite speeds of 60 to 65 mph. No tire squeal, no anxious stability control interactions and definitely no bounding about. Turns out the Q8 E-Tron now has some GT chops.<\/p>\n

Reaching the 101 South, I charge the Q8 E-Tron onto the two-lane divided highway only to discover in the right lane an Infiniti G37<\/a> trope: slammed, carbon-look hood, fart can exhaust, windows down, face in phone. The vape must\u2019ve been out of batteries. I try to hang back, but he too slows down, subliminal tractor beam engaged. Great. I can either have my serene rolling recording studio sullied by the fart can for 40 minutes, or I can \u2026 Yeah, buh-bye. <\/em>Q8 E-Tron autobahn credentials thereby confirmed.<\/p>\n

With its greater range and improved driving manners, the Q8 E-Tron is quite simply a phenomenal day tripper. If I was going on a lengthier journey up the coast to Fort Bragg or Redwood National Park, I\u2019d definitely run into charging issues, but those types of journeys are the exception, not the rule. Besides, it\u2019s a safe bet that anyone who can afford this $92,390 Q8 E-Tron also has room in the budget and garage for a non-EV. Or just fly. Either way, there\u2019s a very good chance the journey won\u2019t be as enjoyable \u2013 even when sitting still.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SEA RANCH, Calif. \u2013 Take a deep breath. Thumb the electronic shifter toggle into Park. Get comfy. Enjoy everything else about the 2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron besides driving it. The road ahead may be spectacular, but it\u2019s also under construction. Automated red lights meter traffic at various one-way portions, which means you\u2019re inevitably stuck waiting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":50304,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-industry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=50303"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50303\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/50304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=50303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=50303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=50303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}