Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Audi Q8 – MPG and running costs

Economy is so-so, even in the plug-in hybrid. That’s the price for shifting the Q8’s bulk

Evo rating
RRP
from £73,825
  • Well built; refined; painless to drive
  • Forgettable dynamics; cabin is no longer cutting edge

We’ve only sampled the plug-in hybrid Q8 so far, which Audi claims can achieve 217mpg. Unsurprisingly, we got absolutely nowhere near that figure on a long run. Depending on the state of battery charge somewhere around 35mpg is more realistic, dropping down to 30mpg if you haven’t topped it up. With that said, the e TFSI’s 50-mile claimed electric range means that short journeys can be extremely cost-effective if you have access to home charging. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

Claimed figures for the 50 TDI and 55 TFSI are much more realistic. The diesel is said to achieve up to 35mpg on the WLTP cycle (we got a similar figure from the pre-facelift model), with the petrol dropping to 27mpg.

The Q8’s large wheels mean that tyre bills will sting when it’s time to replace. Expect to pay around £1000 or more for a full set of 21-inch items, with the bigger 22s costing a little extra.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Porsche ‘Mission S’ supercar central in plan to tackle Ferrari head-on
What the new Porsche supercar could look like, edited with AI
News

New Porsche ‘Mission S’ supercar central in plan to tackle Ferrari head-on

Porsche’s plan to recover its profits involves pushing upmarket to widen margins, with more customisability and a new supercar
7 Oct 2026
Renault Clio RS (Mk4, 2013-2019) review – the downfall of Renault Sport?
Renault Clio RS (Mk4)
In-depth reviews

Renault Clio RS (Mk4, 2013-2019) review – the downfall of Renault Sport?

For its fourth generation the Renault Sport Clio featured some controversial changes and made some crucial errors. It wasn’t all bad, though
8 Oct 2026
The Pirelli Cyber Tyre is like magic, and we tried it for ourselves
Pirelli Cyber Tyre
Features

The Pirelli Cyber Tyre is like magic, and we tried it for ourselves

Pirelli’s sensor-equipped Cyber Tyre gives a car’s safety systems unprecedented insight into available grip. We try it
9 Oct 2026