audihoya

Hi wondering if you readers can please provide thoughts on where the better "deal" is amongst these. What would you choose and why?

1) CPO Allroad Premium plus 2015 - 3K miles , $40K. Previous dealer loaner

2) CPO A4 Avant Premium 2012 - 30K miles. $31K. Convenience & Style packs

3) New Allroad Premium 2015 - $42.5K (attractive 0.00009 MF lease available ~ 0.2% financing)

or...(Gasp!) save $$$ with new TDI Golf Sportwagen 2WD heavily optioned SE for $30K, or fully loaded SLE for $33K!

For context:

I drive in the sierras 6-7x per year where the highway patrol requires chains for 2WD cars, hence the desire (but not a need) for quattro. Chains REALLY stink!

I'm not a car guy /driving enthusiast, but appreciate I decent car that lasts. I drive ~7K / year and have kept my most recent cars 16 years (Trooper) and 14 years ( Saab Wagon) .

If I had time to wait, would consider A3 Sportbackwhen they arrive w/ quattro + TDI or hybrid or a Golf Sportwagen when they come TDI + alltrack.

Thanks for your help

Huey52

imho:
1. Loaners are abused (not by we enthusiasts of course, but the masses). Pass.
2. The Avant has a very nice look, but I prefer the allroad, as you would expect most here in this forum.
3. Go for it. It will amortize nicely and hold its value.

The VW models are excellent and somewhat comparable, but Audi remains the premium line for a reason.

Naughtie

I wouldn't necessarily shy away from a loaner. I recently sold back an Acura loaner that I purchased with 8k, put another 10k on it. It was way clean, just not a car I fell in love with. I figured a few hundred people were in and out of that car, and as such I got it for a ridiculous price. My impression is most loaner drivers just have the car for a day and appreciate the convenience, so they drive to work and back to the dealer, and they're pretty well behaved.

I just recently made the choice between a bunch of 2012 CPO Avants and a couple of 2013 CPO allroads. I hated the *idea* of the allroad basically equating it to what Subaru did to their fantastic, sporty Legacy wagon -- lifting it and adding unnecessary cladding and calling it an Outback (though over unplowed snow you might appreciate those extra few inches of clearance).

I went so far as to commit to an Avant that was clear across the country, but while waiting for the contract paperwork to arrive, I came across an allroad deal locally that I couldn't pass up.

The fact is, despite their similarities, the allroad has a number of subtle improvements over the Avant that helped me look past my dislikes. Also, the 2014 and 2015 allroads get a decent little bump in horsepower.

Plus the Avant seems to carry a price premium that can be hard to justify -- in other words, there seems to be a hotter market for the older style.

I haven't been in the new Golf, but my wife just traded an '06 TDI Jetta for a '15 Passat, and we test drove the current Jetta, too. Huey's right, there's just no comparison to the Audi. In fact, it was me shopping for the new VW and coming across the Audi (and the Volvo v60 wagon) that convinced me to get rid of my Acura wagon.

Nalod

I owned a 2010 Avant and now a 2015 allroad.
Today I got a loaner 2015 A4 sedan PP+.

The Avant was great and the new 2015 has a world of refinements. I was also very suprised how refined the Allroad felt vs the A4 today.

Is it the allroad has the same width as the A5, not the A4? 3 inch lift is noticable (as it was vs. Avant) and has the bigger wheels but the allroad feels "bigger" in a not so bad way. Today vs the A4 the Allroad was quieter and smoother. I know many want that sit on the road feel (which I get on my 3 series sport coupe) but the allroad is not set up that way. To me this is a good thing and what my wife and I wanted for our longer trips. The Allroad MSRP priced at a premium vs Q5 and similar equiped A4 and perhaps there is more than just how its equiped. Maybe baked into it is more sound isolation and other dampening properties.
I am not slamming the pre12.5 B8s but the new transmission and HP slight bump makes the car feel and sound very different. I don't beat on loaners and find it hard to believe you can kill a car in $3,000 miles. We are very happy with our Allroad and feel it was a great value for the money.

TREGinginCO

Yes, the allroad does share suspension components with the A5.... so they are just a bit wider than the A4 track.

Glad to hear you're liking your AR. I've had mine for nearly three years and love it as much today as the day I picked it up.

