Compare the2026 Volvo EX90VS 2025 Audi Q8 e-tron

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the EX90 are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Volvo EX90 (except 6-Passenger) offers an optional built in child booster seat. It’s more crash worthy than an added child seat because of its direct attachment to the seat. Audi doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the Q8 e-tron. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; EX90 owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

The EX90 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

With its standard Automatic Emergency Braking, the Volvo EX90 is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Audi Q8 e-tron, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Volvo EX90 achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Audi Q8 e-tron has not been tested.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The EX90 has standard CTA Auto Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The EX90’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the EX90 and the Q8 e-tron have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

The Volvo EX90 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2026 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test, and a “Good” score in the revised vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention test. The Q8 e-tron has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2026.

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the EX90 for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volvo will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Q8 e-tron.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Volvo vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 11 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Volvo higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Volvo vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 31 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Volvo higher than Audi.

The EX90 has more powerful engines than the Q8 e-tron:

On the EPA test cycle the EX90 gets better mileage than the Q8 e-tron:

The EX90 can travel longer on a full charge than the Q8 e-tron on a full charge:

The EX90 stops much shorter than the Q8 e-tron:

For better traction and acceleration, the EX90 has larger standard rear tires than the Q8 e-tron (285/45R20 vs. 255/50R20). The EX90 Ultra’s rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the Q8 e-tron (295/45R21 vs. 265/45R21).

The EX90’s standard 285/45R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Q8 e-tron’s standard 50 series tires. The EX90’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Q8 e-tron’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the EX90 offers optional 22-inch wheels. The Q8 e-tron’s largest wheels are only 21-inches.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the EX90’s wheelbase is 2.4 inches longer than on the Q8 e-tron (117.5 inches vs. 115.1 inches).

The EX90 Ultra Twin Motor Performance handles at .86 G’s, while the Q8 e-tron pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The EX90 Ultra Twin Motor Performance executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Q8 e-tron (25.9 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 26.6 seconds @ .71 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the EX90’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Q8 e-tron’s (38.7 feet vs. 40 feet).

For greater off-road capability the EX90 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Q8 e-tron (8.4 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the EX90 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The EX90’s minimum ground clearance is .4 inch higher than on the Q8 e-tron (8.5 vs. 8.1 inches).

The Volvo EX90 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 250 pounds less than the Audi Q8 e-tron.

The design of the Volvo EX90 amounts to more than styling. The EX90 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .29 Cd. That is lower than the Q8 e-tron (.29 to .32) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the EX90 get better fuel mileage.

The EX90 has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Q8 e-tron can only carry 5.

The EX90 has 37 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Q8 e-tron (140 vs. 103).

The EX90 has 6.1 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front legroom, 3 inches more rear headroom and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q8 e-tron.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the EX90’s middle row seats recline. The Q8 e-tron’s rear seats don’t recline.

The EX90’s cargo area provides more volume than the Q8 e-tron.

The EX90’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q8 e-tron’s (3307 vs. 0 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the EX90 uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the EX90 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Q8 e-tron only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The EX90 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the EX90 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volvo EX90 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Q8 e-tron.

The EX90 is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Volvo EX90/XC90 outsold the Audi Q8 e-tron by over 46 to one during 2025.