A thorough look at the engine, interior, exterior and driving experience of the 2017 Audi A4 allroad, through the eyes of an actual owner. Contents: Exterior Review 2:13 Powertrain 6:13 Interior Review 20:16 Driving Impressions 55:52
I watched your review almost as if I was cramming for a final exam, I wanted to make sure I knew every inch of the car I was about to buy. Thank you for your videos, they are great! After one week of ownership, I'm so glad I made this purchase. My first Audi - 2018 A4 Allroad.
I just got a 2013 allroad less than a month ago and it has been fantastic so far. I haven't noticed any issues with shifting in stop and go traffic, but I do keep the car in sport mode 99% of the time. As for the issues with the leather seats you mentioned, I would suggest using a nice leather conditioner fairly often and massaging the conditioner into the leather. That will soften the leather enough so the creases smooth out and it helps to keep those creases to turn into cracks in the leather.
Thank you for such a detailed review, Mithun. It is great that you painstakingly went through all the features of your beautiful car. Your license plate is spot on!
Appreciated the in-depth review. I just put a deposit down on a used 17' prestige. This already gave me a good understanding of the systems in the car. Thank you.
Exceptionally thorough review of the car. Best I've seen on this or almost any car. Every knob, button, and function, and all the interior and exterior details. You could own this car for a year and not know all the things you learn in this video.
Hippo Happy you found the video useful. It’s a great vehicle, especially for an active, small family. Let me know if you have any other questions. I’ll be following up with more videos soon...
Thanks for a great review. I have just ordered a A4 allroad with a 3,0 diesel 272 bhp and it will be dilivered V13. I realy loved your comment "For the love of god skip the wooded panel" epic.
Excellent, excellent excellent video really helped me decide to upgrade my 2011 Audi A4 Allroad to a newer version with the Ulktra engine (which I was cynical about as mine is a weapon with the 3.0L). If only all car reviews were as good as this great job!
Hi Buddy, I'm English but live in Dortmund, Germany. My current lease for my BMW 435d Grand Coupe comes to an end in August this year. I was at our local Audi dealership yesterday and had them make me an offer for the A4 Allroad, same color and spec as yours (all black interior). Your vid is very thorough and clarified some points for me which I wanted to ask the dealer about. Thanks for taking the time. Big 👍
I drove an A4 in Feb through Silvercar rental after not having driven an Audi in years and was hooked. They really have done a great job at mitigating understeer. Had great power, balance and was a blast to drive on the Colorado mountain roads. This is on our list along w/the Q7 for our next car. If you haven't driven an Audi in a while, you will really be surprised as to how good they are.
It's true. I have a 2007 A4 Avant and getting into a modern Audi is so different and when I thought about it, I had to think about how my car, while updated, is really closer in technology to a 2000 than 2007. Even my wife (who doesn't drive) noticed the difference from the passenger seat.
Thanks for doing this in depth review. Very helpful. I watched it before I got my 2018 Allroad black on black, 13,000kms. Have now had the car for a month and was helpful to recap. Interesting to note in Canada we use the European names for the levels- Komfort, Progressiv, Technik. Mine is the Technik with the sport package, which includes the 19" Y spoke design which are very cool. You mentioned that in the US just one wheel design is available, which is not the case here. Hope you still have the car, and if so an update on the car would be great, including reliability etc. Rob
I had a TDI Sportwagen as well and sold it back to VW during the recall...and then picked up an Allroad which I absolutely love....I was considering the Q5, but like the exclusivity of the Allroad, the beefier suspension, lower center of gravity, and the ability to tighten it up a bit with 034 Motorsport suspension components.
Ha, I just noticed your license plate. Brilliant mate! We're now looking for a used 2017 Allroad thanks in part to your videos. Oh and yes, I managed to find the same scale model you have :)
I think Audi should give you a nice discount on your next purchase - you definately sold me on this car! Great job. (also, I agree with you on that wood trim!)
What a fantastic video, thank you. I have watched half so far and will be back to watch the rest as it's late right now. I've pretty much decided that this will be the car to replace our much loved 2007 A4 Avant so really am enjoying this incredibly useful and in depth look at the car. Funnily enough my car, which I bought used, has the fake plastic wood trimmed interior that has actually grown on me despite not liking it at the start. I'd intended to swap it out but I still have it :) Cheers! J\
@@VoHoO I think so too. I actually didn't like the next generation after mine but I really like the looks of this one. And it's the only way to get an Avant in North America so... Where did you get your scale model?
