2025 Audi RSQ8 Pros and Cons Review: Function and Form Perfected

The saying “function over form” is often invoked when describing something ugly or odd-looking that’s specialized to serve its intended purpose. In the same vein, saying something’s been designed with form over function is to say, well, it’s made to look pretty, but that’s about it. In a surprise twist to my expectations, the 2025 Audi RSQ8 nails both function and form, making it one of the most delightful SUVs I’ve driven.

I say “surprise” because when I first drove this model during its global launch in Spain last October, I thought it was… just good. Not mind-blowing, not wow, just a solid, luxury, high-performance SUV with loads of power and sharp looks. Recently, however, I enjoyed it at home over the course of a week, and I just about fell in love with most aspects of it.

What exactly changed, and what made it stand out so much more in the streets of Indianapolis over the mountain roads outside of Barcelona—and even the track? Here’s a straight-to-the-point breakdown for ya.

The Pros

There are a few cars out there that are true showstoppers in the looks department, and even fewer that are SUVs. The Q8 already boasts a unique design that’s mostly appealing, but in RS guise, I think it’s truly a stunner. The word “sinister” is annoyingly overused when describing a car, but I think it’s fitting here. The Satellite Silver Metallic exterior makes things a bit brighter and livelier here, but had this been a dark gray or black model, it would look downright menacing. From the side, the RSQ8 has a slanted look that tells you it means business, with a raked greenhouse that leads to a very aggressively sloped roofline as it peaks over the B-pillar. Furthermore, look at those wheels: The 23-inch, Y-spoke, dual-color wheels are so pretty I may cry, and the fine design elements carry over to the rear end.

Look at the RSQ8 head-on or from directly behind, and you’ll know it’s special. It doesn’t look like anything else on the road—it doesn’t even look like any other Audi. It looks expensive, feels expensive, and when you fire up the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, it sounds even more expensive thanks to the burbling noise coming out of those massive dual exhaust pipes. And surprise! It is costly, with my tester coming in at $155,440, including a $1,295 destination fee.

Step inside, and a spacious and well-appointed cabin welcomes you. The seats are a 10 for comfort (and they also look sweet with that red stitching), while the steering wheel, shifter, and other controls are well-thought-out. The dash, specifically, looks dated, and that’s because it is, but more on this in the Cons section below.

All of the above could be absolute crap, and the RSQ8 would still be one of the best-driving SUVs I’ve experienced. Thankfully, it isn’t. I’d go so far as to say it’s the best-handling and most satisfying SUV to drive under $200,000. Why was my experience so different than during the launch? I believe it has to do with the variety of roads I drove it on and the experiences I had with it.

In Spain, I drove on twisty mountain roads, which, sure, are fun. But unless you know these roads by heart, you never feel fully at ease in a 631-hp machine. On top of that, the weather was shitty—extremely foggy—and I could never really explore its potential. On the track, it wowed with its excellent handling, but it became apparent very quickly that a road course is not its intended environment. At home, however, I explored my favorite roads with it and have an excellent baseline for how it compares to everything else I’ve ever driven. The first time I went into a traffic-free roundabout at speed, there was a split second where my pupils widened, and my brain went, “Uh, this is not supposed to feel this way, this is an SUV!” Under braking, the rear end was lively, the front end gracefully positioned itself for turn-in, and the entire body just rotated so quickly and in a way that I only remember experiencing with something much more hardcore. Yet, the ride quality was supple, and the experience relaxed. The fact that it can deliver an incredibly engaging driving experience without breaking a sweat is truly remarkable.

The Cons

As I mentioned above, the dash and its controls, operating system, etc., feel outdated compared to the new-generation Virtual Cockpit found in the Q3 and Q5—which I recently reviewed and praised. Now, it doesn’t really detract from the driving experience because, in reality, it’s fine. But once you see and use the new hardware and software, you can’t help but notice this one isn’t as good. Primarily, the cabin design isn’t as flowing and clean-looking, though this one retains a few more hard buttons than the new one. But as I mentioned in my recent SQ5 review, this isn’t really a problem for the user experience.

The steering also isn’t as sweet-looking as the new hexagonal-ish wheel in the new-gen cars, though it still feels great.

This one feels like nitpicking, but it is a family car, technically, so it has a bit of a demerit. The cargo space in the first and second rows is abysmal. The armrest storage compartment is big enough to keep a phone or a wallet—and maybe not even that at the same time. It just plain sucks. There’s always the glovebox and the side pockets, but that’s about it—same thing in the rear. The trunk space is excellent, but it won’t help you much if you’re looking to keep a few daily-use items for driving around town.

Verdict

Everyone out there has a car they’d buy, no questions asked, if they suddenly hit it big. Not like, won millions in the lotto, but you know, like if all of a sudden you made like two or three times as much money as you do now because a tech giant acquired your company and everyone got big, unjustified promotions. For me, it’s always been a Defender 90 with the V8 and all the off-road goodies. However, I’m now enamoured by the idea of driving an Ascari Blue RSQ8 with the same wheels and a tan interior around town.

As my friend Max Verstappen often says, “Simply lovely.”

Quick Take

A high-po SUV that doesn’t drive like an SUV.