The 2013 Audi Allroad: What the critics say

Car and Driver

Audi calls it an “allroad” vehicle, but this jacked-up station wagon is not intended for off-road use. Along with some exterior cladding suited only for well-groomed gravel drives, it does, however, offer many high-end features—a luxurious interior, Audi’s competent 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, plus handling that is just “a few notches below sporty.”

TheTruthAboutCars.com

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

It remains to be seen whether the Allroad is “more than just a fancy name.” The car “feels like a compact” inside, and the otherwise energetic, fuel-efficient 211-hp engine gets “a little winded passing on an uphill.” The rest is “tasteful Audi fare,” with options that include Google Earth navigation and adaptive cruise control. The Allroad is a good car, “but not a special one.”

Albany, N.Y., Times Union

The Allroad isn’t easily categorized, so we’ll just call it a “classy crossover.” It’s obviously designed for navigating well-kept roads, but with all-wheel drive, high ground clearance, and performance settings that recalibrate the suspension, transmission, steering, and engine responsiveness to suit prevailing pavement conditions, “light off-roading is well within the car’s range.” If you’re looking for a “refined, interesting alternative” to the SUVs and sedans that fill today’s roads, this semitough wagon is “luxurious enough to make you forget that it’s practical.”