­Test Drive: 2013 Audi A4 Allroad

2013 Audi A4 Allroad. Click image to enlarge

Review and photos by Mike Schlee

Photo Gallery:
2013 Audi A4 Allroad

The 2013 Audi A4 Allroad is a perfect example as to why we can’t have nice things in North America. For years Audi sold the compact A4/S4 Avant (Avant meaning wagon in Audi-speak), as well as the mid-size A6 Avant. As much as enthusiasts adored these sleek wagons, no one bought them. Luxury crossover sales flourished while one by one, luxury wagons disappeared from our shores. The Mercedes C-Class Wagon, Volvo V70 and V50, BMW 5-Series Wagon and aforementioned A6 Avant are all distant memories for Canadians.

And now, another one bites the dust; the A4 Avant is no more. To help increase sales for the non-sedan-bodied A4, Audi has had to ruin the gorgeous A4 Avant styling and ‘butch’ it up in hopes that consumers will buy it, now that it is a ‘crossover utility vehicle’. The 2013 A4 Allroad body has been lifted up 37 mm compared to the 2012 A4 Avant, is 34 mm wider thanks mainly to body cladding fender flares, and is 18 mm longer thanks again to exterior aesthetic tweaks. As well, the wheelbase shrinks 3 mm in the new Allroad. Since the general body structure is unchanged, it should come as no surprise that every interior dimension remains the same as the old A4 Avant.

2013 Audi A4 Allroad. Click image to enlarge

The A4 Allroad begins at a starting price of $45,100 and is available in three trims. Check off all the option boxes and the A4 Allroad will top out at around $55,900. My test vehicle was the mid-trimmed Premium edition with a base price of $49,700. The only option added to my test vehicle was a $750 Monsoon Grey Metallic paint job, which brought the as tested price to $52,445 after destination charges. Monsoon Grey is one of 10 available colours for the Allroad, although, saying there are 10 distinct colours may be a stretch since there are really only three colours, two of which are blue; the rest are all shades of black, white, or grey.

So, has the truck-ification of the A4 spoiled the driving experience? Thankfully, no. Despite its new crossover duds, the Allroad drives just like an A4 Avant of old. Although my test vehicle lacked Audi’s Drive Select option package, the car’s steering feel is just as good as a regular A4 in ‘comfort’ mode. The car handled far better than I expected and equipped with a full set of 245/45R18 winter tires, it stayed planted to the road no matter what the conditions were outside. Under acceleration, grip is equally impressive, but what else would you expect from Audi’s world-renowned Quattro all-wheel-drive system?