Audi allroad
- Thread starter SBDHrida
- Start date
Agreed, I am leaning towards forum user sellers more since they do generally seem to take better care of their cars. Thanks for the site suggestions, I haven't checked those out yet.
Those may be dealer prices, but there is an alternative supplier that provides equal to or better than OEM parts for much less (set of 4 performance air springs for $1500, compressor for $400). This is certainly a job I can do myself. Gotta keep the air suspension, that is what makes the allroad unique.
Only 2.7T and 4.2 engines. I read about lots of issues with 2.7T which has me concerned. 4.2 is definitely more reliable, but not many allroads out there for sale with that engine.
Thanks for the insight. The 4.2 has a timing chain like the S4, so no regular replacement to worry about. I do read a lot about them being money pits, but like you said mostly people with bad experiences are the ones to write about it, less people join forums to just talk about how problem free their car is.
I thought that issue was taken care of by 2005? Or is it still a problem on the turbo cars? My dad had an '03 Legacy and by 90k the head gaskets started leaking a bit, but never enough to make him replace them.
I'm pretty handy and don't mind spending money on upgrades in the event of failures. In fact the most attractive thing about the 2.7T is the readily available mods. I've never owned a modded car before, but the performance gains available are pretty staggering. That said, this would be my only car so that's probably not the best idea. The 4.2 sounds like it is the safest choice if I were to go with the allroad (no manual tranny though). The Subaru is certainly more reliable, although turbo failures are also possible, but overall it's just not as nice of a car.
I am basically looking at the allroad vs. Outback turbo because my car needs/wants are:
1. Put two bikes and gear inside
B. Tow 1200lb trailer, sometimes into light off-road areas
3. Quick
D. Good handling
Most of the cars that I dealt with at the shop were 5 years old or older, typically out of warranty so I don't really know what the track record is like for the 2005 Subaru head gaskets but I would still keep $1800 in the bank and plan to need it right around 100K miles. If there are records that the Subaru factory coolant conditioner had been used it extended the warranty on the HGs to 100K, again, not sure about the newer ones but how many of them have hit that kind of mileage in 4 years?
I think the Allroad really fits my needs the best and I have the means to keep up with it but I really don't want to mess with it. I'd rather save my money and spend it on bike parts.
I think the Allroad really fits my needs the best and I have the means to keep up with it but I really don't want to mess with it. I'd rather save my money and spend it on bike parts.
I have a 2004 4.2, it's been good, got it APR chipped so it's supposed to be 345hp
It's very torqy
It's also a fairly heavy car, So it rides smooth, and I guess handling isn't as quick as a lighter car, but prob better than higher, off the ground suvs such as x5, cayenne, prob a lotta room for debate there too
I get about 16-17mpg of premium, I just got a new job so I drive about 70mi perday so that kinda sucks financially, and for the earth
There was a engine/tranny seal job 35k mi, covered under warranty
I bought an aftermarket warranty till 6yr/100k, AUL Reserve $3,500 and I haven't used 3500 worth of claims, you prob cant get any warranty at 90k and it may not be worth it
I dont have the time, skill or space to wrench it myself, oil changes, it takes 9 qts of synthetic costs $150 at indy in San Francisco. I'm sure there are cheaper options to be found
Eats tires
Front brakes and rotors and oil was $500?