@@VoHoO Cool. Yes, I actually did look there and found one but it was quite expensive. I know the general manager of our local Audi dealer as it turns out, I'll see if he can get me one. :)
@@jasonk9779 FWIW, I paid about $45 bucks for it off eBay. You can also order model cars from ck-modelcars.de They ship from Germany and are typically well priced. I have ordered a few from them. Good luck!
Great review, being long, it's also detailed. Thanks a lot! I'm eager to get one of these when the lease of my 2022 Cupra Formentor e-hybrid runs out in 2025. Want AWD and a bigger boot. Otherwise I'm very happy with the Cupra, few cars below 50-60k USD that looks better than the Formentor.
Thorough and great review. I share some of your concerns. I know you love your b9 AR. When you get a chance, I suggest you test drive a V90 or V90CC in the momentum or inscription trim (you don't have to buy obviously). Some of those missing features you mentioned are standard in the Volvo. Never seen a car with great work of craftsmanship (fit and finish) and seat comfort (real nappa leather). No brand is perfect of course. Thanks for the honest and thorough review.
Toc Bikers The V90CC was at the very top of my list. Unfortunately because of the timing (we had sold back our VW TDI wagon and needed a 2nd car quick), the V90CC was still ~2 months away. But having test driven one since, I agree...it’s gorgeous (even though I am definitely not a fan of the Volvo Infotainment system). I even shortlisted the Benz E400 wagon, but wife shot it down as being too big (since she was going to be the primary driver)
Yes, that is absolutely true. I plan on doing a follow up video to discuss the Flex4 platform that Ultra is based off as well as some of the semi-autonomous tech that powers the Traffic Jam assist :)
Hey Mithun. Great video. Super helpful in my buying process. Question. Do you happen to know the length behind the front seats with rear seats folded? The cargo floor length.
I found this review extremely helpful. I appreciated the thoroughness, the honesty, and the passion. I might buy the one I have my eye on with 50k miles and good service records. Any thoughts on Audi reliability in the long run?
Nice review, thank you! However, you've mentioned there is no Nappa Leather for North America, but I have my 2019 SQ5 B9 Prestige that comes with Nappa. Just FYI
thanks for the review. I have a 2017 a4 allroad prestige as well, just brought it second hand but mines does not have a mappable button on the steering wheel.
VoHoO well, car is excellent, i love it. Very versatile, attention to detail on everything, B&O is mind-blowing etc., however one thing i need to point out. I got mine pre-owned certified and later on found out that previous owner spilled coffee or coke into MMI interface and buttons have been problem from very beginning. Especially in winter they are sticky and frozen. Audi declined to address this after my numerous complaints, citing that they can't prove if it was me or him (previous owner). I bought my car in June and it was not a problem because of the summer heat. However in November it became a different story. Replacing MMI is about $980 with labor. Hopefully they addressed this possibility (drink spilled) with new buttons style, especially when cup holders are above the MMI now...
That sucks, and no, I don't think they've done anything about dealing with spilled drinks proactively (apart from some basic coating to make sure the board itself doesn't short out...similar to the water resistant phones these days).
I wanted to tell you something towards the roof rails. I have the same exact set of Thule AeroBlade Edge rails; in times you're not using the box just loosen the front one little bit and move forward, - you can find sweet spot (about 2 inches forward) where it will just clear the sunroof to open fully. (so if not carrying anything on the roof you can fully utilize sunroof with bars on). I typically slide it back to recommended position once i am about to take bikes or box. By the way if you get Alpine Force by Thule you can fit 2 bikes as well. (I will give you more info if interested.)
Great video and a very thorough walkthrough. Hard disagree on the wood inlays though. I much prefer it to the other options. I don't know, maybe it is just because I am nostalgic for my old B5 A4, but I think the lacquered wood adds to the overall package.
To each their own. My only real complaint with the lacquered wood trim on THIS car was the otherwise minimalist interior design. But i can see how some might like the more traditional luxury look and feel of wood 👍
@@VoHoO It's totally just a matter of preferences, and I think you are right that I associate the wood inlay with luxury cars (that I loved when I was a kid but we could never afford). I think I like the little bit of "warmth" that including a natural material brings to the interior. All I know is my B9 Allroad is a long way from the '88 Dodge Aries wagon I grew up with. If you never experienced the Dodge K-car, consider yourself lucky.
hello I have for 4 months a new Allroad 2.0 tdi 190hp full optional and I can not confirm everything you say, except for the diesel engine that will consume even less than your Tfsi, but does not have the same performance.Unfortunately in Italy the fuel costs tanto. Good video
is it generally recommended that in heavy snow or icy conditions that the driver should select "offroad" to lock AWD? But it sounds like you would lose some of the others drive sensors. Curious what people have found to be the ideal setting in really bad snow
Thanks for your excellent review! As others have also mentioned, the attention to detail is phenomenal. Do you by any chance remember why you chose Allroad over BMW wagon?
