Compare the2026 Jeep Grand CherokeeVS 2026 Audi Q8

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 Grand Cherokee are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Q8 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help 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 Q8 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Both the Grand Cherokee and the Q8 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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 all wheel drive, night vision systems, around view monitors and driver alert monitors.

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

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 Jeep Grand Cherokee is safer than the Audi Q8:

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

Jeep’s powertrain warranty covers the Grand Cherokee 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the Q8. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Q8 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 8 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Grand Cherokee’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Grand Cherokee has a standard 850-amp battery (900 2.0 Hurricane). The Q8’s 380-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

The battery on the Grand Cherokee is under the seat, which protects it from hot under-hood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Grand Cherokee’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Q8’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jeep above average in initial quality. With 83 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is rated below average.

On the EPA test cycle the Grand Cherokee gets better mileage than the Q8:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Jeep Grand Cherokee uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Q8 requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Grand Cherokee has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Q8 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Jeep Grand Cherokee higher (6 out of 10) than the Audi Q8 (4). This means the Grand Cherokee produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Q8 every 15,000 miles.

The Grand Cherokee has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Q8 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Grand Cherokee offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Q8; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

For better maneuverability, the Grand Cherokee’s turning circle is 5.6 feet tighter than the Q8’s (38 feet vs. 43.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Grand Cherokee has a 2.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Q8 (8.4 vs. 5.8 inches), allowing the Grand Cherokee to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Grand Cherokee Summit’s minimum ground clearance is 5.1 inches higher than on the Q8 (10.9 vs. 5.8 inches).

The Jeep Grand Cherokee may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 700 pounds less than the Audi Q8.

The Grand Cherokee is 3.1 inches shorter than the Q8, making the Grand Cherokee easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Jeep Grand Cherokee amounts to more than styling. The Grand Cherokee has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .357 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Q8 (.39). A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Grand Cherokee get better fuel mileage.

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

The Grand Cherokee Altitude/Limited/Summit uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Q8 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Grand Cherokee has 2.8 inches more front headroom and 1.3 inches more rear headroom than the Q8.

The Grand Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Q8 with its rear seat up (37.7 vs. 30.5 cubic feet). The Grand Cherokee has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Q8 with its rear seat folded (70.8 vs. 60.7 cubic feet).

The Grand Cherokee’s cargo area is larger than the Q8’s in almost every dimension:

The Grand Cherokee Summit can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Grand Cherokee can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Q8 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Grand Cherokee uses the Electronic Stability 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 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Grand Cherokee’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Q8 does not have an oil pressure gauge.

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

The Grand Cherokee Limited Reserve/Trailhawk/Summit has standard front air conditioned seats and the Grand Cherokee Summit also has them in the rear. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Q8 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee stands out above the Audi Q8 by offering not one, but two Qi-compatible phone chargers. This convenience helps travelers with multiple devices to keep powered up on-the-go. Wireless charging eliminates lost or cluttered charging cables and one of them provide more flexibility.

The Grand Cherokee Laredo X/Altitude/Limited/Summit has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Q8 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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

According to iSeeCars.com the 2026 Jeep Grand Cherokee retains 47.26% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 41.69% resale value of the 2026 Audi Q8 after five years, which can save the Jeep’s owner up to $24138 in depreciation.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Grand Cherokee third among midsize SUVs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Q8 isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee outsold the Audi Q8/SQ8/RS Q8 by over 19 to one during 2025.