2013 Allroad – delivery, build thread with pictures

[manutdsupporter]

Stock S-Line suspension from a donor Avant.

Does the S-Line suspension fits plug and play, or do you have to change another things?

[name.goes.here]

the allroad offers nearly 50% more cargo capacity over the a4 avant. what did audi do different with the allroad cargo area?

Not possible - especially not at 50% - cargo capacity should be nearly identical to A4 Avant.

[manutdsupporter]

They have completely the same dimensions...

[kurupt_hawaiian]

A picture of my friends 2013 allroad. The day he got it. It came with black fenders.

[zee007]

Does the S-Line suspension fits plug and play, or do you have to change another things?

Plug and play.

[iconoclast]

Not possible - especially not at 50% - cargo capacity should be nearly identical to A4 Avant.

Allroad Cargo:
Cargo volume (behind rear seatback/rear seatback folded):
27.6 / 50.5 inches

A4 Avant Cargo:
Cargo capacity, all seats in place: 17.3 cu.ft.
Maximum cargo capacity: 50.5 cu.ft.

[name.goes.here]

Allroad Cargo:
Cargo volume (behind rear seatback/rear seatback folded):
27.6 / 50.5 inches

A4 Avant Cargo:
Cargo capacity, all seats in place: 17.3 cu.ft.
Maximum cargo capacity: 50.5 cu.ft.

must be some sort of voodoo, because the dimensions are the same - as posted above.

[iconoclast]

that's why i was asking... it isnt a typo since i have seen it on several different sites but the exterior dimensions seem to be identical. i dont want to derail the thread but i was just curious what exactly was done differently.

[holmes4]

Allroad Cargo:
Cargo volume (behind rear seatback/rear seatback folded):
27.6 / 50.5 inches

A4 Avant Cargo:
Cargo capacity, all seats in place: 17.3 cu.ft.
Maximum cargo capacity: 50.5 cu.ft.

One says inches, the other says cu.ft. I suspect that there's a mixup in what is being measured in one of these.

[iconoclast]

from audi's site:

allroad:
Luggage Capacity 27.6 cu. ft.

a4 avant:
Cargo capacity, all seats in place: 17.3 cu.ft.

http://models.audiusa.com/allroad/de...specifications

[cory_can]

It's obviously a misprint or misunderstanding...... according to Canadian site the luggage capacity of the Avant is 782L = 27.6 cu. ft.= Allroad.

[iconoclast]

audi uk claims a4 avant has 490L capacity = 17.3 cu ft.

http://www.audi.co.uk/new-cars/a4/a4...-capacity.html

[cory_can]

audi uk claims a4 avant has 490L capacity = 17.3 cu ft.

http://www.audi.co.uk/new-cars/a4/a4...-capacity.html

Seats up/down.

[iconoclast]

this is derailing this guy's thread but all measurements i posted are with seats up. 1430L w/ seats down which is 50.499 cu ft which both have with seats down. it's the seats up number that varies by 50%.

[mksap11]

the allroad offers nearly 50% more cargo capacity over the a4 avant. what did audi do different with the allroad cargo area?

It's a typo, or Audi is playing with numbers by changing the way they are measuring volume. Go visit a dealer and look at it. It's the same basic car

[Khaavren]

Any pics of the tint how dark did you go?

it's medium for drivers, dark for passengers and dark in the rear. Looks really nice. I just used the 3M Color Stable film. No pictures yet. Waiting for the films to cure, wash the car and then take some pictures this weekend.

[zee007]

Put a couple of thousand miles on the AR since purchase, and Here are some initial thoughts:

The Good:
- Space. Clearly, this is relative. Having come from an S5, having extra doors and leg room in the back, plus the larger trunk has been very useful for my young one and travel. The electronic trunk motor to close the lid is a nice touch too
- Lights. Gotta love those new lights - front and rear. Really do look special.
- Interior trim. I went with the standard Alu trim, and although its not as nice as the brushed SS I has in the S5, its pleasant. But the trim around the dash (plus thicker sterring wheel and new shifter) makes the cabin a nice place to be.
- MMI/Sat Nav. Huge leap forward for Audi. I loved the previous gen in my S5, but man, this new Google Maps and Audi Connect stuff is superb. Bluetooth streaming from the iphone is excellent too - really nice set up.
- Comfort. Clearly, the difference in ride from a "sportscar" to a "wagon" is going to be noticable, but I like it. I think with 19's coming, that will change some, but not enough for me to feel like my fillings are falling out (like I did in the S5).
- Sound/speakers. I opted not to go for the B&O this time, and you know what? I'm rally glad I didn't. I always thought that it was some what over-rated in the S5 (my opinion), and the standard system in the AR is fantastic.
- Mirrors. Auto dimming (inside and outside) plus folding mirrors are a huge plus. Why we never got those as standard before I will never know.

