Compare the2023 Audi RS Q8VS 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi RS Q8 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Cadillac Escalade-V doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

Both the RS Q8 and Escalade-V have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The RS Q8 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 Escalade-V’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 RS Q8 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 Escalade-V 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.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the RS Q8 uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Escalade-V uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the RS Q8 and the Escalade-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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, rear cross-path warning and available night vision systems.

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 RS Q8 the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 158 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Escalade-V has not been tested, yet.

The RS Q8’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the Escalade-V’s (12 vs. 6 years).

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the RS Q8 has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engine in the Escalade-V.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 7 places higher in reliability than Cadillac.

On the EPA test cycle the RS Q8 gets better fuel mileage than the Escalade-V (13 city/20 hwy vs. 11 city/16 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the RS Q8’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the RS Q8’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

For better stopping power the RS Q8’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Escalade-V:

The RS Q8 offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

For better traction, the RS Q8 has larger tires than the Escalade-V (295/40R22 vs. 275/50R22).

The RS Q8’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escalade-V’s standard 50 series tires. The RS Q8’s tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Escalade-V’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the RS Q8 has standard 23-inch wheels. The Escalade-V’s largest wheels are only 22-inches.

The RS Q8 has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The RS Q8 offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Cadillac doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Escalade-V.

The Audi RS Q8 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 900 pounds less than the Cadillac Escalade-V.

The RS Q8 is 1 foot, 2.6 inches shorter than the Escalade-V, making the RS Q8 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The RS Q8 is 9.7 inches shorter in height than the Escalade-V, making the RS Q8 much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the RS Q8’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Escalade-V uses body-on-frame design instead.

The RS Q8 has a much larger cargo volume than the Escalade-V with its rear seat up (30.5 vs. 25.5 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the RS Q8 easier. The RS Q8’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 33.7 inches, while the Escalade-V’s liftover is 37 inches.

The RS Q8’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Escalade-V’s (7700 vs. 7000 pounds).

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the RS Q8 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The RS Q8 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer headlight washers.

A manual rear sunshade is standard in the RS Q8 and power rear side window sunshades are optional to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer a rear or rear side window sunshades.

The RS Q8’s optional Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Park Assist Plus will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Escalade-V’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.