AutoMK.com

Isn't it cute how Audi spells allroad with a lowercase "a"? It's appropriate, really, at least in this Edmunds follow-up, which seems to fancy the allroad a minor player in the increasingly competitive luxury crossover game. The tough-looking body trim that paved the way for the Honda Element is now gone, and the allroad's new monochromatic appearance is somewhat less unique. The 4.2 liter V8 solves the turbo lag problem presented by the 2.7T, which I must admit isn't really an issue with the manual transmission, a setup which I've driven extensively. Edmunds finds that the engine works best when pushed hard, but it's eager to upshift and reluctant to downshift, not a particularly pleasing combination of characteristics. The adjustable air suspension makes for a stiff, busy ride with the wagon raised, but the allroad is quite capable off-road in comparison to most other luxury crossovers. And speaking of the competition, Edmunds can't just leave them out of it. The allroad suffers at the hands (wheels? motor mounts?) of the new Subaru Outback, which is significantly cheaper with not dissimilar performance-wise, and the Cadillac SRX, an SUV with a fantastic ride and plenty of pep. And so what I'm hinting at is that at almost 53 large Edmunds doesn't think the allroad is the most sensible buy, when considering what else is out there.