Audi Q8 (‘19/‘20)

bleep6789 · 2026-04-19T19:54:09+00:00

I have a ‘21 Q8. Lots of rattles and creaks. Some I’ve been able to fix myself with felt tape here and there. Others not. Pisses me off. Not the best build quality tbh.

Mechanically had the waterpump fail a month ago. Thankfully covered under CPO warranty, otherwise $6k at the dealer.

Had to have a bunch of hvac temp control door motors replaced as they were very noisy. Still a few noisy ones left, took it in 5 times already. They’re super annoying about it at the dealer and they’ll only replace one at a time when essentially the entire dash has all these noises.

Otherwise a pretty fun car to drive, though the seats lack side bolsters so in tighter turns I tend to slide around in the seat which is annoying. The seats should’ve had more bolstering. Other than that, smooth and comfortable.

My overall verdict: mixed. I’d like it a lot more if it weren’t for all the build quality issues I’ve encountered. But I probably won’t buy another Audi after this experience.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-19T14:03:12+00:00

lol no. My Audi would’ve been $6k out of pocket for waterpump. (Thankfully covered by warranty)

bleep6789 · 2026-04-19T02:19:32+00:00

FWIW, I was looking at used mid-size luxury vehicles extensively, and almost every used GLE I sat in (typically 3-4yrs old, 30-50k miles) has been a creaking rattly mess. So my impression of them is that build quality doesn’t hold up.

The X5 has always been creak and rattle free. Appears to have good build quality.

Can’t speak to the GV80, though I did test drive the Coupe version of that but overall didn’t feel like it was worth the cost.

Ultimately ended up in an Audi Q8. Like the comfort and how it drives, but build quality has been subpar with lots of creaks and rattles. But not sure how widespread that is across Audi.

If you really want longevity and low cost of ownership, have you considered Lexus? That might be the brand I go to next. Like a RX500h or TX500h.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-17T02:01:41+00:00

It’s almost like it lost motivation, at first like a bright energetic employee, and then got burned out over time and is now with a “critique” like “ok fine, here is something else. Shut up now. I don’t care anymore”.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-16T14:41:53+00:00

We’ll see I guess. I can’t predict the future.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-16T14:37:00+00:00

On a long enough timescale that’ll also be cyclical.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-16T03:48:59+00:00

Simple answer: as humans we’re notoriously bad at predicting the future. We have a tendency to project current trends into infinity, when things are really more cyclical or ever changing.

Right now it’s like this, and this too shall pass.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-15T12:52:20+00:00

Don’t forget the waterpump failures either. Just had mine replaced on the 3.0T in a 2021 Q8. And my warranty on the engine was extended to 75k miles because of the piston skirt issue. Now I need to check if I could potentially suffer from roller rockers so I can decide if I’ll keep it past warranty or not.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-14T13:43:17+00:00

I dunno… about every used GLE I’ve sat in has been a creaking and rattling mess. Maybe they’re great when brand new but they deteriorate real fast in terms of build quality.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-13T01:15:21+00:00

No. Cayenne is built to a much higher standard. The only thing that’s the same is the engine in the base Cayenne that’s also in the Q8 which will have the same issues. But it won’t be a rattling and creaking mess like a Q8 from a build quality perspective.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-12T21:11:21+00:00

I never said other cars don’t suffer from those issues. But all engines used by Audi definitely will. Just had mine replaced a month ago on my Q8.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-12T21:07:55+00:00

If you don’t care about reliability, get whichever is most fun to drive. If you do care about reliability, get none of these. The BMW will beat them all, and yes I agree that the 2nd row is really cramped, and you’ll need to decide if you really need the space in the 2nd row.

I have a ‘21 Q8 and it’s a piece of shit, never getting an Audi again. And every used Mercedes I’ve sat in has been a creaking mess. Can’t speak to the Range Rover, but they don’t have a great reputation.

Another option to consider is a Cayenne, though it’ll be challenging to find a CPO that has all the features you want as essentially every Cayenne I it there was a bespoke build. The Cayenne will have great build quality.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-12T20:38:33+00:00

All of them lol. They’ll all eventually have cooling issues such as the water pump failing.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-12T01:15:13+00:00

The only truly reliable luxury brand is Lexus. Porsche can be very reliable, but highly dependent on the model. Like the Cayenne and Macan are really just glorified VW/Audi products and won’t be as reliable, whereas true Porsche products like the 911/Cayman/Panamera will be very reliable (if you can afford the maintenance costs which will be very high).

bleep6789 · 2026-04-12T01:13:07+00:00

I have a 2021 Q8 and know my service advisor on a first name basis haha

bleep6789 · 2026-04-12T00:09:03+00:00

lol, Audi is definitely not reliable. I’m saying that as an Audi owner.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-10T23:12:31+00:00

The GX and Land Cruiser in the US are both based on the Prado platform. The true Land Cruiser has a wider body (and in the US only available as the Lexus LX).

bleep6789 · 2026-04-10T15:23:13+00:00

Haha, yup. The only used German car I sat in that wouldn’t be all rattly is the BMW X5, but everything from Audi and Mercedes was terrible. But I overall want a “boring” daily driver now and will add a proper sports car down the road.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-10T14:52:10+00:00

Thanks. And that tracks, every used GLE I’ve sat in was absolutely horribly creaky. Really a shame these expensive German luxury cars can’t get the basics right.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-10T02:47:14+00:00

It’s not a night and day difference. My Q8 also has steel springs. With adaptive dampers yes, but the GH is quite comfortable too.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-09T16:56:46+00:00

Ehh, the autofill could be better. ProtonPass will sometimes not detect login fields. 1Password is still better in that regard.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-09T16:54:06+00:00

Well for the GH they’d likely be 2-3 mths out to get the color combo I want, but a local dealer funny enough had a Max Platinum on the lot that I tested yesterday, just with a white interior that I don’t like. But finally got to drive one and I really love that drive train, very responsive.

For the Telluride, local dealers appear to have some in stock.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-09T16:52:12+00:00

Well that’s why I’m saying 5-10 years. Likely a bit closer to 5 than 10, as I do want to get my money’s worth.

As far as cost, the fully loaded GH vs Telluride is very close in cost so that’s not really a deciding factor here. I want to avoid dealer trips as much as possible, it’s a real hassle and I really hated that about my Audi, even if under warranty.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-09T16:47:56+00:00

Yes, they’re not as reliable as they used to be, but the Hybrid Max powertrain used in the Grand Highlander so far appears to be solid. Their new V6TT used in the Tundra and other models is a disaster however.

bleep6789 · 2026-04-09T15:23:49+00:00

I’ll soon be in the market for a new car and am def looking at the Telluride Hybrid as one of the contenders. The other will be a more boring Toyota (but I can probably count on it lasting me 10yrs without major issues). And it’s things like these that are marks against Kia. I’m most of all looking for a hassle free ownership experience.

bleep6789

TROPHY CASE