Compare the2023 Chevrolet BlazerVS 2023 Audi Q8

For enhanced safety, the front shoulder belts of the Chevrolet Blazer are height-adjustable, and the rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Audi Q8 has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Blazer are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q8 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Chevrolet Blazer has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Q8 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Both the Blazer and the Q8 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Blazer is safer than the Audi Q8:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Chevrolet Blazer is safer than the Audi Q8:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Blazer 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q8. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Q8 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 10 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Blazer’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Blazer’s reliability 70 points higher than the Q8.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Blazer second among midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Q8 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 92 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 31st, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

On the EPA test cycle the Blazer gets better mileage than the Q8:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Blazer’s fuel efficiency. The Q8 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Blazer uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine for maximum performance). The Q8 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Blazer has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Q8 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Blazer higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Audi Q8 (5). This means the Blazer produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q8 every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Chevrolet Blazer, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Q8.

The Blazer stops much shorter than the Q8:

The Chevrolet Blazer’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Audi Q8 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Blazer has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Q8 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better maneuverability, the Blazer’s turning circle is 4.8 feet tighter than the Q8’s (38.7 feet vs. 43.5 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Blazer LT has a 1.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Q8 (7.5 vs. 5.8 inches), allowing the Blazer to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Blazer RS/Premier’s minimum ground clearance is 1.8 inches higher than on the Q8 (7.6 vs. 5.8 inches).

The Chevrolet Blazer may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 to 1100 pounds less than the Audi Q8.

The Blazer is 4.8 inches shorter than the Q8, making the Blazer easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Blazer uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Q8 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Blazer uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Q8 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Blazer has 2.7 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more rear headroom and .1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q8.

The front step up height for the Blazer is 1.1 inches lower than the Q8 (18.4” vs. 19.5”). The Blazer’s rear step up height is .8 inches lower than the Q8’s (19” vs. 19.8”).

The Blazer has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q8 with its rear seat folded (64.2 vs. 60.7 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Blazer easier. The Blazer’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.3 inches, while the Q8’s liftover is 33.7 inches.

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Blazer’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Q8 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Blazer can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Blazer can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Q8 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Blazer uses the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q8 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Blazer’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Q8 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Blazer LT/RS/Premier’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Q8 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Audi Connect CARE can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Blazer has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q8 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Blazer offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Q8 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Blazer is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q8 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Blazer owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Blazer will cost $3835 to $6875 less than the Q8 over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Chevrolet Blazer will be $34887 to $35517 less than for the Audi Q8.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Chevrolet Blazer, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Blazer second among midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Q8 isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Chevrolet Blazer outsold the Audi Q8/SQ8/RS Q8 by almost five to one during the 2021 model year.