well i have heard enough problems from everyone to strongly doubt a purchace of a 01' allroad. as much as i loved my a6 i dont know if i will be able to afford to fix all the problems that everyone seems to be having. i am looking strongly at getting an outback or wrx and investing a good chunk of the money i save into mods or possibly a volvo crosscountry. as much as i love audis, it seems that there is just one problem after another. without a warrenty the bills would pile up pretty fast. I tend to drive around 25000 miles a year or so and i have a feeling that i would burn out an allroad much too fast to enjoy for any long amount of time. Anyone here have anything to say to convince me to stick with the allroad? i say yes but my wallet says hell no.

 

I have had minor issues with my allroad and nothing that would classify as OMFG (except the turbos, but I was ready for that situation). But it's true one would/should not own a turbo charged Audi out of warranty. However a certified 01 should give you 3-4 years of solid use (I imagine).

Subaru is a solid car, the new models have lots of potential, but again it's still a Subaru, and while the interiors are getting better, they are and will never be in the Audi class of interior, creature comforts etc.etc.etc.

Investing is always a smart thing, if you can go from your nice comfortable A6 to a subaru and bank your money, then that's the best choice to make. If you can't "like me" get over the Audi interior and buy something that is much lesser in quality, then the Audi or Volvo is the way to go.

I will be looking at a Volvo with the wife, but she likes that lame *** X90 or whatever it is, the Wagon/Suv thang..

But price them both, drive them both, passenger in both, look for required cargo room and make the decision that is right for you.

But don't let a few stories of problems scare you away, every Audi has their issues, hell every car has their issues

Tory

 

you will have just as many problems with a scoobie, may be a little cheaper to maintain, but find an assured allroad, and you won't have to pay for anything, can't beat the comfort, performance and style.

 

There is such a HUGE difference between the interior quality of the Audi from the Subaru. And if status, class, or any of that stuff matters, Audi is way way ahead. I sat in a Subaru Outback at the car show and I found the interior to be just way too crude for my tastes. Your mileage may vary.

 

I went from an Outback to a 2002 allroad, and can't imagine going back. The comfort and attention to detail in the allroad blow away the Subaru. I just had my 30,000 mile service, and the only maintenance done has been oil changes and a window speed adjustment. Remember, those with no issues don't post their non-problems.

 

I had, and my kids still have, two Subaru Outbacks. They are superb cars: reliable, functional and well-equipped. After turning over the second Outback to my daughter, I bought a VW Passat 4-motion (Quattro) wagon, another excellent car that was bigger than the then-current Audi A4. It was roughly the same size as the Outback but more nicely appointed. It was also more powerful and had the Tiptronic transmission and superior AWD. (I had the V6 at the time that Subaru only offered the H4.) I sold the VW to a friend who still has it and loves it.

I sold the Passat to get a 2002 allroad which I still own. For me, it is the perfect car. Everything about it is first class. The interior is as good as it gets. It has the same excellent AWD and Tiptronic as the Passat but with a more powerful engine. The interior space is better than either the VW or the Subarus. And it is an outstandingly beautiful car.

There are minor differences between the 2001 and the 2002 allroads. From what I understand, the 2002 fixed some minor annoyances in the 2001 and is the year to get -- lucky me -- but I cannot imagine that the differences are large enough to make a real difference in your decision.

Subarus are excellent cars, well-made, well-equipped and reliable. I recommend them without reservation. The Passat V6 with 4-Motion is an excellent car as well. It has a nicer interior than the Outback and has a better transmission and engine than the 4 cylinder Subaru. If price is a major issue for you, I would suggest you look at the 4-motion Passat as well as the Outback. Both are excellent cars.

The fact that I drive an allroad after owning (and liking) both the Subaru and the Passat tells you which I think is the best. More to the point, it tells you that I think that the advantages of the allroad are worth the extra money that it cost me. All cars have strengths and weaknesses but the weaknesses of the allroad are very few. Notwithstanding the reports of minor problems -- and a few major ones -- on this forum, the allroad seems to be a very reliable vehicle. The reports of problems seem to be random and inconsistent rather than pointing to an endemic fault in the design or manufacture of the car. On the other hand, most of the reports here seem to be about how to enhance the car (generally only esthetically) with the unspoken assumption that the poster will be keeping his car for a long time. As you can see from the list in my sig, I would count myself in that number.

 

Agree with Flyer and Lex!

 

thanks for all your comments. Now i can get an allroad and feel really guilty about it : )

 

Subi is a rock. and performs well as daily commuiter. 80 miles per day in all weather. and the ar does around the same on avg. But like others have said it the finish of car and performance that makes the difference. The sube driver in the family feel a car is just a car. But she realy wants the ar.

 

Initially, I thought I would turn over my AR when lease is over. But now that I've gone 24000 miles with no problem at all, I'm seriously considering just paying the residual and owning the AR until 300,000 miles. I've tested a 01 AR and it's about the same as an 03.