Takes commitment to own, but boy, what a ride!

I'll say this up front: I bought my 2004 allroad (note lower case) used. Thanks to Audi's somewhat puzzling lack of resale value--the 60 Minutes hatchet job was more than 15 years ago--I was happy to let someone else take the major hit on depreciation. I was able to pick up a 3-year-old car with 20,000 miles on it for half price, still under factory warranty for another 2.5 years and/or 80,000 miles.

Yes, I paid as much for this top-of-the-line luxury car as you'd pay for a garden-variety Chevy Impala.

I'll also say this: This car requires a commitment to own. If you're not a tinkerer, an automotive enthusiast or passionate about driving, don't buy it. Save yourself the trouble; it's probably too much car for you and you'll be frustrated by its liabilities.

The allroad is based on the Audi A6 and looks like an A6 Avant with a taller suspension and pronounced fender flares. In some ways, it is an A6: an interior that borders on art, supremely quiet and smooth at speed, an effortless cruiser and practical by virtue of a large trunk/hatch area. However, the only body panels it shares with the A6 Avant are the hatch and the roof. Everything else is unique to the allroad. The allroad also boasts a 2.7 liter twin-turbo V6 or an optional 4.2 liter V8, neither of which are available in the A6 Avant (though you can get the slick S6 Avant with the V8 if you can find one). The allroad boasts thicker floorpan sheetmetal with more welds for greater structural strength, ostensibly for the mild off-roading of which it is capable. However, the real defining difference is the suspension.

The allroad’s suspension doesn’t use traditional steel springs. Instead, it uses airbags mounted around each shock absorber. Inflating or deflating these airbags can adjust the ride height from about 5 inches of ground clearance up to almost 8.5 inches (as much as a Jeep Grand Cherokee). The airbags also provide a self-leveling function to compensate for heavy loads in the trunk. Similar airbag suspensions have been used on big rigs for decades because of their load-bearing strength and softer ride qualities. They work well on the allroad, giving it a very smooth ride that hides bumps and potholes like a hovercraft. The downside is that they’re kind of soft, even in the lowest setting, so the car leans somewhat in aggressive driving. Nevertheless, this is a wagon that can chase down a Mazda Miata on a twisty country road and still climb over boulders the size of bowling balls.

The twin-turbo 2.7L V6 makes 250 horsepower and 258 pounds of torque, decent, but not stellar numbers in the days of 620 horsepower Mercedes-Benz sedans. But where turbos really shine is in torque production—the allroad’s torque curve is virtually flat from about 1800 – 3800 RPM. Torque is what accelerates a car and is what drivers feel when they step on the gas. A flat torque curve means that the car accelerates like a freight train, gathering speed effortlessly without the feeling that it’s working too hard.

My car has the 5-speed tiptronic (also lower case) automatic transmission (a 6-speed manual is also available). It has 3 modes, automatic, “sport” and manual. In automatic mode, it is unobtrusive and tries to maximize efficiency. Upshifts are barely noticeable and downshifts are lazy. It holds each gear until it absolutely, positively must downshift. It works the way a luxury car’s transmission should—notable by its absence.

In Sport mode, it holds each gear a little longer for better acceleration, downshifts faster in response to throttle inputs, and stays in gear without upshifting when you lift from the throttle to be better prepared to power out of turns. It adapts to your driving style using several hundred algorithms, but I don’t really feel the differences. It’s responsive and smooth in both modes, though Sport mode makes a noticeable [negative] impact on gas mileage, though the car feels much lighter on its feet.

Manual mode is accessed by moving the shifter to the right of the standard gate into its own gate. It’s simple, push the lever forward to shift up, pull it back to shift down. It’s not nearly as quick as even an average manual shifter, and although it’s technically “manual” mode, the computer will sometimes help you out. It will make the 1-2 shift automatically before redline, and will downshift to 1st when you come to a stop. I don’t use it often, mostly just to access 4th or 3rd gears to add engine braking when going down steep hills. I don’t know that it’s anything more than an interesting toy—I’m fairly certain that the computer is smarter than you when trying to extract maximum performance.

