Compare the2025 Volvo EC40VS 2024 Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback

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 EC40 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q8 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The EC40 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Q8 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The EC40 has standard CTA Auto Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Q8 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The EC40’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q8 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the EC40 and the Q8 e-tron Sportback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the EC40 for 3 years and 30,000 miles. Volvo will pay for tire rotations, 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’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Volvo vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 30 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Volvo higher than Audi.

On the EPA test cycle the EC40 gets better mileage than the Q8 e-tron Sportback:

The EC40 can travel longer on a full charge than the Q8 e-tron Sportback on a full charge:

The EC40 Core’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 Q8 e-tron Sportback Premium ultra’s standard 55 series tires.

For better maneuverability, the EC40’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s (37.4 feet vs. 40 feet).

The Volvo EC40 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1050 pounds less than the Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback.

The EC40 is 1 foot, 6.7 inches shorter than the Q8 e-tron Sportback, making the EC40 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The EC40 has 1.3 inches more front headroom and .1 inches more front legroom than the Q8 e-tron Sportback.

The EC40’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s (2000 vs. 0 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the EC40 uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q8 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the EC40 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Q8 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the EC40 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q8 e-tron Sportback only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the EC40 offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Q8 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer cornering lights. The EC40 also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volvo EC40 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 EC40 is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q8 e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.