Compare the2025 Mercedes GLE CoupeVS 2025 Audi Q8

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 GLE Coupe are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q8 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Mercedes GLE Coupe has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Q8 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Both the GLE Coupe and the Q8 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available lane departure warning systems.

There are over 25 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are Audi dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the GLE Coupe’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 36 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 57 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Audi.

The GLE Coupe’s 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 40 more horsepower (375 vs. 335) than the Q8’s 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the GLE 450 Coupe 4MATIC gets better fuel mileage than the Q8 (19 city/25 hwy vs. 17 city/23 hwy).

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mercedes GLE Coupe higher (6 out of 10) than the Audi Q8 (4). This means the GLE Coupe produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q8 every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes GLE Coupe, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Q8.

The GLE Coupe’s optional 325/35R22 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q8’s optional 40 series tires.

The GLE Coupe’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Q8 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the GLE Coupe is 1.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Q8.

For better maneuverability, the GLE Coupe’s turning circle is 4.2 feet tighter than the Q8’s (39.4 feet vs. 43.6 feet).

The GLE Coupe has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q8 with its rear seat up (31.6 vs. 30.5 cubic feet). The GLE Coupe has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q8 with its rear seat folded (64.1 vs. 60.7 cubic feet).

The GLE Coupe’s cargo area is larger than the Q8’s in almost every dimension:

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the GLE Coupe’s optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Q8 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Optional Trailer Stability Assist on the GLE Coupe uses the Electronic Stability Program sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q8 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The GLE Coupe’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Q8 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

Heated windshield washer fluid is optional on the GLE Coupe to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The Q8 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid. Its standard heated washer nozzles will defrost the washer fluid but not the windshield.

The Q8’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The GLE Coupe’s optional adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the GLE Coupe has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The Q8 doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes GLE has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Q8.

The GLE Coupe offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Q8 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Mercedes GLE Coupe outsold the Audi Q8/SQ8/RS Q8 by over four to one during 2023.