Yes, because here in the US, BMW stopped selling wagons a few years ago. Plus, given the RWD setup on the 3 series, the rear legroom and cargo area was a bit smaller than on the A4
Great video. This is really making it clear that I'm not making a bad decision in the next few weeks trading my truck in for a 2018 premium plus package Allroad. I took a couple test drives and they are really fun with lots of room for me and my dog.
Thank you for such an informative video. Well done and your comments were very helpful to us as we are currently shopping for an Allroad with the Prestige trim. Two questions: Do you find the bolsters on the seats with the warm weather package to be overly restrictive or uncomfortable compared to the standard seats? Also, you haul two golden retrievers and we have one. Are you able to plug in the fan in the cargo department?
David Crawford Glad the video was helpful! :) I actually feel the bolsters are 'just right'; they aren't overly aggressive but do provide sufficient support even for some spirited driving. And yes, at least the Prestige trim comes with a 12V outlet out back...you should be able to see a portable fan plugged in that outlet in the video actually...
It would have been interesting to see, how much would be cargo space, when bring down the backrest of the rear seats, in order to see , if you have a flat area all along from the trunk lid to the back of the front seats. What do you think? Would it be possible to sleep in the car,if you have the right mattress with you?
Thanks for the nice review! I'm looking at a used 2017 a4 allroad these days. It has good price but high mileage around 110k. Just wonder how is the long term reliability or long term maintenance cost of this car? Is it too risky to buy a high mileage a4 allroad?
Manny Gomez Ha! Not left field at all...recently got in to collecting watches. This one here is a Seiko SCED039 designed by Giugiaro...yes, THAT Giugiaro :)
Quick Q for you. Do you know how to disable the motion alarm? We are close to buying a used one and since we live on Vancouver Island, we often have to take the ferry to Vancouver. When I bought my 2007 Avant I didn't know it had a motion alarm and the first ferry trip we came back to the car at the end of the voyage and found we were one of "those people" on the ferry with the alarm going off. Now I know how, it's a switch you press before you alarm the car that does a one time disable until the next time you lock the car. I've looked online and checked online versions of the B9 A4 manual but can't find reference to how to do it.
Thank you for this review. I would like to know if the second row similar to the Subaru Outback where it can recline? When you were researching this wagon did you also consider the Subaru Outback? Thank you
The second row cannot recline. I can be folded flat for additional cargo. I didn't cross shop with the Outback, TBH. I find the Outback to be much closer to an SUV than a wagon (both in dimensions and driving)
Hi, If anyone out there has the new 2017/18 Audi allroad and lives near Kent, Washington, Tork Lift Central would like to design a trailer hitch for this vehicle. According to Tork Lift Central, they would need the car for a few days and in exchange, Tork Lift Central will not charge you for the trailer hitch.
Thanks for the video. I am sorry to say that the brown leather is not to my taste though. I purchased the same model but with different options. I'm enjoying my car a lot but wish the sport setting for the suspension was a bit sportier. Slight delay in pulling away can be annoying at road junctions.
Mark Bennett To each their own! :) Given that I already have both, an S and an RS Audi, I actually appreciate the fact that Allroad is a bit softer. That being said, I agree that the DSG delay when trying to pull away can get a little irritating
I have a question for you after I test drove both a Q5 & Allroad in Premium Plus form. I thought the Q5 was really quite compared to the Allroad. I felt like I was getting a little road noise in the Allroad from the tires/wheels. The sales rep mentioned acoustic glass, which I see does not come on either one of these in comparison. But the acoustic glass does come on both of them in the Prestige form. I was wondering what your thoughts were on the road noise and how quite your Allroad is? Did you compare it to a Q5 before purchasing?
