2018 Audi A4 allroad Road Test and Review

2018 Audi A4 allroad by Ron Sessions 3dnavigation ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Inhabiting the space between Audi’s luxurious, capable sedans and its roomy, all-weather-ready SUVs and crossovers is the 2018 A4 Allroad. It’s the only wagon Audi offers in its extensive and varied U.S. model lineup. Once common on U.S. roads and routinely pressed into Little League or soccer practice duty, wagons were largely replaced on shopping lists by minivans in the '80s and '90s, and then SUVs and crossovers in this century.

The Allroad’s unique position is to offer a mostly carlike driving experience while delivering SUV styling cues courtesy of its 1.3-inch raised ride height; taller, vertically slatted chrome grille; beefy wheel arches; and protective cladding at the lower edge of the front and rear fascias. Sizewise, the Allroad stretches 3.4 inches longer than the $3,000 less-expensive Q5 SUV, but is more than a foot shorter than the $5,400 pricier Q7. The A4 Allroad compares to similarly lifted luxury wagons such as the comparably priced Volvo V60 Cross Country, and the more mainstream-priced Volkswagen Golf Alltrack and Subaru Outback. Including $975 destination, the Allroad's base prices start at $45,475 for the well-equipped “base” Premium and span to $53,975 for the range-topping Prestige.

Elevated Luxury, Easy Entry

As with other lifted wagons, the A4 Allroad offers a slightly elevated seating position to give a hint of SUV flavor, but not too much. Getting in is easy, there’s no step up, no running boards to deal with. The Allroad’s highly supportive and comfortable leather-slathered seats aren’t even as tall-riding as the Subaru Outback’s, so it’s pretty much an "open the door and slip your butt sideways" move for most people.

This being an Audi, standard equipment is appropriate for the luxury wagon segment. It includes aluminum inlays, a three-spoke steering wheel with shift paddles, a standard panoramic sunroof, heated power front seats with power-adjustable driver lumbar, three-zone automatic climate control, ambient interior lighting, a push-button ignition, a garage door opener, and a folding and sliding center armrest with height adjustment among the fitments. Overall, the materials inside the Allroad are richer looking than those in a BMW 3 Series wagon.

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Out-of-This-World Navigation

The standard infotainment center display is a high-mounted 7-inch flat-panel color monitor, but included with the navigation package and standard in the range-topping Prestige trim is this 8.3-inch widescreen unit that can display detailed 3D Google Earth images — generated by a Nvidia quad-core processor and enhanced with 4G LTE — that appear as if shot from a drone following you several hundred feet above.

The same Google Earth images can also be viewed in the optional driver-configurable 12.3-inch "virtual cockpit" display along with customizable tachometer and speedometer virtual gauges. Also available is an optional full-color head-up display, which projects selected driving information onto the windshield in the driver’s field of view.

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Mission Control

Some drivers may prefer to use a touchscreen for infotainment access, but among remotely controlled units, Audi’s standard MMI system is one of the best. Its control wheel has a substantial, high-quality feel like the tuning knob on an upscale home audio system. Eight audio presets make switching among favorites easy work. Bluetooth is onboard for streaming audio, and the standard smartphone interface includes Apple CarPlay (works with iPhone 5 and later) and Android Auto (Lollipop 5.0 operating system and later) integration via USB cable.

The more-than-ample standard 10-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system can be upgraded to a 19-speaker 755-watt Bang & Olufsen with 3D surround sound as well. SiriusXM satellite radio, HD radio, and INRIX HD Traffic information are other available options.

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Passenger Considerations

The back seat of the A4 Allroad offers roughly the same amount of head, leg and shoulder room as the A4 sedan — which is to say it’s ample for two adults and can hold three in a pinch. Rear headroom is almost the same as the Q5 SUV’s, but rear legroom falls short of the Q5 by 2.1 inches. As with the front seats, there are no gymnastics required to get in or out.

The seat itself is a split-folding design, divided 40/20/40 to accommodate differing passenger and cargo-toting needs. Dark-tint rear privacy glass is standard. Heated outboard rear seats are optional in a cold weather package that includes a heated steering wheel.