The not-so-good:
- Seats. I miss my Alacantara bucket seats from the S5. A lot. The Sports seats in the AR are OK - but just OK. I wish I could have at least opted for Alacatara. This is quickly bubbling up my list of things "to do"
- The front grill. I thought I could live with the chrome bling grill. I don't think I can. I want to see the new RS4 grill in person when I'm over in the UK this fall and if it's as nice as I think it is, I'll pull the trigger.
- Engine/Gearbox. The 8 speed and 2.0T are OK. Actually, I'm probably being harsh putting these in this bucket (the not-so-good) and, again, its all relative when comparing to a 4.2 V8 S-tronic. The 8-speed is a little hesitatnt in gear changes, and the 2.0T needs a touch more go. I hope the APR Stage 2+ will solve that.
- Paint. The paint is thin. And brittle. And not what I would expect from a premium brand. The S5 took some chips over its 2 year, 30k life. But its seems like I could sneeze on the AR, and it would take a chunk out of the paint. Touch up paint highly recommended with the newer Audis.

Hope this helps potential buyers...

[name.goes.here]

- - The front grill. I thought I could live with the chrome bling grill. I don't think I can. I want to see the new RS4 grill in person when I'm over in the UK this fall and if it's as nice as I think it is, I'll pull the trigger.

Nice review.

Maybe it's just how the grill appears in pictures, but it does not seem too bad - or with that much "bling" to me. Would you say it's too much in person?

Also, do you already have a few chips in the paint so soon? I ask because I actually had to drive to the delear the morning after a snow storm to get a slight alignment on my 2012, and on the way there could hear the rock salt, etc. used on NE roads strike the front of my car from passing cars. I cringed as to what I might see the next time I washed it. I was actually surprised because there was not a single chip, scratch, etc. on the paint. Nothing. I don't pretend to be an expert on paint, but wonder if how the paints are developed, if one color is more brittle than another. I can remember my 2004 Passat was a "shadow blue" color and, like you noted, would scratch if you sneezed near it. In fact, that car had so many scratches and chips, I promised myself I would never, not ever, get another blue car again.

BTW - thanks for the review.

[Blake P]

Thanks for the review, zee!

[holmes4]

I am not a fan of fabric or Alcantara seats, but I recognize that seats are something very much a matter of personal preference. I do like the sport seats - the only issue I have is getting in and out of them because of the high side bolsters. Once I'm in they're delightful.

The comment about paint is interesting. I waxed my 1-week-old allroad yesterday and saw no paint damage. I did opt for the clear film paint protector on the front and mirrors. Of course, this is my first Audi and my first car in 36 years with an automatic transmission, so comparisons of engines and transmissions may be a bit off, but I find the allroad accelerates strongly and the transmission shifts are not too noticeable. (If I switched to Sport mode they would probably be more obvious.)

[Khaavren]

There's something funky going on with the MMI and bluetooth for me when playing music. When using the Media and bluetooth to play music via my iPhone, it doesn't seem to be able to bring up my Playlists. I have to control the music on the iPhone itself.

Now if i connect the phone via the cable in the glove box, then I can get playlist with the usual controls, but no sound comes out. I use the cabled connection when my phone needs to be charged.

Seems like there's some sort of conflict between the two modes?

The voice control is a sporadic. It seems to have issues recognizing commands. it takes several tries to get it right. It'd be cool to get a different voice - with a sexy english accent!

Otherwise, the new MMI console is great.

[holmes4]

I don't think there's any support for playlists over Bluetooth. The interface using the cable is very different.

Have you gone through the training of the voice command? It's described in the MMI manual - it may help. I have no problems with commands, but it consistently misinterpreted "Mont Vernon" as "Seabrook" when I was trying to enter a town. Damned if I know why. I had to do it by ZIP code.

I once read a NYT article saying that BMW had to use a male voice in its Nav for the German market because German men didn't like a woman telling them what to do!

