The two-row Audi Q8 (and the SQ8 tested here) are not the biggest models in the Audi stable. That honor oddly goes to the lower-numbered Q7 three-row model, which is longer, wider and has more cargo space. That means it’s one of the nicest Audis on sale.

It is also one of the most technologically advanced and expensive when more options are added. The Q8 competes with lower-roof versions of luxury SUVs such as the BMW X6 (almost exactly the same size) and the Mercedes GLE Coupe. All can be selected up to a six-digit range.

KEEP IT: Four-liter V8

It’s hard not to start the engine here. The base Q8 is equipped with a 335-horsepower six-cylinder engine, but the SQ8 goes even further with a 4.0-liter turbocharged V8 that produces 500 horsepower and 568 lb-ft of torque.

In practice, this means that the 2024 Audi SQ8 will shoot out of the starting block with quattro all-wheel drive pushing all four tires. Just throw you and your passengers back to your seats from the traffic lights. It also makes overtaking maneuvers easier on the expressway, where the SQ8’s transmission drops down three gears and jumps behind slower traffic.

CHANGE: Stop/start system

In Comfort or Efficiency driving mode, the stop/start system is aggressive and kills the engine at almost every stop. It’s not obtrusive in a four-cylinder vehicle, but here it comes to a screeching halt, making it hard to grip the brakes and throwing the driver forward.

KEEP: Touch screen in gloves

The large 12.3-inch touchscreen works either by tapping or pressing. A light tap activates whatever icon you need, but most screens don’t work with gloves on. Most glove materials are non-conductive, meaning they cannot carry the electrical charge needed to register a touch on a capacitive touch screen.

In the SQ8, the screen can also be physically pressed and it comes with a satisfying click that a button has been pressed. In the northern winter, it is always difficult to remove gloves when using a touch screen. It’s certainly less of a problem in the southern states.

CHANGE: Price

It’s hard to complain about the 2024 Audi SQ8, even with a base price of $96,600. However, with the Prestige package, S Sport package, premium sound system and several other options, it has an as-tested price of $123,990 including destination and handling. That’s a ton of money for a two-row that can be usefully outdone by a domestic SUV at a third the price.

KEEP: Sound

Mercedes engines sounded like NASCAR engines at full throttle. They still sound great, but the smaller V8 is no match for the old German 6.3L. Here at Audi, the latest V8 sounds like an American hot rod when it’s working hard and starting up on a cold morning. Luxury vehicle or not, the SQ8 has a sense of drama, not only in looks and lights, but also in sound.