By C.A. Haire
High-quality electric vehicles have expensive price tags, and this Audi Q8 e-Tron is another example. Its base price is $75,000, but when loaded with options, this one reached a tidy $92,000. Putting the fee aside, this is a fantastic ride, offering one of the most luxurious cabins around and superb build quality. It’s an impressive machine.
Horsepower is listed at 355 with a torque output of 414 pounds/feet in normal operation. Hit the power control and this will boost to 402/496, providing plenty of passing ability. There are seven modes of operation: comfort, efficiency, auto, dynamic, individual, off-road and all-road. The suspension can be raised or lowered on command.
Driving on tight mountain roads was a pleasant experience, with sharp steering, crisp handling and strong brakes. There is an adjustable suspension and off-road programming, so the Q8 can be taken off the pavement. There is a spare tire in case of a flat as well. However, these exotic 21-inch wheels and tires cost about $2,000 each, so any damage is going to be unpleasant. For this reason, we stayed out of the dirt.
The advertised range between charges is 280 miles, which is what we observed in mild weather. But on a cold night, the maximum range we could accumulate was 210, even when using a potent 350kw public charger. This is not the fault of the vehicle, just a common trait of electric vehicles in extreme temperatures.
Those shopping for an electric vehicle, and not worried about the cost, may find this Q8 a pleasant choice.
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