Compare the2022 Audi SQ8VS 2021 Aston Martin DBX

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi SQ8 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Aston Martin DBX doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the SQ8 and DBX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The SQ8 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The DBX’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The SQ8’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The DBX doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The SQ8 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The DBX doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the SQ8 Prestige helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The DBX doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The SQ8 has a standard Audi Connect CARE, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The DBX doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the SQ8 and the DBX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the SQ8 the rating of “Top Pick” for 2021, a rating granted to only 135 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The DBX has not been tested, yet.

The SQ8 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The DBX’s 3-year basic warranty expires 1 year sooner.

The SQ8’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the DBX’s (12 vs. 10 years).

There are almost 9 times as many Audi dealers as there are Aston Martin dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the SQ8’s warranty.

The SQ8’s 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 52 lbs.-ft. more torque (568 vs. 516) than the DBX’s 4.0 turbo V8.

On the EPA test cycle the SQ8 gets better fuel mileage than the DBX (15 city/21 hwy vs. 14 city/18 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the SQ8’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The DBX doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Both the SQ8 and the DBX have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stop lights and heavy traffic. All SQ8s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the SQ8 is 1.1 inches wider in the rear than on the DBX.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the SQ8’s rear seats recline. The DBX’s rear seats don’t recline.

The SQ8 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the DBX with its rear seat up (30.5 vs. 22.3 cubic feet). The SQ8 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the DBX with its rear seat folded (60.7 vs. 54 cubic feet).

The SQ8’s cargo area is larger than the DBX’s in almost every dimension:

The SQ8’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the DBX’s (7700 vs. 5940 pounds).

A Service Interval Display is standard on the SQ8 to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes and vehicle inspection based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Aston Martin doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the DBX.

The SQ8 has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The DBX doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The SQ8 Prestige has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The DBX doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the SQ8 has a standard rear wiper. The DBX doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the SQ8 Prestige has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The DBX doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the SQ8 has standard extendable sun visors. The DBX doesn’t offer extendable visors.

A manual rear sunshade and power rear side window sunshades are optional in the SQ8 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The DBX doesn’t offer a rear or rear side window sunshades.

The SQ8 has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the DBX.

The SQ8 offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the DBX.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi SQ8 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The DBX doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Audi Q8/SQ8/RS Q8 outsold the Aston Martin DBX by almost 25 to one during the 2021 model year.