Audi A4 Allroad (2015-2019) Review
Need off-road ability but don't want an SUV? You need the Audi A4 allroad: a 4x4 pretending to be an estate car
Strengths & weaknesses
- More economical than an SUV
- Comfortable ride
- Good enough off-road for most drivers
- Not as capable off-road as a proper 4x4
- Poorly equipped for the price
- Feels less agile than the standard A4 Avant
Most off-road vehicles are tall, boxy and heavy. But if you’re looking for something a bit more subtle, Audi’s allroad cars offer four-wheel drive, raised ride height and added ruggedness with the design of a standard estate car. This makes them crossovers - combining elements from cars and off-roaders.
The Audi A4 allroad is a family-size model, roughly similar to estate versions of the Mercedes C-Class, Ford Mondeo and VW Passat.
As long as you’re not planning a jungle expedition, then you're unlikely to find the A4 allroad and its advanced four-wheel drive system lacking. It will help get you going and stay moving on snow or muddy fields.
The A4 allroad is 34mm higher off the ground than the car that it’s based on - the standard Audi A4 Avant (Audi’s name for its estate cars). The extra height makes it less likely to get stuck or for you to scrape the underside on dirt tracks or over large potholes. Some parts of the chunky plastic exterior trim also protect the underneath from protruding rocks and flying stones.
Making the car taller - by using taller springs - also helps it to absorb bumps more effectively, so it’s extremely comfortable on all types of road. The diesel engines (and petrol option) are quiet too, making it an excellent car for smooth, long journeys. However, the extra height does mean that it leans a little more in corners than the stnadard A4 Avant. On rare occasions, it can become unsettled on undulating roads and bob up and down for a few seconds like a fishing boat in a storm. You can pay extra for “allroad suspension” that helps avoid this.
Even so, the A4 allroad is still more economical, stable and leans less in corners than tall off-road sport utility vehicles (SUVs), such as the Land Rover Discovery Sport, BMW X3 and Mercedes GLC. The compromise is that you don’t quite get their popular high driving position, which lets you look over smaller vehicles. Neither do you get the extra feeling of space with a lower roof line and slightly smaller boot than those taller cars.
There’s space in the back of the A4 allroad for two tall adults or three average-size ones to fit comfortably, and the boot is larger than you’ll find in the VW Passat Alltrack, as well as the BMW 3 Series Touring xDrive range. The bootlid is motorised as standard.
The A4 allroad also has Audi’s latest interior design, which is built to the standard of high-end Danish furniture and designed in a simple, easy-to-use way, Quality plastics, aluminium trim and a bright, clear screen give the dashboard a premium feel, but unfortunately it’s let down by standard equipment levels.
Unlike the larger Audi A6 allroad, which comes with a gadget-packed luxurious leather interior as standard, the basic A4 allroad has cloth seats that you adjust manually. You’ll need to pay extra for folding mirrors, heated seats, keyless entry and safety equipment such as rear side airbags.
It’s a similar story for some of the car’s more eye-catching technology, such as the digital instrument display that can show you a giant sat-nav map alongside the speedometer, and the useful touchpad, which allows you to quickly trace the letters you enter into your sat-nav.
Considering that the official prices started at more than £36,000 at launch - before any Audi A4 allroad discounts - it’s a meagre specification. You could have a seven-seat Land Rover Discovery Sport for the same price.
There are also an increasing number of cheaper alternatives to the A4 allroad available, including the Passat Alltrack and 3 Series xDrive - that's BMW-speak for four-wheel drive - cars, as well as the Volvo V60 Cross Country.
If you do choose an A4 allroad, you’re likely to be in a small club: most buyers are expected to opt for an SUV or standard estate car over a tall estate car. But if you want an off-road car that doesn’t feel too compromised on tarmac, then the Audi could be ideal.
Key facts
| Warranty | 36 months / 60,000 miles |
|---|---|
| Boot size | 505 litres |
| Width | 1842mm |
| Length | 4750mm |
| Height | 1493mm |
| Tax | From D (£110 per year) to F (£145) |
Best Audi A4 Allroad for...
Best for Economy – Audi A4 allroad 2.0 TDI quattro S tronic
The smallest diesel engine has an official fuel consumption of 57.6mpg. Our testing suggests 45mpg is more realistic.
Best for Families – Audi A4 allroad Sport 3.0 V6 TDI 218PS quattro S tronic
Audi’s larger diesel engines are even smoother and quieter than the smaller motor. For only slightly worse fuel economy and a little more money, your journey can be even more relaxing. Sport trim adds sat-nav.
Best for Performance – Audi A4 allroad 3.0 TDI 272PS quattro tiptronic
With a 0-62mph acceleration time of 5.5sec, this A4 allroad can match many sports cars, while still returning reasonable fuel economy (over 30mpg in real-world driving).
History
- Spring 2016 Audi A4 allroad quattro goes on sale
Understanding Audi A4 Allroad names
Trim Sport
The level of standard equipment depends on the trim level. The A4 allroad has two: the basic car that’s just called allroad quattro and the allroad quattro Sport.
Engine 3.0 TDI 272PS
The engine size is shown in litres (here it’s 3.0). Diesel engines are badged TDI, while petrol versions have a TFSI label. The engine’s power is shown in horsepower, which is commonly written as PS.
