I wanted a wagon, my husband wanted performance. We also wanted to purchase a vehicle from a local dealer. We drove the allroad first, (what an awesome vehicle), but our local Audi dealer was so rude, my husband said "no way would we buy from them". We went to BMW next, got treated great and ended up ordering an X5. But I can't stop thinking about the allroad. I test drove it again last night and I liked it even better than the first time. Despite the local dealer, my husband still likes the allroad too, but he is concerned about the reliability on a brand new model. The X5 has been out for a year, and we get the benefit of some upgrades. Allroad owners, please comment. Have you had any problems with the car? Did any of you consider the X5 as well? How reliable is the 2.7L turbo engine. How difficult is it to get parts if something needs to be repaired? Thanks.

While the allroad is new this year in the USA, its been around a couple of years in Europe and elsewhere. The 2.7t engine is well proven.

I drove the X5 prior to the allroad buying decision. I did not like the way the X5 handled and the steering was so very tight and awkward. The dealer was "nice" and accomodating, but the allroad stole my heart. (I have had Audi's before)

I didnt like the first Audi dealer I encountered, so I found another and with free service intervals extending out, I dont expect to see service very frequently.

I have 6000 miles on my allroad and remain so very pleased. I have no issues with the car.

Get the allroad and pay for a vacation with the extra money you'll save. I X5 drove to trucky for
my taste!

I've had my allroad for about a month now, and I'm still thrilled with it. My wife is on her second Audi (A4, with an 80 before that) so my prior Audi experience has been very positive.

I also drove the X5 prior to purchasing, and was impressed. However, the allroad fit my desires/needs better. I wanted:

a car that could go (almost) anywhere
smaller than my Explorer
safer than my Explorer (even w/o Firestone tires!)
fun to drive every time
enough space for 4 adults & dive gear (or 2 dogs)
better gas mileage

The allroad has all of these (well, the gas mileage is just barely better than my old Explorer, but the allroad is much quicker/faster too). Plus the interior is amazing, and the variable suspension makes it all fit together. I wouldn't want to go 100 mph with 8 inches of clearance, and the allroad doesn't make you. Yet if you need to hop a rock or a curb, you can. Amazing! You can also have optional seating for 7 if you need it.

The X5 is:

heavier/taller than the allroad
has less cargo space (go figure)
slower (unless you get the 4.4 which is more $$$ and I <i>think</i> is faster)

However, the BMW feels more open inside, you sit higher (may or may not be a + to you) and is by all acounts a fun car to drive. It also easier to get $ off of MSRP on the X5 than it will be the allroad (at least for a while). My coworker just got an X5 and loves it.

I wouldn't trade for the world, however.

Where are you located? I'm sure there are many people on the forum who'd be able to suggest dealers who they've had good experiences with.

I ordered X5 but changed my mind after saw the allroad at the car show. Test drove the allroad and bought it the same day. The X5 is nice but it's just the upgrade to my Grand Cherokee I still keep. allroad is unique and fits to my veryday use and my plan for interststate traveling. Reliability is not much of my concern it probably on par with MBZ and BMW which I have some experience (worst than Lexas). Dealer and service are cueless on how to relate to customers. Audi is competing with other luxuary brands but it still has a VW mentality. That said, very much satify with the car after a month and 2400 miles.

I tried the X5 as well, did not like the small cargo space or trucklike height, otherwise a great car! Allroad is more versatile. 2.7T should be fine, and the quattro system has been around much longer than BMWs. Had an A6 sedan before for 2 years, never had a problem.

I have been truly impressed by Audi sales folks in my area, very professional & no haggle attitude.

I considered a new BMW before I bought my last A6 which had the 2.7T engine, same as the allroad. I put about 12K miles in 9 months on it and the engine was a great powerplant. The BMW dealer acted like they were doing me a favor when I went into their dealership.

