Reception
The VinFast VF8 received a widely negative reception after press cars became available to automotive journalists in the United States. A number of well-established and broadly published automotive journalists and car critics have given the VF8 poor reviews for virtually every metric.
Kevin Williams of Jalopnik test drove a pre-production model of the VF8 which had at that time received Vietnamese sales approval. Williams remarked that the car "felt slow", with inconsistent performance between individual vehicles. He was highly critical of the vehicle's ride and handling, with visibly poor suspension control and unresponsive steering. He concluded that the VF8 was an "underdeveloped, unfinished product that, quite frankly, would be an embarrassment in any market."[22] Brian Wong of Green Car Reports also tested a pre-production model: he described the car as having noticeable body roll, poor braking performance, and poor throttle tuning.[23]
Emme Hall of Green Car Reports later tested a production model and noted the car's poor build quality, and again described poor suspension and braking performance. However, Hall praised the VF8's infotainment system as well-organized and responsive, and commended VinFast for its 10-year warranty. Hall concluded that if VinFast had taken a slower timeline to sort through the VF8's issues, "it might actually have a decent car."[24]
Road & Track's reviewer Mack Hogan also criticised the VF8 for poor build quality, and claimed that the VF8 had the worst ride quality and steering of any car he had reviewed. Hogan also complained of poor braking performance and constant alarms from the car's driver assist features.[25]
Scott Evans, writing for MotorTrend, said largely the same, again complaining of poor performance and numerous malfunctioning systems and driver aids, while also describing inconsistent and poor build quality across his car and those of other journalists. Evans noted that most of the problems he experienced with the VF8 could, in theory, be rectified with software upgrades, but issues such as the poor suspension, an uncomfortable interior, and poor build quality could only be fixed with changes at the factory. Evans did, however, praise the car's interior space, its adaptive cruise control and steering assistance, and said that the heads-up display and infotainment system were both impressive but could be better organized. In contrast to other reviewers, he said that the VF8's braking performance was "shockingly good", and said that the car appeared to have much better range than advertised. Evans concluded that VinFast "have the right idea", but that he would "be embarrassed to look a customer in the eye when handing over the keys to this vehicle" in its current state.[26]
Steven Ewing's review for InsideEVs likewise described poor build quality, criticised the organization of controls within the infotainment system, and complained of annoying and persistent driver assistance alerts. He also criticised the VF8's suspension and steering.[27]
Ezra Dyer of Car and Driver also noted that the VF8 showed better range than advertised and commended VinFast's warranty, but likewise complained of sub-standard build and ride quality. Dyer concluded that the car's shortcomings could be forgiven if it had been "hilariously inexpensive", but were unacceptable given the asking price.[28]
