Author: Emme Hall

2025 Audi Q7 & 2024 Q8 First Drive Review: Audi’s midsize SUVs get midlife updates

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PARK CITY, Utah – It’s not often that I go to a press event to drive four cars, yet here I am, smack dab in the mountains of Utah with scheduled time in the 2024 Audi Q8 and SQ8 as well as the 2025 Audi Q7 and SQ7. The good news is that there are a lot of similarities to these midsize luxury SUVs. The bad news is that despite being refreshed for each of their model years, both (all?) are showing their age.

The Q7 is in its second generation, which started way back in 2016 with the SQ7 joining the lineup for 2020. The Q8/SQ8 might be in its first generation, but even that started in 2019. This mid-cycle refresh is one thing, but there are a few key elements that might only be fixed with a next-generation relaunch.

First, the looks. All four vehicles share the same 118-inch wheelbase, but the Q7 and SQ7 are about 3.5 inches longer overall. This extra length, and the squared-off rear end, allows Audi to shove a third row into the Q7/SQ7. Meanwhile, the Q8/SQ8 gets a sloping rear roofline and a bit more of an athletic presence.

For their respective model years, these midsize SUVs get revised fascias, including grilles and squinty headlights. Bumpers and diffusers have been tweaked. The SQ7/SQ8 get digital OLED taillights and the SQ8 goes a bit further by offering four selectable lighting signatures. Also on hand are new wheel designs and exterior colors. The interior just gets a few new bits of trim, but the screens, layout and design all remain the same.

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Audi didn’t change up the engine options. The Q7 is available with the 45 TFSI – a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine with 261 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, available on the Premium and Premium Plus trims. The 55 TFSI, available on the Q7 and standard on the Q8, is a 3.0-liter turbo V6 with 335 ponies and 369 lb-ft of torque. The SQ7 and SQ8 pump up the bass with a 4.0-liter turbocharged V8 with 500 ponies and 568 pound-feet of torque. All engines are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

I didn’t get to sample the base engine, but the 55 TFSI is a solid choice with enough zing for most drivers. When driving around town, the eight-speed automatic does its job in the background, although it falters a bit when pushed – more on that a bit later. Even without the SQ’s fancy active roll stabilization option, the Q7 and Q8 handle like a dream. Both my testers have the optional four-wheel steering, and they attack winding roads with equal aplomb, remaining mostly flat in the corners and making short work of quick slalom-like turns.

Drive modes in all four vehicles include Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, Individual, All Road, for flat dirt roads, and Off Road for more rough stuff. Mind you, I wouldn’t take these vehicles too far afield in their stock form, but it’s nice that Audi will allow drivers to turn off the ESC for those who want to try.

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Getting into the SQ7 and SQ8 is where the fun starts. My test drive takes place on some of the best back roads Utah has to offer, and these midsize SUVs attack them with vigor that belies their large-ish stature. In Dynamic mode, throttle response is immediate, and I’m able to pass slow-moving trucks safely on the short passing sections Utah has seen fit to allow.

Both my SQ testers have the optional electromechanical active roll stabilization, and this tech brings another level of cornering prowess to already fantastic-handling SUVs. This 48-volt system on the front and rear uses an electric motor that rotates the split stabilizer bar in opposite directions, reducing body roll. This means I can maintain more speed in the turns and power out quicker, all while remaining flat and stable.

However, across all four cars, the transmission in Dynamic mode is a bit of a letdown. I can let it go in the Q7 and Q8 since folks choosing those are unlikely to be driving enthusiasts, but it’s a sin in the uprated SQ7 and SQ8. The transmission doesn’t reliably downshift on braking, allowing the car to bog down on corner exit until the computer realizes I want more power. This is something Mercedes-Benz and Porsche have mastered in their Sport modes, and I expect nothing less here. Fortunately, the SQs have a manual mode with paddle shifters to solve the problem, but it’s still something that should be addressed in the Audi’s next generation.

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Another quibble across all four cars is the steering feel. It weights up nicely in Dynamic mode, but there isn’t much communication coming from the road. This is a tough nut to crack with electric power steering, but again, Audi’s rivals just do it better.

