2018 Audi A4 allroad Review

While crossovers are undoubtedly more in demand these days, reports of the station wagon's death are greatly exaggerated. You might have noticed the wagon's recent resurgence in popularity. Luxury brands, in particular, are feeding this revival with models such as Buick's Regal TourX and Jaguar's XF Sportbrake. But some European manufacturers have already been serving up luxury wagons for years. Audi is one of them, and its latest offering is the 2018 A4 Allroad.

Like its name suggests, the Allroad is based on the popular A4 sedan. The Allroad is more expensive than its sibling, but in return you get greater cargo-carrying utility, standard all-wheel drive and an increased ride height. That last one helps provide some light off-road ability. The Allroad's sumptuous cabin also looks more modern and luxurious than what you'll find in rival wagons such as the BMW 330i wagon and Volvo V60. These strengths, along with the Allroad's capable handling, comfortable ride and silent cabin, combine to make one of the best entries in its class.

The 2018 Audi A4 Allroad is a five-seat luxury wagon that offers greater utility and ground clearance than the A4 sedan. The base Premium trim is loaded with features, including leather upholstery, a panoramic sunroof and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Premium Plus costs a little more and adds keyless entry, a blind-spot monitor and satellite radio. The Prestige is significantly more expensive and counts automated driver and advanced safety systems among its upgrades. A turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive are standard.

Every A4 Allroad is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (252 horsepower, 273 pound-feet of torque). Standard exterior features on the base Premium trim include 18-inch wheels, underbody skid plates, xenon headlights, LED running lights, automatic wipers, heated mirrors, roof rails, a panoramic sunroof, a power liftgate, an adaptive suspension, selectable drive modes, and forward collision warning and mitigation.

Inside, you also get tri-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, keyless ignition, heated and eight-way power front seats (with driver four-way power lumbar adjustment), a driver information display, 40/20/40-split folding rear seats, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel with wheel-mounted shift paddles, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, interior ambient lighting, Audi's MMI infotainment system, a 7-inch central display, a rearview camera, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth and a 10-speaker audio system with a CD player and two USB ports.

The Premium can be further bolstered by the Convenience package, which includes auto-dimming and power-folding exterior mirrors, keyless entry, driver-seat memory settings, an upgraded driver info display and satellite radio.

The Premium Plus trim adds the Convenience package, LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, rear collision preparation and a 19-speaker premium Bang & Olufsen surround-sound system.

This trim is also eligible for the Navigation and Telematics package option that adds a navigation system; Audi Connect services (includes emergency telematics, 4G LTE connectivity and in-car Wi-Fi hotspot, among other services); a virtual instrument panel inside the gauge cluster; a touchpad infotainment controller; and an 8.3-inch central display screen.

At the top of the range, the Prestige trim includes all of the above, along with automatic high-beam control, noise-reducing front windows, adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, enhanced interior lighting, a surround-view camera system, and a lane departure warning and intervention system.

The Premium Plus and Prestige trims can be ordered with the Cold Weather (heated rear seats and a heated steering wheel) and Warm Weather (manual rear sunshades and ventilated front sport seats with passenger lumbar adjustment) packages. Rear-seat side airbags are available as a stand-alone option on any trim level.