Need an off-road estate car?
Then you need the Audi A6 allroad quattro
Audi A6 Avant allroad quattro
The new A6 gets either a 2.7 TDI engine with 178bhp and 280lb-ft of torque or a more useful 3.0 TDI with 230bhp and 332lb-ft, both of which will initially be available only with six-speed tiptronic automatic 'boxes. These engines feature common rail fuel injection system with piezo injectors, and minimise pollution through the use of diesel particulate filters.
A six-speed manual version of the A6 allroad 3.0 TDI quattro is expected to become available in late summer 2006, followed in early 2007 by new petrol derivatives.
The 2.7 heaves itself from rest to 62mph in 9.3 seconds, can reach a 134mph maximum speed and offers 32.5mpg (combined cycle). The 3-litre reduces the 0-62mph time to a more creditable 7.8 seconds and increases the maximum speed to 143mph, yet almost matches the 2.7 TDI for fuel economy, offering the potential for up to 32.1mpg.
Design
The A6 allroad quattro gets an exclusive grille and front and rear bumper design, flared wheel arches, extended sills and stainless steel under-body protection panels. The wheel arches and sills are prominent in contrasting colour, but can be painted to match the body if preferred.
According to Audi, the go-anywhere appearance is justified by the machine's capabilities: diesel torque coupled with four-wheel-drive, a mechanical self-locking centre differential, plus five-level height adjustable air suspension giving maximum ground clearance of up to 185mm for negotiation of difficult gradients.
Air suspension
Off-road, the lightweight four-link front and trapezoidal link rear suspension is said to offers agility and refinement maximised by the addition of electronically controlled adaptive air springs.
The adaptive system offers five modes, the on-road options ranging from Dynamic, which lowers the body to a ground clearance of 125mm for minimal drag at motorway speeds, to Comfort, which positions the car 140mm above ground level for optimum cruising refinement. The allroad mode for off-road use increases ground clearance to 175mm, and for particularly tricky manoeuvres at speeds of up to 22mph a Lift mode is also available giving total clearance of 185mm.
To achieve the best off-road performance, the quattro features a specially revised version of the Audi Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESP) with off-road settings. Pressing the ESP button once activates an off-road mode that primes the system to intervene in a manner which better suits the lower speeds and the different hazards this kind of driving generally entails.
Customers wanting to take the off-road capabilities of the new A6 allroad quattro to even greater extremes can opt at extra cost for purpose-built all-terrain tyres and a reinforced engine under-guard.
Interior
Audi reckons that comfort and durability have been combined. Special monoPur upholstery combining cloth with a hard-wearing man-made fibre has been designed to look good without tarnishing for years to come. It also gets Audi's Multi Media Interface (MMI) system that centrally controls many of the car’s functions, plus a 1,660-litre load bay.
>> Edited by scotia_steve74 on Tuesday 4th April 09:56
jvaughan said:
I intend to get an allroad when th elease is up on my current Golf (8 months time).
Looks like the ones to choose is the 2.5DTI limited edition 180ps.
Anyone know what the road tax is like on these ? or the average mpg (real figures rather than givnment published ?)
By quoting the 2.5TDi ltd edition 180PS do you mean a second hand one of the previous generation, because that is the version with that engine? If so, the road tax is now £195 and the mpg, well, it varies. Round town and pressing on you'll get low 30's, on a run keeping it smooth you should nudge 40mpg, even when laden. These older generation are stonking value now, and most of the 180PS models are loaded with all the toys. Ensure you get the Xenons, the standard lamps are pretty uninspiring.
If you're asking after the latest generation A6 then the diesel engine choice is 2.0, 2.7 or 3.0. At launch the 2.7 couldn't be had with Tiptronic or quattro, and the 3.0 *only* came with those. The range is probably a bit wider now (in terms of drive and gearbox choice) but worth checking. Also be aware that the 2.7 used to have the Steptronic CVT box rather than the torque converter one - which is a personal choice.
Either way, the 3.0 is quite a lot thirstier than the old 2.5 - expect 25ish around town and low 30's average on a run. The 2.7 is better on the juice but not as economic as the old 2.5. But both the newer engines are miles more powerful and smoother than the previous generation, which sound a bit clattery from outside the car. The 3.0 can be chipped to give truly prodiguous levels of torque and power.
scotia_steve74 said:
I could swear I was driving behind one of these with a euro plate several days ago in Edinburgh. It looked very similar to the existing audi's but with a different rear end. The rear tail lights were what caught my eye - all LED and really stood out. If this is the same car it was pretty good looking for an estate. Badged as a diesel 1.9. Gotta be better than a big 4x4 and more practical.
>> Edited by scotia_steve74 on Tuesday 4th April 09:56
All current A6s have LED rear clusters, not just the new AllRoad featured here and they are lovely indeed. Also, they depreciate so quickly that a 2 year old car should be worth about 50% of list. Tempting.
