DennisMitchell

I have a 2015 S3 with DSG transmission. In normal mode there is a small lag, and in sport mode less lag. I believe it has to do more with the clutch and less with the turbo. In normal mode the engine idles with foot on brake at a lower RPM. Put it in sport mode it is a higher RPM. I suspect the wet clutch is also partially engaged as well in sport mode. This all makes for quicker off the line starts in sport mode.

bob m

I haven't driven the Allroad (was not available 8-9 months ago) but if it were, I would have gotten it over the A4, probably because I'm so used to CUV's/SUV's over the last so many years. I would appreciate the slightly higher ride (1.5") and the larger tires, better snow clearance as well as the larger trunk area a wagon provides over the sedan. And, oh yeah, I really like the looks of that Allroad over the A4.

CoMeader

My allroad had what sounds like the same issue - pulling left when accelerating at freeway speeds, and I was planning to have the suspension/alignment checked when they fixed some other issues. However, it went away as soon as I had my snow tires mounted. That pulling was getting really annoying, so I'm glad to have it resolved.

One of the cars I test-drove also had an issue with being unsettled when accelerating at speed. I was about to write off the allorad, but fortunately I drove another car that didn't have any issues.

CoMeader

I test drove the A4 in May with the sport suspension and 19" wheels (sounds about like your A4). It was a nice car, but I really wanted a wagon to replace my '06 Avant. I took the Allroad for a test drive in October when it came out, and I've been driving mine for about 3 weeks now. I didn't drive them back-to-back, but I think I can give you some comparison.

The Allroad is better handling than I expected, but even in dynamic mode it's not as crisp as the A4 with the sport suspension - that's to be expected given the higher-profile tires and the increased ride height. That said, I find the Allroad to be a well behaved car that you can still toss into a turn and have a bit of fun with. Before I got the car, I expected to keep the suspension in dynamic mode most of the time, but I find that I'm mostly just leaving it in auto mode. I tried comfort one time, but that was so loose it just sort of freaked me out.

From an acceleration standpoint, the Allroad weighs about 350# more than the A4. However, the Allroad has a higher final drive ratio, so it felt like it had about the same acceleration as the A4.

Now that I have my tire issue sorted out, I have no complaints about the Allroad handling. Give it a test drive, and let us know what you think.

dseag2

Thanks for the comparison! I will drive the Allroad. Just waiting for the A5 Sportback to arrive at dealers as well so I can compare them.