On-Sale Date: Now
Price: $39,600 to $48,800
Competitors: Acura TSX Sportwagon, Infiniti EX35, Cadillac CTS Wagon, Subaru Outback
Powertrains: 2.0-liter four-cylinder; 211 hp, 258 lb-ft of torque; 8-speed Tiptronic auto, AWD
EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 20/27
What's New: If the Allroad name rings a bell, it's because Audi sold it here in the U.S. from 2001 to 2005 (it never went away in Europe). The Allroad had lots of baubles and features in that previous lifetime, and it came with two engines: a twin-turbo V-6 and a 4.2-liter V-8.
No more. The latest American Allroad comes with just one engine option, a four-cylinder, and it comes in way cheaper than that V-6, which started at over $45,000 more than a decade ago. While the last Allroad was saddled with mediocre fuel economy (16/22), the new car is 350 pounds lighter and a lot less thirsty. Don't think the smaller engine makes this 3891-pound wagon pokey, either. All 258 lb-ft of torque smacks home at just past initial throttle, 1500 rpm.
Quattro AWD helps to send the new A4-based car to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds. It's as slick inside, with aluminum trim and standard-level leather. The Allroad is quick on its toes too, with optional paddle shifters for that new eight-speed autobox, which shifts nearly as quickly as Audi's vaunted DSG.
Tech Tidbit: 2013-gen Audis with navigation (aka Audi Connect) get integrated Google Earth and Google Street View. This can be mind-blowingly cool, if, say, you're in the Rockies—as we were for this test drive—and you're seeing 3D satellite shots of mountain passes. It's quite useful for city navigation because the turn-by-turn includes (where possible) photos of storefronts and other Street View information. This takes a lot of guesswork out of traveling, but it can be a little distracting.
Speaking of distracting: Audi Connect comes with a six-month-free Wi-Fi hotspot system that lets you turn your car into a rolling Internet café, allowing connection of up to eight Wi-Fi–enabled devices at once. So if you were using that nifty Google Street View function to find an Internet café, now you don't have to.
Driving Character: Americans hungry for a crossover with driving character and snow-chomping capability—your sled has arrived (again). Because it's less porky than the previous U.S. Allroad, it's also pretty agile despite 7.1 inches of ground clearance. Yes, there's some leaning at the limit. But it's manageable, and pushing the Allroad fairly hard over Colorado mountain passes proved predictable but fun, even if the electric steering is a hair light on feedback. The optional 19-inch wheel/tire combo (versus stock 18s) might inject more communication, but the ride quality of this Audi, even on washboards, is very composed. So we wouldn't want to sacrifice all-day Allroad comfort to wring more grip out of an already excellent suspension.
You might figure that eight speeds are at least two too many. But Audi's Tiptronic is fast to downshift. Even if you don't opt for the more expensive Allroad that comes with shift paddles and Audi Drive Select (a mix of throttle and steering response ratios that range from mellow to sporty), you can still manually downshift from fifth to second gear for shockingly direct power access, then watch the tach bounce between redline and the next upshift. The gear changes snap off quickly and the engine revs smoothly, with just a hint of snarl. Think BMW in-line six and, believe it or not, you're not far off.
Favorite Detail: In America, horsepower is the three-electric-guitars-and-a-pyrotechnics-show headliner. Torque is the plucky, unsung warm-up act. But without torque, horsepower is anemic and screechy—all Lycra tights and no bass. That kick in the pants you feel when you're trying like hell to get around a 60-foot motorhome in second gear while crawling over Colorado's Loveland Pass? That's torque, baby, and it's the Allroad's weapon of choice. The Audi's 258 lb-ft is always ready to deliver, especially between about 30 and 60 mph—aka, the fat front lawn where slow-poke drivers reside, and where the Allroad always proved capable of leaving them coughing in its dusty wake, as we did to other crossovers of every marque during our drive.
Driver's Grievance: Audi Connect's Wi-Fi has three major flaws. First, its wireless connectivity is based on a cell signal, which, at least in the U.S. (unlike in Europe), can be weak to nonexistent depending on where you are. Second, the signal comes from T-Mobile, America's No. 4 network, which means the coverage map isn't what it could be. Third, after the six-month trial, you're stuck paying $25 to $30 a month for that extra wireless carrier, and Audi says that at this point there's no plan to work with other carriers.
Bottom Line: The new Allroad has an excellent drivetrain mated to a suspension with a sporty but not punishing character. Its wagon-like interior gives you up to 50.5 cubic feet of cargo space. Those conveniences are nearly beside the point when you're the driver, because the Allroad is just that engaging. But the added utility and all-wheel-drive capability argue heavily in favor of this Audi, especially as an alternative to the typically unengaging tall crossovers that may be as quick in a straight line but get poorer fuel economy and inspire a lot less courage on a slippery mountain road.
Michael Frank has been a contributor to Road & Track, Hagerty, Men’s Journal, Adventure Journal and Outside magazines. His cars have included a battered Ford Capri, a 1960 VW Beetle, and eventually a '92 Miata.
