Compare the2024 Porsche TaycanVS 2024 Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Taycan 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 Q8 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the Taycan and the Q8 e-tron Sportback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee 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 blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

Porsche pays for scheduled maintenance on the Taycan for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Porsche will pay for cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Q8 e-tron Sportback.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in initial quality. With 54 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below 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 Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in long-term dependability. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Audi is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Audi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Porsche 11 places higher in reliability than Audi.

The Taycan has more powerful engines than the Q8 e-tron Sportback:

As tested in Motor Trend the Taycan Performance Plus electric motor is faster than the Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback (base engine):

On the EPA test cycle the Taycan Cross Turismo gets better mileage than the Q8 e-tron Sportback:

For better stopping power the Taycan Turbo S’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Q8 e-tron Sportback:

The Taycan 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 Q8 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

The Taycan stops shorter than the Q8 e-tron Sportback:

For better traction and acceleration, the Taycan has larger standard rear tires than the Q8 e-tron Sportback (275/45R19 vs. 255/50R20). The Taycan’s optional rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the Q8 e-tron Sportback (305/30R21 vs. 265/45R21).

The Taycan’s standard 275/45R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q8 e-tron Sportback Premium ultra’s standard 55 series tires. The Taycan’s optional 265/35R21 front and 305/30R21 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s optional 40 series tires.

The Taycan offers 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 Q8 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Taycan offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Audi doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Q8 e-tron Sportback.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Taycan is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 1.6 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Q8 e-tron Sportback.

The Taycan Cross Turismo 4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Q8 e-tron Sportback (25 seconds @ .76 average G’s vs. 25.4 seconds @ .75 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Taycan w/Rear Axle Steering’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s (36.7 feet vs. 40 feet). The Taycan Cross Turismo’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s (39.4 feet vs. 40 feet).

The Porsche Taycan may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 1250 pounds less than the Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback.

The Taycan is 10.8 inches shorter in height than the Q8 e-tron Sportback, making the Taycan much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

The design of the Porsche Taycan amounts to more than styling. The Taycan offers aerodynamic coefficients of drag from .23 to .28 Cd (depending on bodystyle and options). That is lower than the Q8 e-tron Sportback (.27 to .29) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Taycan get better fuel mileage.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than Audi. J.D. Power ranks Porsche third in service department satisfaction. With a 14% lower rating, Audi is ranked 8th.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Taycan offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Q8 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Porsche Taycan has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Q8 e-tron Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige offers wireless charging.

The Taycan’s optional Active Parking Support can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote ParkAssist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Q8 e-tron Sportback Prestige/Launch Assist’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

The Porsche Taycan comes in sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback isn’t available as a sedan.

The Taycan is available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The Q8 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Taycan first among upper midsize premium cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Q8 e-tron Sportback isn’t in the top three.