Braking performance is merely adequate. The 4-wheel disc brakes are vented in front, solid discs in back. Size-wise, they’re smaller than most cars in this category. I would think that 13” front rotors would be the minimum for a 4200-pound vehicle with this car’s ability to generate speed. They work just fine in regular driving with a firm pedal, but don’t have a lot of staying power if you really abuse them with multiple high-speed stops or if you ride your brakes down long, steep hills. These cars also have a bad reputation for eating brake rotors and pads, especially rear brakes, and the smallish size probably explains it. Oddly the rear brakes typically wear out faster than the fronts because the car’s excellent traction control uses the brake system to stop slipping wheels from spinning. If you spend a lot of time with your foot on the floor in slippery conditions, the rear brakes probably get quite a workout. Figure $400-600 for a 4-wheel brake job in a pro shop, half that if you do it yourself (not difficult at all). Better brakes for this car are on my wish list.

The car bristles with technology, and this is where you’re going to need some fortitude to stay with it long-term. Here’s a sample of what it does:

*Each key/remote is tied to a memory position. Give a key to your wife, and when she unlocks the car with it, the seats, mirrors and climate control move to her specifications. Click it with your key, and it tailors itself to you.

*The optional Xenon headlights automatically level themselves every time you turn them on. And as a side note, these headlights are absolutely astounding. Bright with a sharp cutoff, and the high beams are like flamethrowers—it’s hard to overdrive these headlights.

*The passenger side rear-view mirror tilts itself downwards whenever you put the transmission in reverse to give you a view of the curb next to you.

*There are optional sensors in the rear bumper that tell you when you’re getting close to another object.

*With the cold-weather package, the front and back seats are heated, but the back seats only warm up if there’s someone sitting in them.

*The climate control is completely automatic—set a temperature and forget it. Oh, and there are separate temperature controls for driver and passenger. Audi says the system can maintain a 10-degree difference from side to side. This is great for my wife and me because I tend to like it chilly.

*The adjustable suspension automatically lowers itself the faster you go. It goes to position 2 at 50 MPH and down to position 1 at speeds above 75 MPH.

With all this technology, there are obviously a lot of things that can go wrong. While my car has been problem-free in all of these areas, I always wonder if this stuff is durable enough to last the life of the car. In my research prior to purchase, I didn't find many people with problems in these systems, so perhaps my fears are baseless. The auto-leveling headlights seemed to be the most common complaint, but it was not common. I will admit that it’s pretty trick to watch the headlights swivel down then up as they align themselves each time you turn them on.

But as wonderful as this car is, it does have some very real Achilles' heel issues unrelated to electronic gremlins. The following issues are common to these cars:

#1: Timing belt. This critical component attaches the crankshaft to the engine's 4 overhead camshafts. It also drives the water pump. For years, Audi recommended replacing it at 105,000 miles, but failures were common at 70-80,000 miles, so they revised the schedule in 2004 to 75,000 miles. Oddly, even if your car is under warranty, the cost of this service will come out of your pocket—but if the timing belt breaks and the engine self-destructs (which it will do violently when the rapidly pumping pistons hit the suddenly motionless valves), most warranties, including aftermarket warranties, will cover the rebuild. Play it safe and replace it before this happens because it makes a real mess of the whole car. Expect to pay ~$1000 for this service, including a new water pump and belt tensioners (not mandatory, but a very good idea as long as you’re in there). This is an advanced job that should probably be left to the pros.

Interestingly, it’s rarely the belt itself that fails, but some other related component (tensioner or water pump) that causes the belt to break.

#2: Turbos. Turbos have come a long way since their early days of dying before 100,000 miles. New technology like liquid cooling, engine oil coolers and after-run coolant circulators have really helped to make them maintenance-free and as long lasting as most engines. Those in the allroad have all these updates, and Audi uses an after run system to keep them cool. This system continues to circulate coolant through the turbos after you shut off the engine for several minutes after you shut off the car (you can hear the system running as you walk away). Without this feature, super-heated turbos tended to cook the oil in their bearings, leading to premature failure. This problem was exacerbated by cheap oil (Audi recommends 0W-40 or 5W-30 synthetic oil, and I’d stick to that recommendation) and driving the car hard and simply shutting it off. Your allroad’s turbos can live a long, healthy life if you remember to (1) let the car idle for a minute or two before shutting it off after a particularly hard run, (2) use synthetic oil and change it regularly.