Nalod

I should drive an A5 back to back to gauge how the difference is. I just figured it was the 3 inch lift that made it feel different. Love the pictures of 19's or 20 inch rims and lowered to fit into the allroad wheel wells. Car looks amazing set up that way.

We are quite happy with the stock set up and not thinking of spending $4k on such an upgrade. My wife is not that into it and would rather have a new piano than wheels!

In stock form the allroad has a great handling ride and comfortable at the same time. Few people know what it is and ask us "why not just get a Q5"??? We reply: Why would we? the cargo difference is nominal and it drives much nicer than the Q5. The way we look at it we lowered our Q5 and made it handle better and rebadged it "Allroad".

We got an amazing price from Audi after our Avant drank too much oil so we need not have paid the premim of the allroad vs. the Q5 normally associated with it.

Huey52

I had an A5 prior to the allroad.

The add'l height off the road does make a difference. A bit more body roll, as you would expect, but surprisingly little given the A5-shared wider track. Audi did a great job.

The allroad's greater feeling of stability is mostly because it's a good deal heavier. It really feels "planted", which is a good thing for a go [most] anywhere wagon.

We routinely take the allroad for longer 'grand touring' drives as it's more comfortable. Much moreso than my wife's Caddy ATS, but then that is supposed to be a sportier drive, even in normal/comfort mode.

As I mentioned before elsewhere I had a Q5 loaner for a couple weeks prior to getting the allroad and it had much more body roll and was less comfortable with less precise handling. Not knocking the Q5 as many prefer it being a true SUV, but not for me.

Nalod

Yes, the WEIGHT would contribute. I did have an avant and never felt it was heavier. In fact, the avants for years were the high performance variants in the A4/A6 line because better weight distribution. I'm thinking it was the RS variants not that were for Euro consumption only! Regardless the Allroad is priced fairly given its charms but the masses won't recognize those atributes on a short test drive.

In the CUV space I like the Q5 and perhaps all things the same if the price was 10% less I might see things differently as many have done. The Allroad I fear won't be renewed here because they price it as such.

My first was a 2004 2.7 biturbo with manual 6 speed and the often hated adjustable suspension. Maroon exterior with Black highlights the car was stunning and fun to drive. Ate tires 12,000 at a time! I drove it hard in the lowest setting.

monkgj

I actually have both A5 and allroad. I would say in most normal driving circumstances, they drive the same. Only when you start to drive spirited can you tell the difference. The height difference and extra weight is very very noticeable.

I agree with your conclusion of why allroad vs Q5. The allroad is a superior drive versus the Q5 and even though the Q5 has more cargo space on paper, there is much much more usable cargo space in the allroad. Q5's truck is just too short!

audihoya

If anyone cares, I cross shopped the Allroad with other vehicles, and here is my 2 cents and outcome:

Allroad P+ and Tech package in several great colors were available at adealer for just over $42K, about $7K off MSRP.

BMW 328D xDrive about $47K with similar options. MSRP $54K

Allroad Pros:
cheaper by nearly $5K
Side assist is very useful to me
arguably a better AWD system in the quattro
slightly slicker intstrumentation
less snobby than a BMW in my opinion.

Allroad Cons:
No rear seat pass through for skis and poles - a shame for a winter car.
Subscription required for real time traffic after trial expiration
Mileage just ok at 22/28 MPG

BMW Pros
Drives really well, esp in Sport mode
43MPG
beautiful brown interior
Rear seat pass through
Glass flips up while hatch remains closed
All Maintenance included up to 50K miles - only pay for tires and diesel.
seven inches shorter fits my garage better

Decision:
Really wanted the Allroad, but decided the BMW would be all around more user friendly for my needs skiing the sierras, carry surfboards inside, and lower fuel and maintenace costs. If I love it in 3 years, I can buy it. If not, perhaps Allroad will have a diesel solution by then

Allroad was $499 per month despite lower price tag due to the lower residuals ( 53%) than BMW (64%). Leased the BMW for $355 a month before tax using MSDs, the dealer's buy rate, and $2600 domn ( a mistake in hindsight). Should be cheaper to operate with diesel being much cheaper than premium right now in CA, better MPG, no Maintenance