It’s hard to get a read on fuel economy on a first drive, but the EPA gives Audi’s midsize crossovers efficiency ratings that are merely OK. Midsize three-row SUVs from the likes of Acura, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo all do it better. The 45 TFSI does the best, returning 20 miles per gallon in the city, 26 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined. The 55 TFSI sits at 18/23/20, while the SQ7 returns 15/21/17. The SQ8 returns the exact same, but curiously, the two-row Q8 55 TFSI returns 1 mpg worse in the city and combined ratings than the Q7 version.

The Q7/SQ7 in theory has room for seven passengers, but you better hope those sitting in the third row are tiny humans. As a full-sized adult, I’d rather be strapped to the roof like Aunt Edna in “National Lampoon’s Vacation” than endure one minute back there. The second-row seats are also a little cumbersome to flip and fold to allow entry into that third row, but at least the third row is power folding, which is convenient. In the 7 models you’ll get 14.1 cubic feet of space behind the third row (you can see how much that translates into actual stuff here), expanding to 35.7 when the third row is folded. Tuck everything away and you’re looking at 69.6 cubes. That’s about mid-pack in the class. The Q8 with its sloped roofline and shorter body only manages 30.5 cubes behind the rear seats and 60.7 cubic feet of space overall.

The infotainment is pretty easy to figure out, menu-wise, but you really have to push on the tiles to activate them. It won’t accept a simple tap. I’m also not a fan of all the HVAC controls being on a second, smaller screen. Again, I have to really use finger force to activate the tiles, and the screen takes up what could be a valuable small storage location in what is otherwise a storage-light center console.

However, I am absolutely in love with Audi’s configurable digital gauge cluster. Audi was one of the first manufacturers to implement this kind of tech, and it still looks as fresh as it did when I was wow-ed by it those many years ago. Mostly what I dig is the availability of a map, in satellite view no less, front and center in the gauge cluster. And I mean the whole cluster – not a little square or rectangle or circle. The whole thing. Please never change this.

When it comes to the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems in this lineup, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that pretty much everything is customizable. You can set the system as a whole to be Maximum or Basic, but you can also dial in the settings for things like your speed and distance warnings, side assist and lane departure warning.  You can even set the adaptive cruise control to Comfort, Standard or Sport mode, tell the system to take corners a bit quicker and set the speed limit assist to have some tolerance. However, Audi doesn’t have any kind of hands-free/eyes-up highway driving assistant. Instead, there’s adaptive cruise control and lane centering to relieve some stress of highway driving, but the lane centering isn’t great. It bounces back and forth in the lane and doesn’t really inspire confidence. Like the sport transmission, this is something competitors do better.

The 2025 Audi Q7 starts at $61,795, including $1,295 for destination. Buyers who want the larger 55 TFSI engine will pay an extra $5,300. The fully-loaded Prestige tester is a whopping $88,790. The SQ7 starts at $92,095 including destination, and my tester with every single option sits at $116,540.

The Q8 starts at $75,695, including $1,295 for destination. Our bells-and-whistles tester sits at $100,440. Meanwhile, the SQ8 can be had for $98,895, including destination, but again, our tester has it all and sits at $127,640.

Frankly, those six-figure price tags are pretty hard to swallow when the standard ADAS tech is behind the times and the transmission falls short of a good time. If you can keep the options at bay, then go for it. However, it might be better to wait until the next-generation of these midsize Audis show up.

2025 Infiniti QX80 First Drive Review: So close to being great

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NAPA, Calif. – Confession time. I kind of forgot that the Infiniti QX80 exists. Sure, it’s gotten a refresh or two in the past few years, but it's essentially been the same big ol’ three-row SUV since 2010. I’m pretty sure I used to call it Fudgie the Whale. Or maybe it was Pudgie the Whale. Like I said, it’s been a minute.

Now I’ve gotten a taste of the 2025 QX80 and hey, what do you know, there is a lot to like. The third-generation of the body-on-frame SUV goes big on tech, style and comfort, making it a respectable triple into the right-center gap. However, its ride quality keeps the QX80 from being a home run.

Fudgie’s V8 was nixed in favor of a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 good for 450 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Sure, it doesn’t sound quite as good as the older powerplant, but it produces more power and better fuel economy to boot – 18 mpg combined with rear-wheel drive and 17 with four-wheel drive. The old one managed only 15 mpg with four-wheel drive. With low-mpg numbers like these, that’s actually a huge difference. The new turbo V6 is well-mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission, putting the power down to the rear wheels as standard in Pure and Luxe trims, or all four wheels as an option with those trims or as standard with the higher Sensory and Autograph.