Jason King The acoustic glass *definitely* makes a difference. I didn’t test drive a Premium Plus to compare the two (there were essentially almost no Allroad’s on dealer lots when I bought mine), but I have driven a 2018 Q5 loaner. Although it wasn’t back-to-back for me to make a somewhat objective comparison, the acoustic glass does make a noticeable difference in cabin noise. But since it is available only in the Prestige trim, it is for you to decide whether the price difference is worth it. That being said, have you checked to see if the Q5 you drove had same/similar All Season tires? My Allroad came with decently capable All Season M+S rated Continental tires. Given their more aggressive tread pattern (and therefor better rough weather traction), it is possible that there might be a difference in the acoustic profile
Thank you sir! And yes, excellent question...I completely forgot to mention it in the review! This button has existed in one form or the other across a wide variety of VW/Audi cars since the last 10-12 years or so. Basically it is used to activate/deactivate the internal motion sensors for when the car is locked. If you leave your pets in the car while locked (obviously with the windows/roof cracked open), turning this OFF (red light ON) will make sure the alarm isn't tripped when motion is detected. Hope this answers your question! :)
@@VoHoO This is a handy feature I have to say. When I bought my A4 Avant, I had to take a ferry home (Vancouver to Vancouver Island) and didn't know the car had a motion alarm. So I became "That guy" on the ferry :) Hey, where did you get the small model of the car?
Very thorough review. Mithun u r absolutely correct on that hideous 80"s wood interior.... can I suggest, u install carbon fiber in u r interior to replace it ? I order some Dry carbon fiber parts for my A5/B9, the fit and finish is very good. Let me know if and I can send u the link where I purchase it from .... very affordable too.
mark KANG Hey Mark, given that this is my wife’s car, she’s not a big fan of the CF either. If you have links for the stock aluminum parts that they come with, definitely let me know!
Thank you. Yes, you can. But the OEM replacement trims are quite expensive. The easier route is is wrap it...but by this point (3+ years of ownership), we've just gotten used to it
Thumbs up for the Pokemon! Do you know if there are any A4 Allroad Tow hitches that do not require trimming of the bumper? I'm not sure if you bike or tow items with this Allroad. Thank you again
sonyfxi If you want to go the ‘official’ route, you can import the hitch components for the Euro spec A4 wagon, which cleanly hides behind the rear bumper. Why Audi doesn’t even offer the option in the US...I don’t know!
(1/2) The matrix headlights aren’t legal in the us as our regulations don’t allow headlights to change shape. So cars that say they have it here also don’t, they’re just capable of doing it. If our regulatory standards get updated to allow them they could potentially be activated retroactively? Great video thank you so much!
(2/2) There are similar regulatory issues for the turn signals, cars have to have a certain amount of light flashing at the start of the turn single cycle. This is why they have them in the back with another light flashing at the same time. But because there isn’t a second light in the front cluster they can’t have the scrolling indicators at all.
@@CR-xx3ur Funnily enough, the Matrix LED's have been given the green light in the US as of a few months ago. Hope the feature trickles down the product stack soon
Hi, I want a station wagon (love them), but worried about s-tronic dual clutch transmission’s long term reliability (cost of repair is high) , so considering SQ5 also (which has an 8 speed tiptronic). Planning to keep the car for at least 7 years and we drive a lot. However, not a fan of SQ5 design... Do you still have this Allroad? How’s the transmission doing? Please advise. Thanks a lot!
Igor Afanasiev Hi! The Allroad and SQ5 are quite different to drive. As you can imagine, the SQ5 is going to be quite a bit more responsive, sporty and in general more ‘fun’. The ZF 8 speed on those vehicles is known to be quite good. Yes, we still have the Allroad and it’s about 2.5 years old at this point. We haven’t had any issues thus far. DSG’s did have a not-so-great reputation for reliability once up on a time ago. But the versions used by VW/Audi and a lot of others in the last 5-8 years have actually been pretty reliable. Just make sure to do (yourself or at the dealership) the prescribed DSG service at the right intervals...
VoHoO thanks for your reply! It’s interesting that you’re saying SQ5 would be more fun to drive, because at its core it’s still just a top heavy Q5 crossover and wouldn’t feel on the road like, let’s say, even A4, while Allroad is basically an A4, but slightly raised. Yes, SQ5 has 100 more horsepower, but it’s also much heavier, so 0-60 time is about the same between the two... Anyway, I’ll make sure to test drive both of them before buying. The 8 speed tiptronic that I currently have in my 2017 Q5 is far from perfect IMO, i.e. it’s often slow to react and turbo lag is huge. Only sport mode brings it to its senses. Even 6 speed automatic in my wife’s Mazda CX-3 is much more enjoyable, believe it or not.
