Where each one leads
Audi A8
- Against cars of the same age, the Audi A8 comes out better at its first MOT test (passes 24% more often than average) than the Tesla Model S (passes 1% more often than average).
- Against cars of the same year, the Audi A8 comes out better in New York safety inspections (fails 31% less often than average) than the Tesla Model S (fails 7% less often than average).
Tesla Model S
- Fewer Tesla Model S cars in the Netherlands carry an illogical odometer record (3.8% against 9.8%).
- New Tesla Model S cars registered in Europe in 2022 average 0 g/km of CO₂ on the WLTP test, against 161 for the Audi A8 in 2022.
Only measures that do not depend on how many cars were sold: pass and failure rates against cars of the same age, ratings, fuel use and CO₂. How we compare
At a glance
| Audi A8 | Tesla Model S | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years in the US safety record | 1995–2026 | 2012–2026 |
| New cars registered in Europe | 58,589 (2010–2022) | 61,380 (2013–2022) |
| Licensed in the United Kingdom | 9,740 | 10,090 |
| On the road in the Netherlands | 2,149 | 9,632 |
| In traffic in Finland | 747 | 3,639 |
EEA new-car registrations (CC BY 4.0) · DVLA licensed vehicles (OGL v3.0) · RDW (CC0) · Traficom (CC BY 4.0) · generations: Wikidata (CC0).
Reliability and problems
| Audi A8 | Tesla Model S | |
|---|---|---|
| UK MOT first-time pass rate | 87% | 82% |
| … against cars of the same age | +24% | +1% |
| New York safety inspections failed | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| … against cars of the same year | −31% | −7% |
| Illogical odometer records (NL) | 9.8% | 3.8% |
| US owner complaints | 252 | 3,410 |
| Most complaints about | Engine | Electrical system |
| Model year with most complaints | 2013 (49) | 2015 (668) |
| US recall campaigns | 31 | 38 |
| Manufacturer service bulletins | 15,324 | 1,054 |
| NHTSA defect investigations | 8 | 174 |
Complaint, recall and bulletin counts grow with the number of cars sold and are not adjusted for it. UK MOT: DVSA anonymised MOT results (OGL v3.0); New York: DMV inspections; complaints, recalls, bulletins and investigations: NHTSA (public domain); odometer: RDW (CC0).
Safety
| Audi A8 | Tesla Model S | |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA overall rating | — | 5★ (2014) |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, most recent rated model year (public domain).
Fuel, emissions and price
| Audi A8 | Tesla Model S | |
|---|---|---|
| Official combined fuel use, Canada | 10.9 l/100 km (2026) | — |
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel hybrid | 8.5 l/100 km | — |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol hybrid | 11.9 l/100 km | — |
| Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe | 161 g/km | 0 g/km |
| Average power of new cars in Europe | 238 kW (319 hp) | 409 kW (548 hp) |
| Average mass in running order | 2,184 kg | 2,246 kg |
| Dutch list price when new (median) | €132,661 | €105,200 |
| Average odometer in Finland | 253,000 km | 180,000 km |
Canada: NRCan Fuel Consumption Ratings, most frugal version of the latest year (OGL Canada). Europe: EEA monitoring of new-car CO₂ and on-board fuel meters (OBFCM), CC BY 4.0. Price: RDW catalogue price (CC0). Finland: Traficom (CC BY 4.0).