Audi Q8 vs Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet Comparison 2026: Price, Mileage, Features

Comparison overview: The Audi Q8 starts at ₹1.13 Cr and the Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet at ₹1.11 Cr, a difference of ₹2.10 L ex-showroom. On-road in New Delhi that gap becomes roughly ₹2.33 L. Here is what the extra money actually buys.

Engine and performance: The Audi Q8 uses a 2,995cc Petrol making 335bhp@5200 - 6400rpm and listed torque with Automatic. The Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet uses a 1,999cc Petrol making 255bhp@5800rpm and listed torque with Automatic.

Mileage and running cost: The Audi Q8 Petrol Automatic is rated at 10 kmpl and the Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet Petrol Automatic at 12 kmpl. At 1,000 km a month, the Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet saves you about ₹1.75 K a month and ₹21.00 K a year on fuel.

What one gives that the other does not: The Audi Q8 adds Global NCAP Safety Rating, Global NCAP Child Safety Rating, Integrated Antenna, Antenna and Sunroof. The Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet adds Knee Airbags, ISOFIX Child Seat Mounts, Heads-Up Display (HUD), Blind Spot Camera and Hill Descent Control. The rest of both spec sheets is shared.

Which one should you buy?

Buy the Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet if you drive mostly in the city, you want the lower running cost, and you would rather keep the ₹2.10 L for your down payment than spend it on features.

Buy the Audi Q8 if you do regular highway runs, you carry luggage or a pram often, and you want Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) without waiting for the next facelift.

The one thing that settles it: Audi Q8 offers Global NCAP Safety Rating.

Before you sign anything:

Ex-showroom price is not what you pay. Add registration, road tax, insurance and handling, and expect the final figure to land ten to twelve percent higher. Road tax changes state to state, so a car that costs the same in two cities does not cost the same to own.

Ask the dealer four things before you book. What is the current waiting period for the variant you want. What is the on-road figure.

Then drive both cars back to back on the same day, on a road you actually use. Take your family. Put your usual luggage in the boot. Most people decide in the first ten minutes, and it is rarely for the reason they expected.