Compare the2024 Audi Q8 e-tron SportbackVS 2024 Lucid Motors Air

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

The Q8 e-tron Sportback 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 Air 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 Sportback. But it costs extra on the Air.

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

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has a standard Audi Connect CARE, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Air 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 Q8 e-tron Sportback and the Air 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 Sportback weighs 462 to 1270 pounds more than the Lucid Motors Air. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Air has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Air’s (12 vs. 10 years).

For better stopping power the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the Air:

The Q8 e-tron Sportback stops much shorter than the Air:

For better traction, the Q8 e-tron Sportback has larger standard tires than the Air (255/50R20 vs. 245/45R19).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q8 e-tron Sportback offers optional 22-inch wheels. The Air’s largest wheels are only 21-inches.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Air; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

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

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Air doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback handles at .92 G’s, while the Air Grand Touring pulls only .87 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

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

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has .3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear legroom and 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Air.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Air doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback offers up to a 4000 lbs. towing capacity. The Air has no towing capacity.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Air, the Q8 e-tron Sportback Prestige has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback 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 Air doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the Q8 e-tron Sportback the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Air can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Q8 e-tron Sportback has a standard rear wiper. The Air doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Air’s power mirror controls are embedded in the infotainment system, seriously distracting drivers who have to adjust them while driving.

When the Q8 e-tron Sportback is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Air’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’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 Air has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Standard air conditioned seats in the front and rear seats keep the Q8 e-tron Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Air doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

On extremely cold winter days, the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Air doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Audi e-tron outsold the Lucid Motors Air by almost three to one during 2023.