2021 Audi A4 Allroad long-term review: Farewell

The Audi A4 Allroad has been an all-weather all-rounder during its time with the Drive team, but is this enough to justify its price point?

What we love

Very well built. Impressive quality across the board
Excellent tourer on any roads
Diesel offers refinement and punch without rattly nature

What we don’t

High entry price for moderate standard equipment level a bit hard to swallow
Touch-only infotainment screen fiddly on the move
A bit thirstier than we would have liked.

Three months have passed in our 2021 Audi A4 Allroad 40TDI Quattro, and the Allroad has seen all-weather, all surfaces, and all roads.

We’ve travelled just under 4,000km, which included a run down through the Australian Alps, a couple of intra-lockdown country drives, and plenty of urban running about. We saw warm and cool, wet and dry, and throughout all this, the Audi performed exceptionally well as a premium and practical wagon.

You could say, the Allroad is an all-rounder. Cheesy sure, but true.

As a long-roof crossover, the Allroad is a bit of a rare breed these days. Just a glance at traffic will show that most traditional wagon purchases have made way for an SUV, but it seems that those opting for the ‘other’ high rider are doing so to make a bit of a statement.

Even without the optional Manhattan Grey duco and 19-inch alloy wheels, the Allroad is a sharp looker. I’d almost suggest it looks better with the no-cost selection of white paint, given the contrasting trim elements and neat LED head and tail lamps are standard.

Put simply, this is a cool car. More specifically for me, it’s a cool dad car. And, notwithstanding my occasional choice to wear Ugg boots to the shops, I like to think I’m a little bit of a cool dad.

	2021 Audi A4 Allroad 40 TDI Quattro
Engine configuration	Four-cylinder turbo diesel with 12V mild-hybrid
Displacement	2.0L (1968cc)
Power	150kW @ 4200rpm
Torque	400Nm @ 1750-3250rpm
Transmission	Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Drive type	All-wheel drive (Quattro)
Power to weight ratio	82.9 kW/t
Fuel consumption (combined cycle claim)	4.9L/100km
Fuel consumption (combined cycle on test)	7.6L/100km
Fuel tank size	61L
Estimated range	1250km
Sales category	Medium car (wagon)
Key competitors	Volkswagen Passat Alltrack \| Audi Q5 \| Subaru Outback and change

In fact, I made a point of noting other Allroads in my running about Melbourne’s inner east and would say more than half were adorned with bike carriers or cargo pods on the roof, grey-haired ‘adventure dreaming’ 40-something parents at the helm, holding on to that little slice of being different while being sensible.

It’s not the regular Q-number SUV, it’s a discerning choice, and for that alone it should be applauded.

For most of its time in our care, the Audi tootled around town as a daily commuter. It’s the most regular and arguably easiest role a car has, but a great environment to put some of the basics to the test.

Starting with practicality, the big boot (495L) worked exceptionally well and offered plenty of room when moving house. It does have the two-piece cargo blind and protection net cassettes that need to be removed if you have a larger item, which are never as easy to refit as they are to take out, but it’s a minor thing.

It’s worth noting that despite a power tailgate, there is no hands-free ‘kicker’.

There is, however, a powered ‘return’ for the cargo blind, which motorises it back to cover the load area once the hatch door has closed. It’s great. Volvo, take note.

The back seat is roomy and comfortable, even for adults. Passengers have temperature controls, air vents and a 12-volt outlet as well as some of the most well-engineered cup holders we’ve ever seen integrated into the fold-down armrest.

I was a big fan of the integrated blinds in the rear windows too, something which is becoming a ‘must have’ feature for family haulers.

Up front, the high-quality materials and slick switchgear all performed perfectly. No glitches, no squeaks, no rattles. It is a phenomenally well put together car and offers a sense of quality from door clunk to a button press.

The implementation of technology feels premium too, with the full-screen Apple Carplay display on the central infotainment screen a highlight, as was the Google Maps satellite overlay on the digital instrument display.

Everything looks great, certainly at first, but after a while, I found a couple of issues with the usability and overall friendliness of the system.

The jog-wheel and buttons on the console are gone, which does make it a cleaner and less-cluttered environment, with touch now the only way to interact with the screen.