Of course, I should also mention one of the coolest and most addicting features of the allroad: its responsiveness to aftermarket modifications. There are several aftermarket companies that can reprogram the engine computer to make more power. Essentially they do this by forcing the turbos to make more boost, cramming more air & fuel into the engine. In many cases, they can add up to 60 horsepower and 80 pounds of torque to an otherwise unmodified engine without affecting driveability. In some cases, fuel mileage even improves, which is remarkable to me.

The downside is all that extra power stresses all the components of the car, especially the turbos which are working pretty close to their design limits at that point. Love the performance? Sooner or later, you’ll have to pay the piper. Stay stock and you’ll probably live longer, but there are no guarantees either way. Do your homework before “chipping” your allroad. I’m tempted, but since I don’t drive hard enough to need more power, I’m going to spend the ~$500 on some stylish 18” wheels and tires instead.

#3: Torque converter in tiptronic transmissions. Cars built prior to mid-2004 have a known issue with torque converter seals. They fail often enough that the factory redesigned the part. The failure can range from a warning light on the dashboard to total transmission failure if you don’t notice something is amiss pretty quickly. Depending on the damage, you can expect to spend $800 to replace the converter with the upgraded unit, to $2500 for a new transmission if it fails catastrophically. More horsepower will push this limit, too (the tiptronic is rated to about 310 pounds of torque, easily exceeded with a chip). You can check the VIN of your car against the production numbers at Audi to see if it already has the upgraded converter. My April 2004 build car got the upgraded converter from the factory. Maybe it'll fail, maybe it won't, just like with any other car.

Bottom line: If you're buying an allroad, get its service history and have an independent shop check it out. Make sure all the factory-recommended services have been performed at the recommended intervals.

#4: Air suspension. Sooner or later, an air spring will spring a leak. You'll come out to your car one morning and one corner, usually one of the fronts, will be squatting like a lowrider full of Slim-Fast customers. The car is undriveable at this point. Professional replacement of an air spring runs about $800, but you can buy the part for less than $400 and install it yourself in an afternoon. Like the brakes, it's not difficult if you're even a little bit handy. However, troubleshooting the rest of the system can be a challenge should you have problems other than the springs.

Some people have failures at 60,000 miles, some never do. Nobody knows why, but preventative maintenance can probably help--once or twice a year, remove the wheels and clean the air springs. There's a fold in the rubber that collects dirt and debris which eventually abrades through the rubber, making a hole. Cleaning them won't guarantee no leaks, but it certainly can't hurt.

#5: Constant velocity joint boots. These are the joints on the drive axles that allow the wheels to turn and travel through their range of motion over bumps. They are covered with flexible rubber boots that keep them bathed in lubricating grease. The boots, like the rubber springs, eventually wear out and the grease leaks out. Your local mechanic can replace the boots and repack the grease for about $80-150. But like anything else, if the grease leaks out and you don’t do anything, you’ll be replacing the axles instead (not expensive, but more than just a rubber boot). Both of these are probably DIY projects if you know which end of a wrench to grab.

#6: Tires. The OEM tires on the allroad are just plain terrible. They are unique to the allroad and were designed for on-road handling AND off-road grip. As a result, they're good at neither and the soft rubber required makes them short-lived at best (~20,000 miles is pretty average). When replacement time comes, do some homework and buy something else.

#7: Coil packs. There's a recall on the ignition coil packs used on most VW/Audi/Porche vehicles. They overheat and degrade over time, eventually failing. Audi has replacement coil packs available that solve the problem and they are typically replaced without difficulty when you contact the dealer.

I'm guessing that these are undoubtedly the items that the complainers writing other reviews faced. Don't discount their opinions, but take a look at the number of reviews they’ve written. I find that the biggest complainers write 3 paragraphs of vitriol because they're upset, then disappear forever. Don't post angry is good advice here.

