Compare the2026 Audi Q8VS 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Towing
Ergonomics

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Audi Q8 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Jeep Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Q8’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the Q8 and Grand Cherokee have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q8 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Grand Cherokee’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Q8’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Audi Q8 achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Jeep Grand Cherokee has not been tested.

The Q8 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q8. But it costs extra on the Grand Cherokee.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The Q8 has Car-to-X Services, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure.

To deliver safety and visibility under dusty conditions the Audi Q8’s backup monitor has a standard rear washer to keep the view clear. A camera washer system costs extra on the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Both the Q8 and Grand Cherokee have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Q8 has Automatic Brake Activation (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Grand Cherokee’s Rear Cross Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the Q8 and the Grand Cherokee have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available night vision systems and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Audi Q8 is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:

	Q8	Grand Cherokee
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.6 inches
Neck Stress	120 lbs.	125 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	47/47 lbs.	400/347 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Audi Q8 is safer than the Jeep Grand Cherokee:

	Q8	Grand Cherokee
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	60	87
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	128 lbs.	192 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	141	164
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	282	458

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Q8 is 2% to 3.2% less likely to roll over than the Grand Cherokee.

Warranty

The Q8 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Grand Cherokee’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Q8’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Grand Cherokee’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Audi pays for scheduled maintenance on the Q8 for 1 year longer than Jeep pays for maintenance for the Grand Cherokee (3 years vs. 2 years).

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Q8’s reliability 22 points higher than the Jeep Grand Cherokee and 32 points higher than the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4Xe.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Jeep With 2 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Audi higher than Jeep.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Jeep vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 12 places higher in reliability than Jeep.

Engine

The Q8’s 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 42 more horsepower (335 vs. 293) and 109 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 260) than the Grand Cherokee’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6. The Q8’s 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 11 more horsepower (335 vs. 324) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 332) than the Grand Cherokee’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi Q8 is faster than the Jeep Grand Cherokee V6:

	Q8	Grand Cherokee
Zero to 60 MPH	5.9 sec	7.3 sec
Quarter Mile	14.4 sec	15.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97.6 MPH	89.8 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Both the Q8 and the Grand Cherokee have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Q8s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. A disable switch for start/stop is only offered on the Grand Cherokee V6.

The Q8 has 3.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Grand Cherokee 4xe’s standard fuel tank (22.5 vs. 19 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Q8 has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Grand Cherokee. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Transmission

The Q8’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q8’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Grand Cherokee:

	Q8	Grand Cherokee
Front Rotors	14.8 inches	13.9 inches

The Q8 stops shorter than the Grand Cherokee:

	Q8	Grand Cherokee
60 to 0 MPH	141 feet	142 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Q8 has larger tires than the Grand Cherokee (285/45R21 vs. 245/70R17). The Q8’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Grand Cherokee (285/45R21 vs. 275/45R21).

The Q8’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Cherokee Laredo’s standard 70 series tires. The Q8’s optional tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q8 has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Grand Cherokee Laredo. The Q8’s optional 23-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels on the Grand Cherokee Summit Reserve.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q8’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Grand Cherokee (117.9 inches vs. 116.7 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Q8 is .7 inches wider in the front and 1.2 inches wider in the rear than on the Grand Cherokee.

The Q8 Prestige handles at .83 G’s, while the Grand Cherokee 4x4 pulls only .60 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Q8 Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Grand Cherokee Limited 4x4 (26.9 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Q8 has .3 inches more front legroom, .3 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear legroom and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Grand Cherokee.

The front step up height for the Q8 is .7 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee (19.5” vs. 20.2”). The Q8’s rear step up height is 1.7 inches lower than the Grand Cherokee’s (19.8” vs. 21.5”).

Towing

The Q8’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Grand Cherokee’s (7700 vs. 3500 pounds).

Ergonomics

The Q8’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Grand Cherokee’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Q8 the driver can close all of them at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Grand Cherokee can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Q8’s standard Audi Advanced Key allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Enter-N-Go standard on the Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The Q8’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Grand Cherokee’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Q8 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Laser headlights, optional on the Q8 Prestige, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the Grand Cherokee’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Q8 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Q8 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer cornering lights.

A manual rear sunshade is optional in the Q8 and power rear side window sunshades are standard in the Q8 Premium Plus/Prestige to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Grand Cherokee doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

The Audi Q8 has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors are only offered on the Grand Cherokee Overland/Summit.

The Audi Q8 has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Homelink® is only available on the Grand Cherokee Limited/4xe/Overland/Summit.

Compared to traditional radio, the Audi Q8’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio costs extra on the Grand Cherokee.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi Q8 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Grand Cherokee and isn’t available on the Grand Cherokee Laredo A.

The Q8 Prestige’s Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Park Assist Plus will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Grand Cherokee Summit’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

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