Mines at about 84k and doesnt burn oil
I love the car, we drove it across country in cannoball run speeds
2 days to denver from nyc, 1 day from vail to mammoth
1200 mi per day or so
Its super comfy and quiet, for the rear passengers too, good for snow country even with ski boots on
Heated seats, leather, wood
I've had 3 trays, roof boxes and combinations there of
We did a summer sf to whistler trip and it rocked the hwys at 120+ with bikes up top
Blue headlights
Sunroof
I spent a lot of time retrofitting an 05 audi gps into the 04 dash, gps must have for me at least
I dont like clunky suction cups or extra wires
It's one of the more perfect cars for runs from sf to tahoe, infact I've pulled some 4x4s out of ditches
Its also super stable at high speeds in snow, like 70+
I've passed subys, all kinds of 4x4s and others racing is the snow, they seems to give up cuz theres was slipping more thatn mines
Hitches are very hard to come by, no longer made, there are ones that drill into the sheet metal
Euro ones and a bike rack cost $2k+ to import after all is said and install
Like on these enthusiast forums, bikes, cars whatever, you'll need to learn and tinker, its def not a start up and drive, everyday car like the pathfinder we had
Im liking that 42mpg? new 2010 a3 tdi diesel? that just came out
Bottom line, You pay for the luxury, subys a def alternative, for less $, but like many german cars, if you keep on top of it, the pleasure per dollar ratio is prob pretty high
IMHO The best forum to learn about is
http://forums.audiworld.com/forumdisplay.php?f=18
Here's some pics of mines
http://forums.audiworld.com/member.php?u=112883
Theres another mercedes 550hp amg 4wd wagon e55 or e63 that looks totally sleeper, 70k used...
If you dig on youtube there a cool actually ski hill hillclimb vid of this versus some others around at that time, they all start slipping, but the AR makes it to the top, could be rigged, dunno
Good luck if you choose the AR route
Gideon
It's very torqy
It's also a fairly heavy car, So it rides smooth, and I guess handling isn't as quick as a lighter car, but prob better than higher, off the ground suvs such as x5, cayenne, prob a lotta room for debate there too
I get about 16-17mpg of premium, I just got a new job so I drive about 70mi perday so that kinda sucks financially, and for the earth
There was a engine/tranny seal job 35k mi, covered under warranty
I bought an aftermarket warranty till 6yr/100k, AUL Reserve $3,500 and I haven't used 3500 worth of claims, you prob cant get any warranty at 90k and it may not be worth it
I dont have the time, skill or space to wrench it myself, oil changes, it takes 9 qts of synthetic costs $150 at indy in San Francisco. I'm sure there are cheaper options to be found
Eats tires
Front brakes and rotors and oil was $500?
Mines at about 84k and doesnt burn oil
I love the car, we drove it across country in cannoball run speeds
2 days to denver from nyc, 1 day from vail to mammoth
1200 mi per day or so
Its super comfy and quiet, for the rear passengers too, good for snow country even with ski boots on
Heated seats, leather, wood
I've had 3 trays, roof boxes and combinations there of
We did a summer sf to whistler trip and it rocked the hwys at 120+ with bikes up top
Blue headlights
Sunroof
I spent a lot of time retrofitting an 05 audi gps into the 04 dash, gps must have for me at least
I dont like clunky suction cups or extra wires
It's one of the more perfect cars for runs from sf to tahoe, infact I've pulled some 4x4s out of ditches
Its also super stable at high speeds in snow, like 70+
I've passed subys, all kinds of 4x4s and others racing is the snow, they seems to give up cuz theres was slipping more thatn mines
Hitches are very hard to come by, no longer made, there are ones that drill into the sheet metal
Euro ones and a bike rack cost $2k+ to import after all is said and install
Like on these enthusiast forums, bikes, cars whatever, you'll need to learn and tinker, its def not a start up and drive, everyday car like the pathfinder we had
Im liking that 42mpg? new 2010 a3 tdi diesel? that just came out
Bottom line, You pay for the luxury, subys a def alternative, for less $, but like many german cars, if you keep on top of it, the pleasure per dollar ratio is prob pretty high
IMHO The best forum to learn about is
http://forums.audiworld.com/forumdisplay.php?f=18
Here's some pics of mines
http://forums.audiworld.com/member.php?u=112883
Theres another mercedes 550hp amg 4wd wagon e55 or e63 that looks totally sleeper, 70k used...
If you dig on youtube there a cool actually ski hill hillclimb vid of this versus some others around at that time, they all start slipping, but the AR makes it to the top, could be rigged, dunno
Good luck if you choose the AR route
Gideon
Cheaper alternative could be a Volvo XC70.
Don't really want a truck, especially not in the east. It might be fun in the southwest where it could actually be driven off-road regularly.