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Stuff Space

At 24.2 cubic feet behind the rear seat, there’s more luggage space in the Allroad wagon than you’ll find in a full-size sedan. And despite the A4 Allroad’s gently tapering roofline and lower roof height, with the rear seats lowered (they don’t quite fold flat) the wagon manages to offer a cavernous 58.5 cubic feet of stuff-hauling capability.

That comes within 2 cubic feet of the taller, boxier Q5 SUV’s max cargo space specification. Access is via a standard power-operated liftgate.

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Torque-Rich Turbo Four

The A4 Allroad’s direct-injected 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine comes standard and is the only powertrain option. It's one of those engines that don't call attention to themselves but are always ready and willing for a quick merge into freeway traffic or an impromptu overtaking of a slower car on a two-lane road with limited passing opportunities.

Redesigned in 2017 with more power, the 252-horsepower 2.0-liter’s strong point is its ample 273 lb-ft of torque available in a wide band from 1600 to 4500 rpm, which means good part-throttle response for most around-town driving and less need to downshift to a lower gear to accelerate. The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (also new last year) delivers quick, seamless shifts with or without the steering wheel paddles. Audi says the Allroad will reach 60 mph from rest in 5.9 seconds. EPA estimates are 22 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg combined, not too shabby for a luxury wagon with standard all-wheel drive. Premium fuel is recommended.

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Smart Quattro

All Allroads come with Audi’s legendary Quattro all-wheel drive system. Except now it’s a new system with Ultra technology. It’s the first Quattro with a part-time, on-demand all-wheel drive setup, disconnecting the driveshaft and rear drive axle as numerous other AWD sedans, wagons, and SUVs do when driving all four wheels is not needed to maintain traction.

What sets the Allroad’s Quattro system apart is how seamlessly and instantaneous the transition from front- to all-wheel drive occurs when required. Audi uses predictive algorithms based on throttle application, ambient temperature, steering angle, wheel speed, yaw rates, and such to manage engagement of all-wheel drive before the driver may even notice a traction loss at the front wheels. Standard hill descent control uses the antilock braking system to allow drivers to slowly drive down steep descents without pressing the brake pedal. 

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Precision Instrument

The Audi A4 Allroad wagon is about as far removed from the Beaver Cleaver-era fake-wood-clad leviathans that roamed America in the '50s, '60s, and '70s as it gets. No one calls them station wagons anymore. Heck, the Audi A4 Allroad doesn’t even have the word “wagon” in its name. Standard adaptive dampers do a good job of keeping the Allroad on an even keel, including on uneven or rough pavement, firming up for deep swells and rises and softening to take the sharp edge off hard impacts like potholes and frost heaves. Despite the slightly increased ride height and taller-section tires, the A4 Allroad drives with the same precision as the A4 sedan.

There are five Audi driver-selectable Drive Select modes: Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, Individual and Off-road. The latter tailors throttle response and shift schedules for off-road driving, locks in all-wheel drive, backs off on steering boost and steering sensitivity, softens damper stiffness, and disables the Audi Pre Sense impact preparedness and mitigation system.

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Safety and Driver-Assist Systems

As with many other luxury vehicles, the A4 Allroad is available with a full array of safety and driver-assistance systems. A backup camera is standard, as are Audi Pre Sense Basic and Pre Sense City. Basic closes the windows, tightens the seatbelts, and primes the brakes for impending impact, while the City system can apply full braking to avoid hitting vehicles and pedestrians if the driver fails to brake, working at speeds up to 52 mph.

Everything else is either optional or standard only on the top-line Prestige trim. This includes blind-spot monitoring, vehicle exit assist, and rear cross-traffic detection. The optional active lane assist vibrates the steering wheel if the car is about to leave its lane without signaling. A driver assistance package includes traffic sign recognition; collision avoidance assistance, which guides the driver into an adjacent lane to avoid an impact; and turn assist, which helps out a driver making a low-speed left-hand turn across traffic. Adaptive cruise control with full stop-and-go and traffic jam assist that adds moderate steering guidance below 40 mph is also an extra-cost option. So bring your checkbook.   

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All-Weather Sleek

At the end of the day, the 2018 Audi A4 allroad delivers most of the room and all-wheel drive traction advantages of a crossover suv, but with the ride, precision handling, and fuel economy of a car. By combining that with a sharp design, an inviting cabin, and unmistakable quality, the Allroad achieves high marks on many levels.

Photo by Ron Sessions