2015 Audi allroad: The crossover alternative

Published 12:00 am Friday, May 1, 2015

With a name like “allroad,” you’d expect Audi’s midsize all-wheel-drive equipped wagon to be husky beast that competes against larger SUVs.

But although the 2015 Audi allroad (yes, it’s not capitalized) is capable of light off road driving, it is much more refined than that. In fact, like the BMW 3 series wagon and Volvo V60, it will be bought primary be people who never take it off pavement but want the security of all-wheel-drive and little bit higher ground clearance for snow.

And there’s nothing wrong with that. In a week of mixed driving, we found the allroad to be an excellent sport wagon, powered by a response turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four cylinder engine mated to Audi’s responsive 8-speed Tiptronic automated manual transmission. Although the allroad has a respectable 7.1 inches of ground clearance, it also alloy wheels and lower body chrome accents that discouraged us from taking it on anything rougher than the heavily rutted unpaved streets in our neighborhood, where it did just fine, thank you.

Despite the name, everything else about the allroad conveyed the sense of a true luxury vehicle. Based on the Audi A4, it was eerily quiet on the road, with a well dampened suspension that floated over imperfections. The cleanly designed interior included 8-way power leather front bucket seats, with the driver’s featuring a 4-way lumpar adjustment. The panoramic sunroof let in all the light in the world. The stereo system was better than what most people have in their homes. And the maps with the navigation system were so detailed, downtown buildings seemed drawn to scale.

The allroad is available in three trim level — Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige. Naturally, features and cost increase with each level, but at $48,875, our fully loaded Premium Plus test model seemed a good value. We’ve certainly driven cars that cost more but deliver less.

Although wagons used to be preferred by families, they were displaced by minivans in the 1980s, SUV’s in the 1990s and now car-based crossovers. Crossovers have their advantages, like ride height and more storage space. But few are as enjoyable to drive as the 2015 Audi allroad, which handles like a good sport sedan, despite the addition cargo space. That alone makes the allroad worth considering for anyone looking for luxurious but safe and practical vehicle for the wet Pacific Northwest.

2015 Audi allroad

Base price: $41,350.

Price as tested: $48,875.

Type: Midsize wagon.

Engine: Turbocharged 2.0-liter (220 hp, 258 lbs-ft).

EPA estimated mileage: 21/28.

Overall length: 185.9 inches.

Curb weight: 3,891 pounds.

Final assembly: Ingolstadt, Germany.