What is that?
Thanks for the feedback, that is basically exactly what I wanted to hear. You hit the nail on the head about why the allroad is better than suby for highway trips, the germans design their cars for high speed cruising.
Thanks for the input.
I am def leaning more towards the 4.2 if I can find a nice one. I like the mod-ability of the 2.7T, but the generally maintenance-intensive nature of it is telling me to stay away.
Subaru Forester STI
(not mine, just a cool car I found)
We have a hole line up of both Subaru's and Audi's. We currently are driving around in a 1998 A6 Wagon. 180K or something like that. Has been pretty much bullet proof except for a few small things.
It is a 2.6L Auto. The tie-rod Ends have been done and Lower Control Arms. These were just normal wear and tear. The Tranny is starting to whine a little bit but i believe that the fluid may be getting a little low. The engine is still running strong. There have been a few electric issues suck as the Heat fan motor died. And sometimes the Odometer does not light up.
On to the Subaru's. We have a 1998 Forester L. It has of course blown the head gasket! At about 165K, On the way to Whiteface for a race no doubt. After towing it 5 hours home it needs to get the engine pulled out. Since Subaru's are like Lego's we are putting a larger H6 motor back in! It has been a pretty reliable car other then the engine problem. It is also fairly easy to work on.
It is a 2.6L Auto. The tie-rod Ends have been done and Lower Control Arms. These were just normal wear and tear. The Tranny is starting to whine a little bit but i believe that the fluid may be getting a little low. The engine is still running strong. There have been a few electric issues suck as the Heat fan motor died. And sometimes the Odometer does not light up.
On to the Subaru's. We have a 1998 Forester L. It has of course blown the head gasket! At about 165K, On the way to Whiteface for a race no doubt. After towing it 5 hours home it needs to get the engine pulled out. Since Subaru's are like Lego's we are putting a larger H6 motor back in! It has been a pretty reliable car other then the engine problem. It is also fairly easy to work on.
I'll say that my WRX with performance tires and stage 2 turbo f-ing sucks in the snow. Trying to modulate the power to keep the turbo from spinning up too fast and dealing with the tires is a handfull. AWD doesn't mean a whole lot in this situation.
snow tires?
Yeah.
But it's true, having a quick burst of power can screw you up pretty good in snow. I've never driven a WRX, nor any other turbo vehicle in snow, with or without snow tires. I have had my Jeep gear down on me up a hill in the snow once while on the highway in 2wd. Black ice and a semi next to me. That was scary.
Oh I know, but I'm not going to switch to studs or snow-tires for the minimal amount of snow we get. I was just stating that AWD isn't some magic system that makes your car perfect in snow. Tires has a LOT to do with it.
alright, cool. I've driven an Audi UrQuattro and a 200 TQA in the snow, with snow tires, and they were relentlessly grippy and went exactly where I wanted it to. I imagine an overboosted rex would be more of a handful, as you've got 80hp more than I did, but weights would have been similar.
It terrifies me that people think they can get away with summer tires in the snow just because they have AWD. All seasons are doable, but snows make the car so much more capable.
To update this thread, I did end up buying an Allroad last week. Got a 4.2 V8 model with 38k miles on it from it's original owner in Chicago and drove it back to Pittsburgh. Car has been dealer maintained for it's whole life so hopefully no issues for a while. The overall condition was not quite as mint as the seller made it out to be, but it is still in very good shape. It's pretty fun to drive for a heavy car. It's torquey and quick, has plenty of acceleration at any speed, is so smooth on highways, and handles pretty well. The exhaust note and V8 feel is awesome. There is definitely some body roll when cornering, so I already got some H-sport sway bars on order. I may also do the APR chip next time it goes on sale, but for now I am happy with the power.
Lowered:
Raised:
Lowered:
Raised:
Nice car!
Congrats
Congrats
justmtnb44 look at swankmonkey.com for their link they do Audi tuning out in Ar the guy is Lee (know him since we were 12 good guy) and definently knows his stuff for audi and vws being they are like chevy is to GMC..