Gearbox Tiptronic
The A4 allroad only comes with an automatic gearbox. Lesser-powered cars have seven-speed gearboxes called S Tronic. The most powerful car has a different gearbox to handle the extra forces. This one is badged Tiptronic.
Audi A4 Allroad Engines
Petrol 2.0 TFSI Diesel 2.0 TDI, 3.0 V6 TDI 218hp, 3.0 V6 TDI 272hp
The most popular engine in the A4 allroad lineup is likely to be the cheapest: the 2.0-litre TDI is the smallest diesel engine, but has enough power - at 190hp - to whisk the car along briskly. You do have to push the accelerator hard for a burst of speed, when you’re joining the motorway for example, which makes the engine work hard - but most of the time, there’s enough performance, even at lower engine speeds, to make quiet progress. Forget the official fuel economy figure of 57.6mpg: you’ll get around 45mpg from a motorway run.
Opt for the 3.0-litre diesel engine for more of a performance feel. It’s has six-cylinders rather than the four of the less powerful versions, which boosts refinement, making it extremely quiet and smooth. The 218hp version (Audi usually writes it as 218PS) is significantly faster than the least powerful diesel - accelerating from 0-62mph in 6.6sec, which is over a second faster). Fuel economy isn’t much worse, though.
The quickest A4 allroad is powered by the 272hp six-cylinder diesel engine. This cuts the acceleration time to 5.5sec, and feels extremely fast because you don’t need to work the engine hard to get a burst of performance. It even sounds sporty.
Few buyers will choose the petrol option. It’s a powerful 252hp engine and comes with a more advanced version of the four-wheel drive system, which can cut power to the rear wheels when it’s not needed, which helps to boost fuel economy. It’s still going to be a thirsty car, though. Officially, it will return 44.1mpg, but you’re unlikely to see much more than 30mpg in the real world.
A4 allroad diesel models received the more advanced four-wheel drive in 2017, helping these to offer improved fuel economy.
|
Fuel |
Fuel economy |
Power |
Acceleration (0-62mph) |
Top speed |
|
|
2.0 TFSI |
Petrol |
44.1mpg |
252hp |
6.1 secs |
153mph |
|
2.0 TDI |
Diesel |
57.6mpg |
190hp |
7.8 secs |
137mph |
|
3.0 TDI |
Diesel |
55.4mpg |
218hp |
6.6 secs |
143mph |
|
3.0 TDI |
Diesel |
53.3mpg |
272hp |
5.5 secs |
155mph |
Audi A4 Allroad Trims
A4 allroad quattro, A4 allroad quattro Sport
Choosing the trim level of your car is simple: there’s the cheapest A4 allroad quattro, and the more expensive A4 allroad quattro Sport, which comes with more equipment as standard.
Whichever one you go for will come with 17-inch alloy wheels, a motorised bootlid, front and rear parking sensors, and an automatic emergency braking system.
Inside, the dashboard has a seven-inch screen and there’s three zone climate control, so the two front passengers can select a different temperature for each side of the car, while anyone in the back can opt for a third setting.
Much of the equipment that you’d expect is standard, including an effective voice control system, Bluetooth for wireless phone connectivity, cruise control, digital radio and Isofix to safely fix child seats.
However, there are also some features that are surprisingly absent on a car this costly. Sat-nav and leather seats come with the Sport trim level, which costs around £3,000 more - based on official prices - and also includes a better sound system, brighter LED headlights and 18-inch alloy wheels
But you’ll have to fork out even more if you want those seats heated. Folding mirrors are extra, as is keyless entry, which includes the ability to open the boot by poking your toe under the bumper (as long as the key is nearby).
You’ll also be tempted by the options list, which has some genuinely useful - but awfully expensive choices.
The £2,000 Technology Pack adds a bigger dashboard screen, controlled by a dial in front of the gearstick that features a touchpad on the top. You can use this to trace letters - to enter a postcode, for example. It’s a quick and effective system. The pack also comes with Audi’s so-called virtual cockpit. It’s a screen behind the steering wheel that displays a digital speedometer and can be programmed to display a big sat-nav map for easy navigating. More buttons on the steering wheel and a subscription to Audi’s online services - including in-car access to Google and Twitter are included too.
Alternatively, you can opt for the vision pack, which includes the virtual cockpit, as well as a head-up display and headlights that automatically switch between low and high beam to avoid blinding other drivers.
Recommended options include a rail system for the boot, which secures a net that keeps luggage secured and the 360 degree camera that gives full visibility around the car and really helps to park straight in a bay.
Audi A4 Allroad Reliability and warranty
Despite its image of solid German engineering, some Audis disappoint their owners. The company was ranked 16th out of 30 manufacturers for reliability in the 2019 Auto Express Driver Power satisfaction survey.
The A4 allroad is backed by Audi’s standard three-year/60,000-mile warranty, which is comparable with its premium German rivals, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Used Audi A4 Allroad
The A4 allroad went on sale in 2017 and though it's something of a niche model, there are still a selection of used models to choose from.
Prices are unlikely to plummet, as Audi A4 cars generally hold their value well and you're likely to need more than £20,000 to put one of these on the drive. Even the previous-generation A4 allroad - which is looking dated, still sells for high prices.
This will help reduce the cost of financing one using PCP finance, however, as the difference between the initial cash price and what it's expected to be worth at the end of the contract is relatively low, shrinking your monthly payments.
Even Audi expects that the A4 allroad will sell in low volumes, so there is unlikely to ever be a wide range of models to choose from.