2024 Audi A4 allroad

American car shoppers might rightly wonder why European brands still bother to make sport wagons. After all, doesn't an SUV or crossover do the same things as a wagon, but better? Like the saying goes: If you know, you know, and plenty of people know about the Audi A4 Allroad's advantages. For starters it combines the crisp and stylish lines of the A4 sedan with 24.2 cubic feet of cargo space, a standard power liftgate and a modest measure of off-road ability best described as "trail-lite." But for many drivers, the Allroad's low height, sedan-like handling, and even slightly better fuel economy than its Q5 SUV counterpart give it the edge over ubiquity.

The A4 Allroad is the only way to get an A4 wagon in the U.S. It starts with the more stylish Avant counterpart sold outside the U.S. and adds an extra inch of ground clearance and plastic-covered wheelwells and rocker panels to protect against trail damage should you ever venture into the dirt. While the Allroad won't scale mountain sides like a Jeep or a midsize truck would, or at least not without considerable abuse, its robust all-wheel-drive system delivers impressive traction and stability in the rain and snow, or on the muddy route to a trailhead. In back, it shows its crossover-like utility with seats that can fold from the cargo area, instead of you needing to reach in and fold them from outside the passenger doors. But even in its mostly likely habitat of suburban highways and boulevards, the Allroad cuts a dashing figure.

Like the Allroad, the Volvo V60 Cross Country boasts a more rugged look than its standard V60 counterpart. Also like the Allroad, it's mostly — but not all — for show. Standard all-wheel drive and higher ground clearance give the Volvo some ability in the rough. After that, wagons move into more rarefied air. The Mercedes-Benz E 450 All-Terrain follows a similar soft-roader approach, with high-grade luxury and enormous cargo capacity, but there's nothing soft about its asking price. If money's no object, the blindingly quick, 603-hp E 63 S AMG wagon is an option. The aforementioned V60 is another high-performance version with a price to match. Finally, Audi's Q5 crossover offers more room, a taller ride and slightly more cargo space, but it also costs more.