There are no complaints about power delivery. It has more than enough grunt for merging and the transmission downshifts readily for easy passing. There are five drive modes as well as a Personal setting, but I spend my time alternating between Standard and Sport. The latter tightens up the steering and powertrain, allowing the SUV to hustle fairly well on a twisty road without much body roll. It’s no Mercedes-AMG GLS, but starting at under $85,000 including destination, it’s not nearly as expensive either.

It’s when you’re just toddling around town that the ride quality becomes a problem. All but the base Pure trim comes equipped with an “Electronic Air Suspension” and “Dynamic Digital Suspension,” the latter function monitoring the QX80’s motions to electronically apply damping forces. This isn’t necessarily anything new in the automotive world, but other manufacturers just do it better. Up and down motions are well-controlled, but I’ve been in row boats with more side-to-side stability. My head gets tossed around like I’m piloting a Jeep on a dusty back road, and all I’m doing is driving the paved streets of Napa Valley, California.

I’d be curious to drive the base Pure model without the Digital Dynamic Suspension to see if the standard coil-spring suspension makes any difference. Unfortunately, there weren’t any available at this press event. As it stands, I wouldn’t buy an SUV that makes me vaguely queasy, let alone $112,590 for the Autograph trim I drove.

It’s a shame too, because there are so many other things that Infiniti got so very right. The styling is 100% on point and I’d put it up next to the Range Rover or Cadillac Escalade any day. Infiniti says the grille was inspired by a bamboo forest – if they say so, but the QX80 has a very handsome face. The segmented daytime running lights are up high and narrow while the headlamps are lower, forming a bit of a dimple on either side of the grille. There is even some cool negative space going on here as part of the aerodynamics, funneling air around the wheel wells.

Twenty-inch wheels are the smallest you’ll get, but the 22s on my tester look right at home on the QX80. Door handles are flush with the body, popping out when you approach the rig, but it’s the rear end that really seals the deal here. The horizontal LED light bar spans the full 83 inches of width, and it’s segmented like the running lights up front. However, the bar is narrower in the middle, giving it a cool, edgy look. Strong work, Infiniti.

The excellent design continues inside with open-pore wood trim and aluminum accents, semi-aniline quilted leather seats and plenty of soft-touch surfaces. The seats are supremely comfy with all trims getting heated in all three rows. Most trims get cooled first- and second-row seats, and there is even an available massage function in the first and second rows. It’s not the most refreshing massage on the face of the planet, but massage is like pizza – even bad massage is still massage.

And it’s plenty roomy, too. The third row is actually comfortable for full-sized adults, which hasn’t been a given for full-size SUVs, and they even recline a bit. The second-row seats take a bit of time to move out of the way, but once they are moved forward, it’s easy enough to get into that third row. All rows get USB-C charge ports with up to 15 watts of power for quick device charging.

Dominating the dash are two 14.3-inch displays. The gauge cluster is configurable three ways, and the center display comes with Google Built-in. That means integrated Google Maps with greater functionality than the CarPlay norm, downloadable apps from Google Play, and voice control courtesy of Google Assistant. What’s really cool is that navigation directions, music and phone calls can be set to play just through the driver’s side headrest speaker, the most novel of 24 other speakers included with the Klipsch Reference sound system (Sensory and Autograph trims). Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard as well, but you won’t get the individual audio function.

Under the infotainment screen is a 9-inch touchscreen for HVAC and drive mode controls. This one uses haptic feedback to tell you you’ve successfully selected a feature, but it takes quite the stab to get it done – a light tap or swipe won’t do it. Just below this screen is the push-button transmission selector surrounded by a piano black surface. Be prepared for lots of fingerprints in this section of the dash.

However, my favorite feature here is the Autograph’s cooling center console box. It’s big enough for a six-pack of soda and tall enough to accommodate larger bottles of water and whatnot. The “Cool Box” available in the Lexus GX is much smaller. At the onset of my ride, I immediately put two bottles of Diet Dr Pepper inside the box and they were chilled to perfection within 15 minutes.

Although I question the utility of some of the QX80’s technology, I can’t deny the practicality of the 170-degree front wide view camera feature. In an Infiniti-designed demonstration, the camera was able to see a child’s bicycle hidden behind another SUV parked just forward and to my right. It was not visible to me in the driver’s seat. The tech is even more impressive when displayed across both screens.