These are exactly the items where your commitment to the car will be tested (There's great support on-line at www.audiworld.com. Whatever goes wrong, it's already happened to someone else and they'll tell you how to fix it). If you have an aftermarket warranty (maybe not a bad idea if you need peace of mind) or an Audi CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) warranty, most of these will be covered. But with an aftermarket warranty costing $2500, you're balancing the cost of the warranty against the cost of repairs. Obviously the warranty companies know more than you about the statistical failure rates, and know that your car is less likely to fail than you think. Some cars will benefit from an extended warranty, some will eat that $2500 bill and give you nothing in return except a long, healthy life. I'm going to take the savings and put it in an account for future repairs once my CPO warranty expires in June of 2010.

What you get in exchange for these potential issues is one wonderful car: smooth, fast, powerful, versatile, handsome, luxurious, comfortable and practical. I guess most $50,000 cars probably feel the same way, but there’s not one $25,000 car that can even come close. And Audi’s interiors are by far the best in the industry.

With the right tires, it is completely invincible in the snow and I find myself wishing for real wrath-of-God type snowstorms just so I can go out and play with the allroad. With quattro (what is it with Audi and the lower case names?) all-wheel-drive, traction control, stability control (which can correct some skids and spins), and ABS, there’s not much Mother Nature can throw at you that an allroad can’t handle. To me, quattro is the ultimate luxury.

The highlights:

1) An order of magnitude smoother and quieter than any of my other cars. A joy to drive.

2) It's surprisingly fleet of foot. This big car gets to 100 pretty effortlessly. My 400HP Mustang does it faster, but with a lot more drama. I backed off when I came up on traffic and only then noticed that I was cruising at 105.

3) Related to that, this car is virtually invisible to the police. Everyone was slowing down for a speed trap, and he didn't even glance at me. It's just a suburbanite wagon, right?

4) Dude in a Subaru Outback gave me thumbs up at a light. Nice.

5) Smooth engine--I accidentally bumped the shifter into manual mode and found myself cruising at 45 MPH in 2nd gear. The only reason I noticed was because of above-average engine braking when I lifted. Wow.

6) I'm not an audiophile and don't care much about stereo equipment, but the base system sounds pretty darned good to me.

7) quattro. Strange to be wishing for snow, eh?

8) Best. Headlights. Ever.


The lowlights:

1) For a company ostensibly concerned with unintended acceleration, Audi sure put the brake and accelerator close together. They might be good for heel-and-toe maneuvers (though IMHO it's even too close for that) I'm only a size 9, but my foot still hangs up on the brake pedal fairly often coming and going from the accelerator pedal. I'm thinking I might take a Sawzall to the right edge of the brake pedal...

2) I often inadvertently bump the shifter into manual mode.

3) Although my car is 100% stock, I'm thinking high performance aftermarket swaybars should probably be standard equipment.

4) L a g. There is a peculiar hesitation at stop signs and going around corners where you go quickly from brake to gas and... wait for it... wait for it... GO! I keep thinking the engine has died. This is also related to the unintended acceleration situation and intentional on Audi’s part. There’s nothing you can do about it.

5) Although I'm only 5'10" and weigh a not oversized 170 pounds, the front seats feel a little small. I like a longer bottom cushion that supports my entire thigh, but these seats only hold about 3/4. I feel like I’m sitting on them, not in them.

One final note: Gas mileage is somewhere between a regular car and a big SUV, which I guess you should expect because that’s what it is—a 'tweener. According to the on-board trip computer I see about 20 MPG in mixed driving, primarily on the hilly, winding country road to my office at about 40 MPH. It delivers 25-28 MPG on the highway at 65 MPH. I'm sure these figures are intentionally optimistic on the computer's part, but even if they're off by 2 MPG, I can't complain given this car's capabilities. Just don't expect small car gas mileage in a package that weighs 4200 pounds and has more interior room and carrying capacity than a Chevy TrailBlazer yet can still keep itself attached to the bumper of a much lighter sports car on virtually any road.

For what I paid, the allroad is the bargain of the century. This is an amazing car, kids.