I personally wanted a car not an SUV so I went with the allroad. I keep smiling every time I get into it. On the plus side, you typically shouldn't have too much dealing with the dealer but definitely check out each dealer's service department! Was it the sales person you had the problem with? If so, ask for another one. No one says you have to deal with the person you had last time.

As others have mentioned I too love the versatility of the allroad. What a nice all around package. Its very quiet and well mannered and has been great even on the stock tires here in the snow and ice. But when I can find the few dry patches there is no doubt it still a sports car hiding behind that muscular exterior. This is a great crossover car for guys and gals.

Maybe I'm biased but buy the allroad. One other plus I found is that insurance was quite reasonable compared to a BMW as well. My only gripe so far is mileage is so-so. Still better than a SUV that I had though and much more entertaining to drive. It definitely doesn't ride like a truck either.

the kids in my daughters driving group have an X5 in their family and they prefer our allroad to their car( my daughter does too). I needed trunk space and the allroad fit the bill. I have had no problems.

The engine is the same one that audi uses on a number of other models. Its reliable, proven and powerful. cancel the X5, the allroad is a crowd pleaser thats using proven technology.

in fact it is a brand new model just introduced here in the US and around the world. However, most of the componentry which makes up the allroad (engine, drivetrain, brakes, electronics, et al) is proven "off the shelf" Audi stuff - the only really "new" thing being the height adjustable suspension, which, itself isn't really new, but is a reapplication of the load leveling rear suspension of the A6 Avant.

and keep one thing in mind. If you have to go offroad once in awhile, get the Allroad. The quattro is a real 4WD whereas the X5 just use a traction control. It may look like a 4WD but is not.

Thanks everyone for all your comments!

I drive a '00 A6 2.7T sedan. My wife has a '01 X5 4.4 (the V8 version). I haven't driven the allroad, so can't make the direct comparison, but here are a few comments which may be useful to the extent the sedan is similar to the wagon:

.The A6 has a more luxurious feel to it: quieter, smoother, softer ride
.The X5 rides high, which my wife prefers (she had a Volvo T5 wagon before, and she felt too low after driving a minivan)
.The A6 cargo room and 3rd seat are advantages over the X5, but...
.The X5 "official" cargo volume is underrated because it doesn't really capture the usefulness of the height of the cargo area
.I don't know how they do it, but the handling of the taller X5 seems sharper and more precise than the A6
.While 0-60 times are comparable, there is no replacement for displacement: the BMW V8 is startling in its ability to launch the 5000 lb. X5 off the line
.The A6 interior is the best...I'm particularly struck by the sharpness of the main instrument cluster compared to the BMW
.Climate and audio controls are more intuitive and versatile on the A6
.The A6 is a better value (particularly if you go with the 4.4 V8 in the X5 which you'll need if you want similar performance to the 2.7T)

I hope this helps. If you have any specific questions, please ask.

The windshield on the allroad I test drove had distortion. When I mentioned to the Audi salesman that I had read about some allroads coming in with distorted windshields, he said that was the first time he had ever heard of about that, he didn't say anything about the windshield in the demo (maybe he didn't notice the distortion).

I have not had any windshield distortion problems on my A6. If you do go with the allroad and it comes in with a defective windshield, I'd be surprised if they didn't replace it. The Audi national customer service number (800-forAudi) is particularly helpful.

One last point on the A6 vs. X5 comparison: I don't think you can make a bad decision here. Drive both, understand the trade-offs, and take your pick.

Good luck.

We drove the allroad and 2 other A6 models and 2 of the three had the windshield problem and the salesman also said he had never heard that before. When I told him that there seems to be a lot of discussion on this forum about them he got real quiet. My wife practically refuses to even consider the allroad because she thinks a $45K+ car should at least be able to include good glass.

Thanks Stu for all you comments. I really appreciated it. We decided to stay with the X5. My husband just loves the X5 and it is very fun to drive and is extremely responsive in handling. I do think the allroad is a great car though, they are just different. Goodbuy to the Audi forum for now. Enjoy your cars! Leslie