Top 5 Reviews and Videos of the Week: Audi Q8 Can’t Get as High as Highlander
One of the many new SUVs introduced for the model year, the 2019 Audi Q8, has a lot to offer shoppers, according to Cars.com reviewer Brian Wong. The five-seater offers a luxurious, comfortable and roomy interior, particularly for backseat passengers — but it has one major hang-up that concerned Wong and might make buyers think twice: a problematic powertrain.
The Q8 only offers one powertrain choice: a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 producing 335 horsepower and 369 pounds-feet of torque, paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Audi also offers standard all-wheel drive on the Q8, with a slight rearward bias (it’s split 40/60 front/rear).
“[T]his is the same powertrain you’ll find in the A7, and I found it to have a similar set of problems … but worse,” Wong reported. “It makes sense: The Q8 is 672 pounds heavier, so it puts more stress on the engine. There’s a big amount of accelerator lag even with the SUV cranked up to its more dynamic driving modes and engine settings. It’s hard to decide if this was due more to the transmission or the engine itself; perhaps it’s a bit of both. The delay would happen during acceleration on highways, but it was most pronounced when accelerating quickly from a standstill. I had a close call on an unprotected left turn because the Q8 just didn’t go quickly enough when I hit the gas.”
Whether or not those problems are what prevented this recently published review from finding its way into our top five most read reviews of the week, we can’t say. What we can say is that the 2020 Toyota Highlander remains (unsurprisingly) popular, claiming the top spot once again. You can see the full list in the links below.
Our most popular videos this week include our first looks at the new-for-2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 and Land Rover Defender, but the list also feature some newcomers: Cars.com reviewer Joe Bruzek’s video review of the 2020 Lexus RX SUV, our first impressions of the 2021 Kia Seltos SUV from the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show and a drag-strip showdown to find out if the extra power in the 2020 BMW M340i is worth the price increase over the more pedestrian 2019 330i.
You can find the top five reviews and videos of the past week below:
Top 5 Reviews
1. 2020 Toyota Highlander Review: More in Some Ways, Not in Others
2. 2020 Dodge Charger Scat Pack and Hellcat Widebody Review: Which to Buy?
3. 2020 Mazda CX-30 Review: Stylish Small SUV Right-Sized for U.S.
4. 2020 Subaru Outback Review: Punching Above Its Weight Class
5. 2020 Nissan Titan Review: No Longer a ‘Yeah, But’ Truck
Top 5 Videos
1. 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8: First Impressions
3. 2021 Kia Seltos: First Impressions
4. 2020 Land Rover Defender: First Impressions
5. 2019 BMW 330i Vs. 2020 BMW M340i
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