Other cool camera tricks are an invisible hood feature that projects an image of what is under the car to the two interior screens as well as a 360-degree camera that can detect moving objects and comes with eight pre-selected viewing angles. I’m also here for the rear camera mirror, which provides a wide-angle video feed of the view behind the car directly to the rear view mirror. It’s particularly helpful when your rearview would otherwise be filled with the heads and luggage of passengers.

The QX80 Sensory and Autograph have a built-in dashcam that can automatically record any traffic events. Drivers can also manually hit the record button in case of, say, their friend making a fool out of themselves by dancing in front of the SUV to demonstrate the feature. Not that my friends would do that. My friends are more likely to use the in-car camera to take a selfie photo or record a podcast with the video recording feature. It’s certainly a neat little gizmo and you can access the camera through the Infiniti app and get an interior cabin look in real time. However, this still seems like novelty tech.

The least serviceable tech feature has got to be the biometric cooling also found in the top two trims. In theory this infrared sensor detects when a second-row passenger is overheated and automatically adjusts the zoned climate control to max cooling. I mean, it’s handy that the driver doesn’t have to do anything but how hard is it to just set the HVAC for 65 and hit the Auto button? Not very.

As for advanced driver’s aids, all the usual suspects are here, including blind-spot monitoring that works when towing a trailer up to 33 feet in length. ProPilot Assist is here in both hands-on and hands-off guise. The more advanced ProPilot Assist 2.1 even has a two-mode lane-change feature. The driver can initiate a lane change by signaling and then let the car make the steering and throttle inputs. However, I let the car decide when to change lanes based on surrounding traffic and my set speed. As the driver, I have to accept the lane change, but the maneuver is accomplished cleanly.

The QX80 can tow up to 8,500 pounds and cargo space has expanded considerably to better haul kids and their required detritus. Behind the third row is now 22 cubic-feet of space (quite a lot among full-size SUVs), expanding to 59 cubes with the third row folded flat, then to 101 with both rows folded. The air suspension can lower the QX80 nearly 3 inches for easy loading of cargo as well as passengers.

In all, I’m very impressed with the 2025 Infiniti QX80. Its design is stellar, the powertrain is on point, and the features and technology are all a huge improvement over the previous generation. I wish the ride quality were a bit more sorted, but that might be something the company can address in next year’s model or through an over-the-air update.

2024 Mustang Mach-E Rally First Drive Review: Bringing us dreams of the WRC

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Just as Ford tapped into the spirit of desert racing with the F-150 Raptor, so it goes with the 2024 Mustang Mach-E Rally. See, rally drivers are the most audacious (or deranged) folks to ever set their butt behind the wheel of a car. They drive at incredible speeds down narrow roads with a navigator constantly feeding them a barrage of indecipherable instructions gleaned from just one sighting pass. You likely aren’t quite as crazy-pants as famous rally drivers like Michele Mouton or Sebastien Loeb, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a bit of fun piloting Ford’s newest Mach-E trim on the dirt.

The Rally takes the Mach-E GT and adds a few tweaks to make it dirt-worthy. There is a one-inch lift and skid plates protecting the front and rear motors. The front splitter is modified just a touch for a better approach angle. It has a front recovery hook, and the rocker panels have a paint protector to defend against gravel damage. I really dig the larger rear spoiler, and the white 19-inch rally-inspired wheels are an absolute chef’s kiss.

The Rally trim’s two electric motors get Ford’s Performance Upgrade, pushing out 480 ponies and 700 pound-feet of near-instant torque. It also gets the extended-range battery with 91 kilowatt-hours of juice. However, you’ll get just 265 miles of range on a full charge, compared to the GT’s 280 miles or the Premium trim’s 300. Still, it’s not a bad hit to take for something that can deliver so much fun.

I get a few laps in the Mach-E Rally at DirtFish Rally driving school outside of Seattle. This being the Pacific Northwest, it’s raining, and the gravel/dirt course is a slippery, muddy mess. Here is where tires play a key role. Ford outfitted the Rally trim with a set of Michelin CrossClimate2 all-season tires. As a dedicated rally tire, this definitely would not be my first choice, but Ford has to split the difference between range and traction. These get the job done, but those who really plan on hooning their Mach-E Rally in the dirt and gravel will want a rally-specific tire that likely will not be DOT-compliant.