First of all thanks for cool review have a question atmosphere here in my country is very hot all year long I am thinking to buy 2017 a4 allroad my question it will be OK with my or I will facing some problem with engine
Thanks for the review. Just wondering, do you think the Quattro on this car performs the same as the traditional Quattro? I knew a huge difference between my old Audi B7 Quattro and my wife's cheap version of 4Matic from her B class. B class 4Matic advertised "rear wheel will have the power kicking in when needed". As a result, when snow comes, even we have great snow tires, if I drive her B class as the same way I drive me A4 B7 with Quattro, the B class will drifted at some corners with snow on the ground.... Terrible system. Just afraid this new Quattro will perform the same as that cheap 4Matic. Can you please advise? Much appreciate it!
Yi Li Having driven quite a few Audi’s, in daily driving and well as on all our roadtrips, I see/feel no discernible difference between Quattro Ultra and the traditional Quattro. In very spirited driving, I can feel the initial response being much more FWD-like before transitioning, but if you’re going after heavy spirited driving, perhaps an S or RS would be a better choice?
@@VoHoO , thank you so much for the information! I paid more attention to it because I was shocked by how bad my wife's B class 4 Matic performed on the heavy snow road with great snow tires at some turnings on the road. That 4Matic advertised "in a nano second, power will be allocated to thr rear wheels". It might do, but the result is her car constantly making troubles on the snowy road while my old Audi gives no trouble at all. Hope this Quattro Ultra will gives us no troubles or at least not as bad as the B class. Appreciate your time!
I have owned a loaded 2017 from new and this is a great car except for these two cautions . If your 6ft or more this might be a touch tight however my biggest complaint contrary to this review was the absolutely awful Continental Tires . I had two side wall blow outs in the first 5,000 K the Audi dealer was hopeless to deal with so I DUMPED the complete set and replaced at my cost with Michelin.
@@VoHoO Thank you very much. I may be looking into an allroad within the next couple of years, as I miss the space in my Ur-allroad. True, that was an A6, as this is an A4, but with the creature comforts, and advancements of today's technology.
have the same car and I am shopping for roof racks. I like the lower profile design like you have but have heard these preclude the sunroof from opening. can you comment on if this is the case w yours?
As I mentioned in the review, with the Thule AeroBlade's that I have on, the roof will open up in the 'vent' mode but it does not have enough clearance to slide open the panoramic roof completely. Also, it does have enough clearance with either the 'T-Slot' or the traditional 'claw' type adapters to install roofboxes, bike racks, ski racks etc. without touching the roof, but once again, you won't be able to slide open the panoramic roof. Having had a car with a panoramic roof for the better part of 5 years now, I don't really miss not being able to slide it open. I hope this answers your question :)
VoHoO thank you yes sorry I did not watch the entire video. I don’t use the sunroof all that much but do use it on really nice days. I guess I will go w the oem version
B Hamilton Note, the OEM version looks *fugly* AND there's considerably more wind noise (main reason I went with the AeroBlades). Make sure you buy the bars from somewhere you can return if you don't like them...
I have a 2007 A4 wagon that other than regular items has been very reliable even though Audi's from the mid 90's aren't well rated for reliability. I am now shopping for an Allroad and VW/Audi is rated near the top now for reliability.
Jason King I came from having a few Subarus and other Japanese cars and recently bought an Alltrack. I’ve had no issues in 6k miles.. Based on Consumer Reports and JD Power the modern VW/Audi wagons specifically have generally been very solid.
Yep, we still have it...3+ years. Mechanically, it's been dead reliable. Electronics are also fine, except for some infotainment related 'weirdness' once in a while. My other Audi (S4) is ~9 yrs old at this point...zero issues. If you maintain these cars (and stick to the manufacturer recommended schedule and procedures), they'll last their useful life without much issues
All you had to say is quattro ultra ... that is the betrayal of everything that quattro stands for - to gain imaginary gas mileage on an unrealistic factory cycle. I want my quattro permanent, uninterrupted and torsen. That is the point and the very soul of Audi, its raison d'etre. If that is gone, all is gone. (thank God I'm still driving the old reliable torsen quattro system). Maybe you can't differentiate, I can - that comes down to driving style and what you are doing with your vehicle.
@Yorkiepoocharlie sometimes things evolve in the worst possible direction because of political reasons. Cars currently are moving in this direction. They fucked them all up for the sake of grams of CO2 per fleet and and factory tested fuel mileage. It is really sad.