I live on the edge of the pennine moors and whilst driving around the country lanes, on the 3rd setting, it gives a good unimpeded view, often over the bushes, which many normal road cars cannot. Finally, that TDi engine is very sweet, as good a diesel motor as I've tried and I've driven the X5 3.0iD, the only one I'd love to try is the Audi 4.0 which they have in the A8.
I think its horses for course, if we all liked the same thing, life would be boring and everything would be ultra expensive, because there would only be one type of car, most fellow pistonheads have more than one vehicle, my daily dependable happens to be the allroad, just because it does most things that I need very well, if I want to truly have fun, or do a trackday, I'll use something else :-)
huge said:
To fly against the opinions voiced in this thread,which are broadly supportive of this type of vehicle,I have never seen the point of the Allroad,the Volvo XC70 or the Subaru Outback for that matter.They all seem pointlessly jacked-up (and inferior versions of) very good cars.I remember TG mag did a comparison between an Allroad and an X5 many years ago.The conclusion was that not only was the BMW a better 4-wheel drive,it was a better car.If you must have this type of car,save yourself some money,and if your not a badge snob,buy a Subaru Forrester.At least it was designed from the ground up to be what it is.
Its a difficult one this but look at my scenario:
I have re-located to deepest Northumberland. I have a farmhouse which is 300m off the nearest tarmacced road. I have to drive up a rough track. Compound this with the fact that the weather here is unpredictable (It snowed here yesterday yes April) I also need a car that is economical since both the wife and i commute to the North West 3 days per week.
In short I need an economical 4 wheel drive car with high ground clearance which gives all the benefits of a car when I hit the tarmac roads after penrith and the 150mile commute.
I have a warrior at the moment which does everything I need up here but is not suitable for the commute £60 per day. I also am busy putting 1000 miles per week on a Rover 200 Diesel which is ok for the commute so long as it doesn't snow £28 per day.
despite looking I have not yet found an economical, high ground clearance 4x4 vehicle in a diesel.
The audi is the best available but unfortunately not cheap. Subaru forrester is best allround but why will they not make a diesel.
Later this year a second hand 2.5tdi allroad may be the option.
Neil.
I have to say as well I was expecting the Forester to be more "agricultural" than it is,but it is very smooth and refined on the big roads,with a little more body roll than I'd like on the wee roads.
Every vet round here seems to have an Allroad or Forester so I guess its down to personal taste.
I will probably opt for a used current edition 2.5, but will shop around for a limited edition model with all the toys.
I live in rural Hampshire, in the winter the local roads can get bad, I also commut close to the city, so need to see diesel economy.
My Hobby is Diving, so it would also be beneficial to beable to tow, launch and recover the Diving Club RIB which weighs in at almost 2000kg, and also a vehicle that will cope with slippery slipway conditions if encountered.
I really miss my V70 T5. I dont like the new shapes V70's, but the A6's have grabbed my attention. The allroad seems to be exactly what i am looking for.
Cracking car though.
Bigger inside than the 530D I also drove today but the beemer still seemed a sportier drive.
Decisions decisions................
HUGE said:
My Mum has had three Foresters and averaged above 30 mpg on them all,and while no Pher,she's not a dawdler either.I'm guessing the Allroad diesel wouldnt do much more(thats sent you all for the "What Car" knowledge pages)
I have to say as well I was expecting the Forester to be more "agricultural" than it is,but it is very smooth and refined on the big roads,with a little more body roll than I'd like on the wee roads.
Every vet round here seems to have an Allroad or Forester so I guess its down to personal taste.
I have just bought a new 2.5XT, the handling on this is much improved over the older ones I have driven. Only real problem now is traction, the standard fit tyres struggle with the power.
Far from being "neither one thing nor the other", I've always thought that they combined the real-world usefulness of both a fast estate car and a 4x4. Plus both of my father's ones have been faultlessly reliable, not something that could have been said for any of the three Range Rovers he had prior to that.
I met a woman at Goodwood who was a member of some club or other that rallied cars across the world and she had driven her unmodified 2.5TDi Allroad something like 120,000 miles through some of the world's least penetrable terrain in roughly 20 different countries without ever having a breakdown. Apparently her first trip in the car (then brand new) had been to somewhere godforsaken in South America where all the other participants had modified Land-Cruisery-type things with tyres taller than the Audi and had all laughed their heads off when they saw the Allroad. However, at the end of the trip it had acquitted itself so admirably that apparently several of the other competitors immediately went out and bought one on their return to the UK.
Commentary is in German, but the images speak for themselves
http://video.google.com/videoplay?doc
Cheers Dan
Dan said:
Thought this might interest you guys...
Commentary is in German, but the images speak for themselves
http://video.google.com/videoplay?doc
Cheers Dan
Very cool. And QED I might add.
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