With freezing rain, blowing snow and temperatures well below average, this winter has been a nasty one.
But this past week, there didn’t seem to be a reason why it could stop the 2014 Audi A4 Allroad.
Starting at $46,500, the A4 Allroad is designed to conquer anything Mother Nature can throw at it. The model I tried out came equipped with the Navigation Package and the Sport Package. All totaled (excluding freight and taxes) the test model was $59,650.
The Allroad is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder 220-hp engine, which is teamed up with an 8-speed automatic and uses the company’s quattro all-wheel drive system.
According to Audi, the Allroad sips fuel and can get 10.4 l/100 km in the city, and 7.4 l/100 km on the highway.
On a backcountry road test, I was able to get 10.9 l/100 km with the cabin heat and seat heater going steady. On my weekly commute to and from work in rush hour winter traffic, I was able to get 11.1 l/100 km.
The A4 Allroad is no slouch when it comes to safety. Standard features include ABS, an electronic stabilization program, brake assist, blind spot monitoring, quattro and airbags. The test car’s adaptive cruise control system is an optional $1,700 feature.
Use leather winter gloves -- not wooly winter mitts
The Allroad cabin is well appointed. The sports seats, though low, were very comfortable. The controls, though not designed for mittens, were easy to use, even if it took me a bit to figure out how to use the climate control system, as the temperature switches also doubled as the fan controls.
A surprising feature that wasn’t even offered as an option was a heated steering wheel. That’s a comfort feature that I didn’t miss, but one that you might expect to find in an Audi.
The navigation system was simple and intuitive, even if some of the street names didn’t seem to display on the screen.
Not only did the navigation system speak the directions to you and display them on the centre console, it also displayed that material in the driver information centre right in front of you; giving the directions without you having to ask “What did it just say?” and without having to take your eyes off the road.
Though there is a lot of space in the front, the back was a bit of a squeeze for three adults with winter jackets. In the summer, it probably would be easier.
One of the more interesting features I found was the power tailgate. At the push of a button, you can open the tailgate and close it without having to lay a hand on it with much effort.
It's a nice-to-have feature when your arms are full of groceries or construction supplies, but I did find that there isn't a way to open the tailgate manually. So in the freezing cold, you wouldn’t want to be standing outside your car waiting for the tailgate to open.
The headlights on the A4 Allroad won’t make you any friends, they're so bright. But there is no doubting that you have them on – as some of my fellow drivers tried to tell me, thinking that the high beams were on.
You’d be surprised with how useful the auto-dimming side mirrors were, especially when you’re sharing the highway traffic with vans and trucks during the winter months.
No longer, while driving this car, did I have to put my hand over the driver-side mirror because of an improperly angled light shining directly into my eyes.
All that being said, the real enjoyment of this car was the drive. And what a drive it is.
Even though it’s an Audi, the A4 Allroad was designed for the backcountry roads. It had no problem handling the hills and curves. With its high ride height, even the deepest snow could just slow the car down, not stop it.
No matter what the weather, the quattro all-wheel drive system keeps the car well-planted on the road. Snow-covered icy parking lots that would have hampered a normal car are no problem for the Allroad.
With its off-road characteristics, the ride comfort was very smooth, no matter what surface the vehicle was travelling on.
Be it snow, ice, potholes or bare pavement, the suspension absorbed almost everything. And with the equipped snow tires, the road noise was much less than I had expected.
The acceleration was immediate with the Allroad, and though it is a wagon, it certainly didn’t feel like one.
The car felt light, and very maneuverable. I didn’t find myself feeling like I was in a larger vehicle. With its quick acceleration, the Allroad had no trouble getting up to highway speed.
The Sport Package allows for three different drive modes on the Allroad: Comfort, Sport and Manual
Comfort left the car in a sort of luxury mode; the most efficient driving style. Sport mode tightened up the suspension, changed the automatic shift to be longer through the gears and adjusted the exhaust sound for a more sportier response. And Manual mode was for those drivers who feel that, though the computer is good, it doesn’t compare to shifting the gears yourself.
The only time I ever found myself changing gears was when I was stuck in very slow Toronto traffic and had to keep the car in first gear rather than moving up to second. But this was more of my personal preference of not having to use the brakes unless I had to, than fighting the transmission for the right gear.
Though the A4 Allroad is recommended to run on premium fuel, Audi understands that can sometimes get costly. So, the car can run on ethanol fuel instead - though at the expense of fuel economy. I'm not certain how much it would hurt consumption figures, as I didn't easily locate any local Ethanol stations.
All that said, this is definitely a driver’s car, a car that wants to go out and into the elements, no matter what they are, and still be practical enough to take the kids to school.
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Fast Facts:
2014 Audi A4 Allroad
Type: Luxury Wagon
Price range: $59,650
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine
Horsepower: 220 hp
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Drive: All-wheel drive
Competitors: Volvo XC-70, Mercedes E350 Wagon, Subaru Outback, Cadillac CTS4 Wagon, BMW 3 Series Touring 328i xDrive
