2025 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max AWD owner review

Have you experienced any reliability issues with your vehicle since you purchased it?

No.

Have you had to make any warranty claims?

No.

Has your vehicle been serviced at least once since you took ownership?

Yes. The closest Chery dealer (Cardiff) is around 40 minutes away, although checking in was a smooth process. Whilst there is a lounge, there is no coffee facility, so I went for a walk up the road. By the time I got a haircut and a coffee, I received a call to say the car was ready.

There were no issues found with the car other than a software update, and it was very quick to grab the paperwork, keys and go. The car had not been washed, although I think I was there a total of two hours or thereabouts.

Overall, are you satisfied with your ownership experience so far?

Yes. The Chery Tiggo 8 is the largest car I have owned, coming from a 2021 SsangYong Korando Ultimate as my previous car. Within a week of ownership, we were transporting six full-sized adults with ease, although we normally keep the third row down to use the bigger boot space.

The technology has a few quirks, but after getting used to it all, there is no problem. Wireless Android Auto connection is great, although the car has its own maps if I choose to use them, including a display within the instrument cluster, which is great.

There is ample power from the petrol engine, although it is a little heavy on the fuel. I am a car enthusiast, and I have a garage with four cars, all with big V8s, so fuel economy is not my main driver.

The Tiggo 8 is/was the only Chinese SUV with a tow rating, which was a must for me, and I fitted a tow bar within weeks of purchasing it. I also fitted a set of aftermarket wheels to suit my taste, although the OEM are quality tyres with good alloy wheels.

I never thought I would buy a Chinese car, although I compared this one to several other Japanese options and preferred the Chery. I would certainly recommend the car to others, although I acknowledge it may not be seen as the preferred option to some people with different circumstances.

In hindsight, I possibly could have spent more time looking at hybrids, but the Tiggo 8 was discounted in preparation for their new hybrid version, and I don't believe the hybrid could tow.

Mark’s experience with the 2025 Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max AWD

The first thing I noticed about the Tiggo 8 was how attractive it was from the outside. From any angle, the car looks sleek, modern and looks as good as – if not better than – any Euro SUV.

Once inside, I find the cabin to be just as good. The seats are comfortable, the instrument cluster is easy to read, and the interactive screen did not take long to become familiar with. It drives smoothly, and despite some criticism regarding its cornering stability, I find it very adequate considering it is not a sports car. Everyone who gets in the car comments about how nice it is, appearing to be a higher-priced car than it is.

Some of the quirks include the need to restart the radio each time you start the car. It defaults to nil sound regardless of what you were playing (radio, DAB, Spotify, etc.) prior to stopping the car. The active cruise can tend to be a little jerky, like it pulsates and can be annoying enough to turn it off sometimes. Similarly, the active lane keep assist can easily be confused and needs very good conditions to use. Also, I do not understand why Chery decided to utilise a wide-angle rear-view mirror?? This makes visibility out the rear window extremely poor, and whilst I have adjusted to it, my wife is still not comfortable with trusting the visibility.

Another negative, which is a trend across many new cars, is the blind spot behind the A-pillar. A car can be hidden behind the left or right A-pillar all the way to an intersection, so I now swing my head forward and back before moving, just to be sure. Finally, the Messenger text-to-voice volume will sometimes be almost zero, after adjusting the volume of the warning chimes. Several times, I have had to do a full system reset just to get the voice volume back.

I have two cars with dual-clutch transmissions, and in comparison, the Chery seems a little less refined, being a bit jerky sometimes when shifting from reverse to drive and sometimes kicking back a gear when my preference would be to hold the current gear (particularly as it is always in "normal" drive mode).

Like all recent cars, the safety controls can be annoying, with the main one being the reminder that I have not been attentive, although it is good that you can permanently turn some features off, such as engine stop/start.

I run a spreadsheet for fuel economy on all my cars, and the Chery sits at 9.6 litres/100kms over the entire 10,500km since new. This may seem OK, although the vast majority have been highway conditions, and for comparison, my 650hp, 6.2-litre ZL1 Camaro has averaged 12.8L/100km over 9500km. Again, I bought the Chery with full knowledge that it is known for higher fuel consumption, but I was quietly hoping I could get the average down more than that!

I am nitpicking, though and overall I am very happy with the looks, the feel and driving experience of the Tiggo 8 Pro Max. I am yet to utilise the AWD abilities, although I have watched a few reviews in this regard, and it should be able to cope with the basic bush trails or areas I might go without getting into trouble.

I have yet to have any warranty issues, and hopefully it stays this way. I have always said that cars offering a 7-year warranty must have a high level of confidence in their product.

MORE: Explore the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro showroom