The benefit of that cramped second row can be found behind the seats, where a spacious 782 L of square, carpeted cargo capacity await your groceries and your junk, its closest competitors manage a comparable 793 L (Volvo V60 Cross Country) and another listed at 495 but appearing equally capacious (BMW 328i Touring). Fold the rear seats down and the Allroad increases to 1,430 L, while the BMW leaps to 1,500 and the Volvo to 1,240, and neither of them offer as much rear legroom as the Audi. However, note that a small crossover like the Lexus NX200t manages 500/1,545 L of cargo space, with superior front and rear legroom and ease of entry…

That advantage would have to be weighed against the superior driving dynamics of the A4 Allroad. While I got in wishing for the grace, power and poise of the S4 sedan, those expectations may have been slightly unfair. Powered as it is by the base A4’s 2.0T, the A4 Allroad musters 220 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, plenty enough for driving the 1,765 kg of mass smartly and smoothly, but nothing to stir the soul or elicit squeals of delight from my kids in the back seat.

The eight-speed automatic transmission similarly won’t earn gushing praise thanks to its mild-mannered nature, shifting gears innocuously and smoothly, and none too quickly compared to Audi’s latest seven-speed twin-clutch S tronic transmissions. Audi is wise to skip the paddle shifters that would serve nothing but to add needless complexity, as the transmission’s available Sport mode sharpen response enough to make manual shifting irrelevant, though you can still shift manually via the gear lever if you so desire.

While the latest small crossovers are beginning to eclipse the its car-like efficiency, most with similar space and capability would find it hard to match the A4 Allroad’s 11.2 L/100 km rating in the city, 8.4 on the highway and 9.9 combined. Audi’s Q5 2.0T is slightly behind at 12/8.5/10.4 without managing much better cargo capacity, though it does offer a reasonably competent 2,000 kg towing capacity to the Allroad’s 750.

Managing the ride is a five-link front suspension with upper and lower wishbones, and rear independent trapezoidal links, with mildly raised ride height (37 mm – less than 1.5 inches) for superior ground clearance. While the added suspension height shouldn’t give up much on the handling front, it doesn’t help, so the Allroad’s mission is comfort first, second and third. Adding a touch of suspension travel means the Audi’s normally firm yet compliant ride is softened a touch for a supremely smooth and controlled ride, promising to handle even rutted cottage roads at speed.

Tackle corners slowly and you will detect some body roll and sway, but attack a corner with a bit more gusto and the Allroad seems to shake off the whims of physics and hold a steady line. It doesn’t hunker down and beg for more like the S4 or S3, but it’s more than sporting enough for an average family on the go. In one instance, trying to make a quick U-turn I overestimated the traction and got to experience the Allroad’s subtle composure and balance as it easily responded to a light countersteer, with stability control no doubt assisting and returning the vehicle to its intended direction. A big, empty parking lot full of snow would have been a nice testing opportunity, but such was not to be thanks to our mild December.

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