Compare the2025 Audi Q8 e-tron SportbackVS 2025 Mercedes GLE Coupe

Both the Q8 e-tron Sportback and GLE Coupe have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q8 e-tron Sportback 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 GLE Coupe’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 Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The GLE Coupe doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the GLE Coupe.

Both the Q8 e-tron Sportback and the GLE Coupe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback weighs 683 pounds more than the Mercedes GLE Coupe. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The GLE Coupe has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the GLE Coupe’s (12 vs. 5 years).

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’s standard electric motors produces 27 more horsepower (402 vs. 375) and 121 lbs.-ft. more torque (490 vs. 369) than the GLE Coupe’s 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid. The SQ8 e-tron Sportback’s standard electric motors produces 121 more horsepower (496 vs. 375) and 348 lbs.-ft. more torque (717 vs. 369) than the GLE Coupe’s 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the Q8 e-tron Sportback gets better mileage than the GLE Coupe:

The Q8 e-tron Sportback can travel with zero emissions for 208 to 272 miles (dependent on model). The GLE Coupe can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback higher (10 out of 10) than the Mercedes GLE Coupe (6). This means the Q8 e-tron Sportback produces up to 12.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the GLE Coupe every 15,000 miles.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback’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 GLE Coupe doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the Q8 e-tron Sportback’s brake rotors are larger than those on the GLE Coupe:

The Q8 e-tron Sportback stops shorter than the GLE Coupe:

The front and rear suspension of the Q8 e-tron Sportback uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the GLE Coupe, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback handles at .92 G’s, while the GLE 450 4MATIC Coupe pulls only .90 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the GLE 450 4MATIC Coupe (25.4 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 25.8 seconds @ .74 average G’s).

The front grille of the Q8 e-tron Sportback uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The GLE Coupe doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Q8 e-tron Sportback has a standard rear wiper. The GLE Coupe doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Standard air conditioned seats in the front and rear seats keep the Q8 e-tron Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The GLE Coupe doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the GLE Coupe.

The Q8 e-tron Sportback 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 GLE Coupe’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.