Test Drive: With Audi Allroad, old is new again
- Driving feel: A-1
- Front seats: Old-couch comfy
- Price: A bit high
Audi's brought back the "Allroad" designation for a 2013-model vehicle that replaces the A4 "Avant" (that's Audi-speak for station wagon).
The Allroad name (Audi prefers lowercase allroad) last was used on an Audi in 2005 that had a subpar drivetrain, but handled rough, unpaved challenges pretty well for a station wagon. The new Allroad seems more targeted at bad weather than bad roads, and that's probably well-suited to why most people buy crossovers or all-wheel-drive wagons.
The Allroad uses a lot of the same A4 sedan hardware that the Avant did, and space inside is identical to the Avant, according to the automaker. But the new vehicle isn't a wagon, says Audi, it's a crossover SUV. Those are popular, while wagons, though practical and nowadays pretty stylish, aren't. So Audi says.
Here's the joke: The new Allroad resembles the 1980 to 1988 American Motors AMC Eagle four-wheel-drive station wagon. The Audi's proportions are more pleasing, but it's amusing to see that everything old is new again. And how perverse. Lower the roof, make the shape sleeker than the A4 wagon and wind up with something that still looks like a wagon.
To drive what Audi hopes is a not-wagon is expensive. The Allroad starts at $3,200 more than the A4 Avant did, or $3,220 more if you count the $20 increase in the shipping charge for 2013 models. Allroad is $40,495 and up, including shipping.
Audi says the higher price buys you bigger mirrors and tires, nicer exterior trim (mainly stainless steel), underbody protection in case you actually tackle a rough road and a wider stance.
The nicely equipped test model was $47,870, and can go a lot higher if you love to check the boxes on the options sheet. We found nothing of substance missing from the test vehicle, however.
Allroad's most logical direct rival, the popular BMW X3, starts at $39,395. It makes no claim of off-roading, only effective going in snow and other challenging weather conditions.
Fuel-economy rating is one or two mpg lower on the Allroad than the departed A4 Avant. Allroad weighs only 77 pounds more, the maker says, and transmission gear ratios, which can account for a mileage disparity, are the same. The other key ratio, called final drive, is different, but the Allroad uses taller tires than the Avant, and that should compensate for the ratio difference and not affect mpg. So, go figure.
Allroad is rated 23 mpg in the most-relevant mode, combined city/highway driving, and Avant was 24. City and highway numbers differ, too.
But the point is driving. And Allroad is a champ at that.
A remarkable blend of luxurious smoothness and edgy sportiness, and as comfortable as an old leather couch. At least in front. Back-bench riders might find things a bit snug, though comfy enough for those of proper size.
The drivetrain's the headline feature. It's a turbocharged, 2-liter four-cylinder mated to an eight-speed automatic, unchanged from last year's A4 models on paper, but the setup moves the Allroad so nicely you have to wonder if some magic has happened.
Allroad goes about its business as if it has a good-size V-6 under the hood, not a four-cylinder. Driven in frisky fashion, as Allroad invites, you'll wind up with mileage no better than the midteens. But ease off just a bit and the weighty wagon is good for about 20 mpg. We consider that more than respectable for a two-ton buggy able to move out briskly on demand.
The dashboard cloaks Audi's typically complicated controls quite nicely, giving the impression of a simple, straightforward vehicle inside. And in many ways it is. But just try to set a radio station button, for example, and you're reminded how complicated the simple tasks have become.
Steering and brakes, good enough on most modern cars to take for granted, are superior on Allroad. Responsive but not twitchy or overboosted.
It feels like a car you could pilot for long stretches without fatigue.
What? Replacement for the A4 Avant (aka station wagon) that's intended to be more appealing by looking less like a wagon, more SUV-ish. A four-door, all-wheel-drive, compact wagon/SUV. The name last was used in 2005 on a similar wagon/SUV combo.
When? On sale since May.
Where? Made at Ingolstadt, Germany.
How much? Starts at $40,495 including $875 shipping (or $3,220 more than 2012 A4 Avant starting price). Well-equipped test car: $47,870.
What makes it go? 2-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder rated 211 horsepower at 4,300 rpm and 258 pounds-feet of torque at 1,500, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with sport and manual-shift modes. Quattro all-wheel drive standard.
How big? Same as A4 Avant wagon. Slightly longer, narrower, lighter than rival BMW X3. Allroad is 185.9 inches long, 72.5 in. wide, 58 in. tall on 110.4-in. wheelbase. Weighs 3,891 lbs. Cargo space behind rear seat, 27.6 cubic feet; 50.5 cu. ft. when seat's folded down. Turning circle diameter, 37.7 ft.
How thirsty? Rated 20 miles per gallon in town, 27 highway, 23 in city/highway mix. Test car registered 14.7 mpg (6.8 gallons per 100 miles) in very brisk suburban use. Registered 21.3 mpg (4.69 gallons per 100 miles) in mix of city and suburban driving. That seemed high, but a second check wasn't far off: 19.7 mpg (5.08 gal./100 mi.) Burns premium; holds 16.9 gallons.
Overall: Sweet to drive, but higher price, lower mileage are nettlesome points.