Last edited:
dont bother with a chip, just get the ECU flash from APR. its worth every penny
Cool I'll check it out.
That's what I meant, it seems everyone calls it a chip but yes reflash is the proper term. I was going to do it right away, but I think I'll wait for now so I can really appreciate the difference.
Could a mod move this thread to the lounge instead of the DH section? Thanks.
hahaha the raptor is a joke! underpowered, ugly, cheap shocks (no resi's), its a FORD, way overpriced, terrible gas mileageFord Raptor. Done.
enjoy the car, looks like u got a nice one, i've put 50k mi on mine so far
http://forums.audiworld.com/forumdisplay.php?f=18
Unsubcribing to this thread, too many e-douches here, mommy is coming to pick u up
http://forums.audiworld.com/forumdisplay.php?f=18
Unsubcribing to this thread, too many e-douches here, mommy is coming to pick u up
Last edited:
the new 6.2L engine solves the under power issue or the 5.4L and Fox's new shock eliminates the need for a resi. plus, its good because it is a Ford, the #1 selling vehicle in the country for 20 years now.
if the 6.2L 4 door was available now, it would be a no brainer for me.
the Raptor is a helluva truck
eh, i'd love a prerunner truck for living in the city, dumb as it would realistically be...tube bumpers for idiot drivers...long travel suspension for potholes galore...sits higher for better visibility/outward visibility...
none on the east coast though.
none on the east coast though.
Tires make a larger difference than awd. I have a 2010 WRX and put Michelin Primacy Alpin snow tires on it. I can go well over the speed limit on snow packed roads. Also, they are performance winter tires, so dry road handling is still pretty good. The 2.0 motor didn't have enough low end torque IMO... the 2.5 can be driven at much lower rpms. I get almost 30 mpg commuting through rush hour traffic around Denver where the 2.0 would be doing a lot worse.
thats because boxer engines are underpowered without a turbo
I had an '06 non-turbo before I got the wrx. It made 173 hp and got about the same gas mileage as the wrx (as long as you're not on the turbo a lot). So, I think it does ok w/o turbo, but the turbo has the same driveability with a lot more mid to top-end power. It's also smoother than the non-turbo for some reason...
I've also owned a few AWD Eclipse / Talons from the early 90's. The Mitsu 4g63 2.0 is better than the 2.0 Subie motor, but not as good as the 2.5.
I have noticed the wrx is really easy to stall out and the hill-assist starting doesn't disengage fast enough sometimes.
Whoops, my planes are underpowered? A 911S is underpowered? The H6 subies are underpowered? I would highly disagree with that. 2.0 is a pretty small motor, great on the gas milege, even in stop-and go, (a performance tune helps a lot though), it's not because it's a boxxer, it's because its a turbo 2.0. A regular 2.0 would be better for low end without other modifications, and being small obviously doesn't help. With proper spool-up it's pretty good though.
One of the whole reasons they use boxer engines in airplanes is due to how much torque they can deliver at relatively low RPMs. This in turn doesn't require reduction-gearing and saves a lot of weight and wear. I've noticed the H6 is excellent at delivering usable power (and not needing to be revved way up like some other high horsepower japanese engines).
A turbo engine is low-compression, as such it's not going to make the same power (turbo essentially not adding anything in this comparission) than a normally aspirated engine with the same displacement. It's going to make less actually, then there's also the piping and routing of the air through the intercooler.
The reason it may seem "underpowered" is because it's a turbo engine, and because it's a 2.0L, not because it's a boxer. My brother keeps asking me what size engine I have in my car though, he's always impressed by the acceleration (he has a 3.0L BMW 6).
Last edited:
Hey Amerikanos...think about Kyoto a bit! 
Your cars are generally too big. Go smaller, save some dime
Your cars are generally too big. Go smaller, save some dime 
Our one car gets 41 MPG at 80 MPH! The commute I may end up having could be 125 miles each way.Hey Amerikanos...think about Kyoto a bit!
Thats why our other vehicle is a 3/4 TON Diesel truck.
