Rally_nutcase_1982

You got it wrong, totally wrong; allroad is a typical German typo (vs. the italian FIAT allrust), Quattro means 2 x stereo system - one for the front and one for the rear seats, telescopic steering wheel is only to use if you submerge, AUDI contains DUI with an A as in "always"...now I need a drink...;-)

SeeksAR

I stopped at Starbucks for a cup.

I saw another allroad driver (bejewelled woman in mid 30's) in the parking lot and asked her how she liked hers.

"Uggggghhh. Oyy Vey! I hate it....There's no room for the kids' stuff. The back seat can't fit the two kids in their car seats with my older daughter in the middle. I usually give this to the nanny to drive. I prefer my Mercedes E320 wagon with 4Matic. It's much bigger."

[me] "What about the twin turbos? and the handling, suspension, and quatro in the winter?"

"Oh I don't care about that. The E wagon has plenty of power for me. My nanny drives this one. We are going to sell it and get a Suburban.

[me] "Have you had any problems?"

"Those brakes are so noisy. We had to take it back 3 times in the first week, it was so noisy."

[me] "Oh, well. Sorry to hear about your experience," I said, secretly patting the bank check in my breast pocket. Apparently, her Nanny got to have all the fun.

She had a point about the seats being slightly narrower in the allroad. It is snug. But even with our Toyota Landcruiser, the 2-carseats-and-a-middle-passenger-in-the-back-seat is a tight fit. But if the E320 was so roomy, why would she need a Suburban?

My brakes also squealed for a full 1K miles before they settled in. Not an issue any more.

SeeksAR

Forgot to mention that I asked her why she got it in the first place.

Answer:

My husband got it for me because he was all excited about Audi and the power and 4wd, and safety....but he never asked my opinion.

So her husband knows...

trg

"I'd be a really good rich person -- I hope I have a chance to prove it someday."

nmurphy

For me, I actually know very little about cars, but given it's important to know what you don't know, I tune into this board and take advantage of the expert knowledge and opinion given on a daily basis.

Much appreciated, especially the regular posters.

jfischetti

i have a place on the North Fork of Long Island and took some friend across Shelter Island to Southampton for some rainy saturday afternoon shopping.

I must have see 12 Allroads on my way there and back. It was truly amazing. I don't think I've seen so many in one day

Regardless, i am going to get another one once my lease is up in January. I have never had a car stick to the road so well and make me feel so comfortable.

Viva la Audi!

Dr.quattro

I love buying cars off these people. Some people really see cars and transportation as "A to B"

scfan

I remember when I used to take my 328i sport in for service and some of the conversations there; most folks didn't have a clue as to what the car was capable of doing...and it definitely wasn't the reason they bought it.

I'll never forget how many comments I got when I traded in my 328i and Z28 on my S4 Avant. A ton of comments, which went something like this, "Why did you trade <insert Z28 or 328i> in on a...station wagon...?"

Sigh... When I told them that the S4 Avant would smack either one of my former cars in many ways, just a look of "you're feeding me BS" on their faces.

Talk about a great comeback line for those accusing you of snob appeal...why the hell would I buy a wagon (over a sports car) if I'm so concerned about image?! ;-)

Proof in the pudding. Just last week I was able to attend a hands-on "defensive driving" class with my co-workers last week at an airport. Many of the nay-sayers were there to witness, including the cops teaching the course, just what a "wagon" can do. Yes, I took the S4...but the allroad would have been a close second. It is so comical to see the reactions and questions after each run I did, whether it was braking, acceleration, or avoidance maneuvers through the cones. The cops kept telling me to slow down...and then later speed up when I couldn't get ABS to engage on the J turn. At the end of it all, I just had to chuckle at all the questions I was getting, even from the "musclecar" types. Those types were convinced I had built the car to be a sleeper from aftermarket parts...lol. Surely no wagon would be built like this from the factory...

I don't even think most folks have a clue that this isn't just about performance, but the inherit safety enhancement from a car/wagon that can turn, stop, and accelerate to avoid accidents; not to mention the other advanced safety features. Buying a car for the number of cupholders, strictly looks, etc. is something I just don't understand. And for the folks buying German, etc. for snob appeal, I don't get that either...but at least they're making a wise choice in technical terms.

I know...I know...I'm preaching to the choir. ;-)