	2021 Audi A4 Allroad 40 TDI Quattro
Length	4762mm
Width	1847mm
Height	1494mm
Wheelbase	2818mm
Turning circle	11.6m
Boot volume	495L / 1495L
Tare mass	1810kg
Wheels/tyres	245/40 R19 Continental

This is easy enough when you are stopped, and works well with Apple CarPlay, but on the move, it can be hard to guide your finger to the right place, and I found I needed to brace my hand on the back of the screen so as to be able to use it in flight.

Over on the instrument display, while you can change the view around, there’s no real level of customisation and it can be hard to get all the information you want in the one place.

But these are minor things, and you do get used to both of them.

Worth a callout on the technology front is the Skynet robot lady voice which lets you know that ‘your mobile phone is still in the vehicle’ when you leave it on the charging pad. As a poster-child for the age demographic of an Allroad buyer, I’ll assure you this is a handy feature.

Around town, the diesel is relaxed and easy to manage. If you need a bit more punch, it’s all too easy to give the throttle a squeeze and extract a bit more pace from the wagon, but even if your use of power is reasonably measured, the Allroad is a bit heavier on fuel than we would have liked.

Audi claims 4.9L/100km for a combined cycle and 5.7L/100km if used in an urban environment, but we saw 9.2L/100km around town and an average of 7.4L/100km over the three months. These aren’t massive numbers, but they are a fair bit higher than what is claimed. Again, a minor thing, but we just thought the car would be better.

Perhaps we were left feeling a little salty when my 1994 Peugeot 405 Mi16 was able to match the 7L/100km fuel consumption of the DIESEL Audi on the run back from Cooma to Melbourne.

Thirst aside, it’s a great engine and really well matched to the car.

Sure it can be a little slow to wake from its stop/start sleep, but on the move throttle response and overall performance are great, and I found that after spending most time pottering around the local postcode, it was a bit of a surprise when the car got up showed some genuine performance when needed. All without an overwhelming diesel clatter.

Ride comfort is excellent, but we found the car would scrub the tyres when turning on a light lock at low speed. This is a factor of the Quattro all-wheel-drive system, but it’s very noticeable and elicits a reasonably unpleasant sensation that makes you wonder if something is wrong underneath.

Again, just a little thing but as you can probably tell, we’ve set expectations quite high for what is a $75,000 wagon. Bottom line, we expect better of an Audi.

Regular urban obstacles are easily managed, and while the car is great in the suburbs, it’s positively brilliant on the open road. Except for one thing.

Sure, it tours well, and if you add the driver assistance pack (which you shouldn’t need to, Audi) it has all the right tech to get you there safely and relaxed… it is just that you end up a little too relaxed.

	2021 Audi A4 Allroad 40 TDI Quattro
Colour	Manhattan Grey Metallic
Price (MSRP)	$70,600
Options as tested	$5781 (Assistance Plus, 19-inch wheels, metallic paint)
Servicing 5yr	$3380
ANCAP safety rating	Five star (2015 – A4 range)
Warranty	Three years / unlimited km

I don’t want to use the B-word, but I can’t call the Allroad exciting, or thrilling, or even engaging. It’s very good, but it is very cold.

The transmission is a great example of this.

Everything about the DSG unit is technically good, except for the placement of the shifter which requires your left shoulder to pull a ‘Riggs manoeuvre’ just to get your hand in the right place.

Once engaged, shifts are fast and basically imperceptible, which is what it is supposed to do. But there’s no theatre, or sharpness or even any sense that you matter at all. The car does what is asked of it and your involvement is purely secondary.

All of that though, good and bad, is almost irrelevant when it comes to discussing the A4 Allroad’s value.

For as good as the 2021 Audi A4 Allroad 40TDI Quattro is, when it comes time to make the purchase transaction, things get a little less positive. Put simply, the value isn’t there. Further, this is only amplified by other cars in the VW-group stable which offers similar size, performance and quality for a far sharper price.

That the $70k price of entry still requires a $3000 driver assistance package to be added to receive what is often standard in lower-rung vehicles is nothing short of cheeky. That you need to keep going to add heated seats or a sunroof is just diluting things further.

I really like the A4 Allroad, and I really enjoyed the A4 Allroad, but I fear that I would be remiss to recommend it against the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack, which offers a similar package with almost as much ‘cool’ for about $15k less.

Because you can be a ‘cool dad’, and a ‘smart dad’ at the same time.

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