At the figurative top of the Audi crossover range, the Q8’s menu of standard and optional items is impressive.

This year, the 2019 Audi Q8 is offered in Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trims and costs $68,395 to start.

Base cars don’t skimp on the good stuff either. Every Q8 is equipped with at least 20-inch wheels, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch touchscreen for infotainment with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, an 8.6-inch touchscreen for vehicle functions and climate controls, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, panoramic sunroof, and active safety features we cover above. Optional equipment ranges from performance add-ons to driver-assistance technology, upgraded audio, and bigger wheels, but most spend-up extras are bundled into pricier trim levels or large packages that add thousands to the bottom line.

We give the Q8 a 7 out of 10 for features based on its exceptional standard equipment and its advanced infotainment system. (Read more about how we rate cars.)

Top-trimmed Q8 Prestige models cost more than $77,000 and add advanced matrix headlights, a head-up display, leather dashboard, 21-inch wheels, premium audio, a surround-view camera system, four-zone climate control, and a driver assistance package that’s optional on other levels.

Audi typically bundles its best deal in the middle, at the Premium Plus trim level for the Q8. For more than $72,000, the Q8 Premium Plus offers nearly identical features to the Prestige trim, but skips the head-up display, leather dash, and matrix headlights. (They can all be subbed in for more money if they pique your interest.)

A first-year package for the Q8 adds black exterior trim pieces, 22-inch wheels, red brake calipers, and other small appearance options for $2,650. Skip it, we’d say, and opt instead for a driver assistance package (standard on Prestige, optional on Premium Plus) that adds for $2,750 active lane control, adaptive cruise control, and traffic sign recognition. In some cities, a transponder in the car communicates with traffic lights to show drivers on the instrument cluster how long they’ll be stopped at an intersection.

An adaptive air suspension is available and bundled with rear-wheel steering to make the Audi Q8 more comfortable and maneuverable at slow speeds. It costs $2,750 and is optional at every trim level.

Audi MMI

Like the A6, A7, A8, and E-tron, the Q8 receives Audi’s latest infotainment system, dubbed MMI. The system uses upper and lower touchscreens for infotainment and vehicle controls, and most versions are paired with a 12.3-inch digital instrument screen, which is standard on the Q8.

The Q8’s 10.1-inch touchscreen for infotainment is crisp and responsive, easily navigable with clear menus and standard navigation. The Q8 can use cellular data to download satellite images for the maps and curated lists for nearby restaurants from Yelp.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can run wirelessly on the new Audi system, too. When placed on the wireless smartphone charger underneath the center armrest, the Q8 boosts the phone’s signal and offers a safe, and smart, way to use a smartphone in the car.

The new MMI system recognizes voice commands for vehicle functions, but doesn’t connect to the internet natively for smart-assistant features (i.e. “Who won the Cowboys game last night?”)

Compared to luxury rivals, the Audi system is similarly impressive and responsive, but lacks the dead-simple intuitive menu system of Tesla’s infotainment software and the baked-in internet connectivity of Mercedes-Benz MBUX infotainment.

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