We start off on a small course with the car in the sportiest street mode, dubbed Unbridled — there are also Whisper and Engage modes, and whoever named them should probably rename them (what’s wrong with just Comfort, Sport and Sport Plus?). Regardless, in Unbridled mode on a slippery surface, the traction control kicks in early, keeping oversteer at bay. The steering feels pretty loose, and the torque delivery isn’t quite as instant as I want it to be. It’s fun, but it’s not, you know, fun.

We move to the larger track and I select the new RallySport mode. Now I have the full shebang at my disposal. The steering gets much heftier and communicates a bit more feel into the hands. It’s easier to tell when the tires are close to the edge of grip. RallySport mode doesn’t turn off all the nannies, but traction control is definitely less heavy-handed. Oh, and there isn’t any lift-off throttle brake regeneration. I have to use the mechanical brakes to get this 5,000-pound beast to slow down before a turn.

In fact, I have to brake a smidge earlier on corner entry than I want to, since this car is so porky. Not only do I need to slow the thing down — momentum can end your day in a hurry — but I also need to get some weight transferred over the front end to keep the Mach-E from understeering. But that is nothing compared to what happens on corner exit.

RallySport mode brings the torque in much quicker, and it’s very linear. Combined with the single-speed transmission, it means that I always have power coming out of a turn. There is no shifting here, no turbo lag — just getting on the throttle quickly, squeezing out the power and letting the all-wheel-drive system claw its way around the turn. Do I induce oversteer a few times? Heck yeah, I do! But a bit of countersteering and patience keep the Mach-E from coming around all the way.

I really love what the MagneRide suspension does, as well. These shocks have little magnetic particles that can change the viscosity of the shock fluid. The car’s computer runs a current through the fluid, causing those particles to clump together. The result is a shock that can be harder or softer in milliseconds. In RallySport mode, they even get electronic bump stops to soak up any high-impact events at the top or bottom of the shocks’ travel. So I can be in the middle of a turn, hit a rut and the car doesn’t get upset. It’s pretty slick.

Now, don’t get any fun ideas about the Mach-E Rally being a desert race car. It’s not, electronic bump stops or not. It doesn’t have the ground clearance or suspension travel to handle the challenges of whoops or rocks. It would probably be pretty darn fun in soft sand but, again, the minimum running ground clearance here is just 5.8 inches. It would be very easy to get high-centered on a dune.

Instead, this is a car for those who want to take their daily driver to a rallycross event every now and again. Driving it on the pavement is best done in Unbridled mode, as the steering in RallySport is way too heavy for corner carving on the pavement. The all-season tires do a nice job on wet pavement, keeping the car planted and secure during the Seattle downpour. The standard heated front seats and steering wheel are a nice touch too.

Commuting is made easier by plenty of standard advanced drivers’ aids. You’ll get blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and the like, but buyers also get a 90-day trial of Ford’s BlueCruise technology standard on the Rally trim that allows for hands-free driving and driver-indicated auto-lane changes.

During my time on the DirtFish course I’m having too much fun to really care about how many electrons I’m using up, but you’ll want to pay fairly close attention. The Mach-E Rally can accept a DC fast charge of 150 kW, but that’s just the peak rate – you won’t get that speed for the entire session. However, Ford says the Rally can charge from 10% to 80% in 36 minutes. If you’re charging at home, the 11.5-kW onboard charger is definitely quick enough to fill the battery overnight.

When it comes to the competition, well … there are plenty of electric SUVs on the market right now. The Tesla Model Y is likely its best rival, and Tesla owners are probably the only other folks who would want to rally their rides. I mean, come on — do you think someone in a Cadillac Lyriq is going to head out to the forest to see how fast they can slalom through the trees? No.

However, throw a set of rally tires on the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and you could have a proper race, and I could also see the upcoming Rivian R3 throwing its battery into the ring. An actual OEM electric rally race series would be amazing, but alas, I think we’ll be lucky to see even one Mustang Mach-E Rally with a full roll cage, ready for the 100 Acre Wood Rally.

The 2024 Mustang Mach-E Rally starts at just under $62,000 including delivery, but the good news is that there aren’t too many options to add aside from a few paint colors or three years of BlueCruise. Even better news, many local rallies only require a helmet and neck restraint, so you can get out and have fun straight away. I guarantee you’ll have a dopey grin on your face the whole time.

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