Compare the2024 Audi Q8 e-tronVS 2024 Acura MDX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Q8 e-tron’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The MDX doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q8 e-tron and MDX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q8 e-tron 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 MDX’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 Q8 e-tron’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 MDX doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Q8 e-tron 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 MDX 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q8 e-tron. But it costs extra on the MDX.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Q8 e-tron’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The MDX doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The Q8 e-tron has Car-to-X Services, a system that seemlesly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The MDX doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure.

Both the Q8 e-tron and MDX have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Q8 e-tron has Automatic Brake Activation (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The MDX’s Rear Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Q8 e-tron and the MDX 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The Audi Q8 e-tron weighs 1010 to 1803 pounds more than the Acura MDX. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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

	Q8 e-tron	MDX
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	212	244
Neck Injury Risk	23%	29%
Neck Stress	253 lbs.	304 lbs.
Neck Compression	16 lbs.	59 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	137/335 lbs.	463/521 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches
Neck Compression	67 lbs.	75 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	244/319 lbs.	392/458 lbs.

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 Audi Q8 e-tron is safer than the Acura MDX:

	Q8 e-tron	MDX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	44	107
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	123	142
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	8 inches	12 inches
HIC	279	549

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Q8 e-tron, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 5.9% less likely to roll over than the MDX, which received a four-star rating.

Warranty

The Q8 e-tron’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the MDX’s (12 vs. 5 years).

There are over 12 percent more Audi dealers than there are Acura dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Q8 e-tron’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 12 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Audi higher than Acura.

Engine

The Q8 e-tron’s standard electric motors produces 112 more horsepower (402 vs. 290) and 223 lbs.-ft. more torque (490 vs. 267) than the MDX’s standard 3.5 SOHC V6. The Q8 e-tron’s electric motors produces 47 more horsepower (402 vs. 355) and 136 lbs.-ft. more torque (490 vs. 354) than the MDX Type S’ standard 3.0 turbo V6. The SQ8 e-tron’s standard electric motors produces 141 more horsepower (496 vs. 355) and 363 lbs.-ft. more torque (717 vs. 354) than the MDX Type S’ standard 3.0 turbo V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi Q8 e-tron (base engine) is faster than the Acura MDX:

	Q8 e-tron	MDX V6	MDX Type S
Zero to 60 MPH	5.1 sec	7.5 sec	6.2 sec
Quarter Mile	13.7 sec	15.8 sec	14.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	102.4 MPH	88.6 MPH	96.2 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Q8 e-tron gets better mileage than the MDX:

			MPGe
Q8 e-tron
	AWD	Electric Motors	80 city/83 hwy
		SQ8 20" Wheels Electric Motors	72 city/75 hwy
		SQ8 21/22" Wheels Electric Motors	62 city/63 hwy
MDX
			MPG
	FWD	3.5 SOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.5 SOHC V6	19 city/25 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6	17 city/21 hwy

The Q8 e-tron can travel with zero emissions for 218 to 285 miles (dependent on model). The MDX can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

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

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi Q8 e-tron higher (10 out of 10) than the Acura MDX (5). This means the Q8 e-tron produces up to 19.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the MDX every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Q8 e-tron’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The MDX doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q8 e-tron’s brake rotors are larger than those on the MDX:

	Q8 e-tron	MDX	MDX Type S
Front Rotors	15.7 inches	13.8 inches	14.3 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	13 inches	13 inches

The Q8 e-tron’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the MDX are solid, not vented.

The Q8 e-tron stops shorter than the MDX:

	Q8 e-tron	MDX
70 to 0 MPH	181 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	131 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Q8 e-tron’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the MDX’s standard 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q8 e-tron has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the MDX.

Suspension and Handling

The front and rear suspension of the Q8 e-tron uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the MDX, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q8 e-tron’s wheelbase is 1.3 inches longer than on the MDX (115.1 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

The Q8 e-tron 55 Launch Edition executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the MDX SH-AWD (26.6 seconds @ .71 average G’s vs. 27.2 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Q8 e-tron has a greater minimum ground clearance than the MDX (8.1 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Q8 e-tron to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Q8 e-tron is 5.4 inches shorter than the MDX, making the Q8 e-tron easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

Passenger Space

The Q8 e-tron has .5 inches more rear headroom and .6 inches more rear legroom than the MDX.

Cargo Capacity

The Q8 e-tron has a much larger cargo volume than the MDX with its rear seat up (28.5 vs. 18.1 cubic feet).

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

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Q8 e-tron and the MDX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Q8 e-tron is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The MDX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Q8 e-tron’s standard Audi Advanced Key allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Access System standard on the MDX doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The Q8 e-tron’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The MDX’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Q8 e-tron’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The MDX has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Q8 e-tron 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 MDX.

The Q8 e-tron Prestige/Launch Assist’s Intelligent Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The MDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q8 e-tron and the Acura MDX, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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