[Erwheezy]

Everything Holmes said is correct. No playlist support over bluetooth and try training your voice. When I first purchased my car I could not get any command recognized, after the voice trading im able to use to voice command quite easily.

Also I was quite disappointed with the stock nav stereo and wished I opted for the B&O but after changing the quality setting in spotify my radio sounds great.

[zee007]

Couple more things to add that I though about last night:

- indicator stalks: These are wierd. Maybe its just me, but they seem larger than the previous B8 gen and they don;t feel "right".
- moonroof: nice to have - never ever used it, and unlikely I will ever will. I would have liked the option of de-opting it and saving the weight quite honestly.
- plastic cladding: The more I look at it, the more I like it. I think this a love/hate thing - and at first, I was all about getting a respray to color code. Maybe its the contrast between the dark paint and the light trim, but I think it looks just fine.
- interior trim detail: I noticed nice little matte silver trim details on the switches (windows, seat adjusters etc). Its nice attention to detail and a lift from the previous gen.
- steering: it does feel light/fake. Too light. Once I'm moving at a decent speed, I think it feels good, but, as noted by others in reviews, you don;t feel "connected" to the road.

[zee007]

Nice review.

Maybe it's just how the grill appears in pictures, but it does not seem too bad - or with that much "bling" to me. Would you say it's too much in person?

Also, do you already have a few chips in the paint so soon? I ask because I actually had to drive to the delear the morning after a snow storm to get a slight alignment on my 2012, and on the way there could hear the rock salt, etc. used on NE roads strike the front of my car from passing cars. I cringed as to what I might see the next time I washed it. I was actually surprised because there was not a single chip, scratch, etc. on the paint. Nothing. I don't pretend to be an expert on paint, but wonder if how the paints are developed, if one color is more brittle than another. I can remember my 2004 Passat was a "shadow blue" color and, like you noted, would scratch if you sneezed near it. In fact, that car had so many scratches and chips, I promised myself I would never, not ever, get another blue car again.

BTW - thanks for the review.

I really do think it looks :blingy" - but as I say, thats my opinion.

I have 2 chips - small, but 2 already. Granted, the roads in VA have not been good with all the construction, and it may be that they are just so much more noticable on this darker paint than my previous sprint blue, but nonetheless, its not nice to see.

[A4 Centaur]

Zee,

I went for the Clear Bra and it has saved my patience with regards to the paint Audi uses. Glad to hear you are doing well!

Great ride!

[@llro@d]

Zee,

What bulb size are you using for your fog lights?

[bradleyb]

can you tell me what thule rack adapter you used. thule didn't have new allroad in their catalog. i went with 4007, the one used for a4 avant

[bradleyb]

Hi all, I recently ordered my 2013 Allroad. I'm currently driving a Q5 and kind of had buyers remorse for not getting a wagon. I have 2 small kids so need a bigger car, love the Q5, but just doesn't keep those audi lines.

I completely obsessed over a decision between getting black with full paint (the matte color on the fenders looks really sexy, btw!!) and white without full paint. I'm not a fan of the two tone fenders EXCEPT for the the white. I think its the only color that i think really looks better with the two tone. So, i decided to go with White, 19" wheels, sport package, B&0, plus ash wood. That combo was only available as a special order (of course!), so i won't get it until mid december.

So here is my question. What aftermarket stuff would you suggest i look into? I'm planning on doing tint, but not sure what else. no real plans to mess with suspension. but any other ideas on making the car even sexier?

[treginginco]

Hi all, I recently ordered my 2013 Allroad. I'm currently driving a Q5 and kind of had buyers remorse for not getting a wagon. I have 2 small kids so need a bigger car, love the Q5, but just doesn't keep those audi lines.

I completely obsessed over a decision between getting black with full paint (the matte color on the fenders looks really sexy, btw!!) and white without full paint. I'm not a fan of the two tone fenders EXCEPT for the the white. I think its the only color that i think really looks better with the two tone. So, i decided to go with White, 19" wheels, sport package, B&0, plus ash wood. That combo was only available as a special order (of course!), so i won't get it until mid december.

So here is my question. What aftermarket stuff would you suggest i look into? I'm planning on doing tint, but not sure what else. no real plans to mess with suspension. but any other ideas on making the car even sexier?

Congrats on the order. It will be a very merry christmas at someone's house :). I just took delivery last week of my white allroad. Tint and clear bra are my next step - sometime next week hopefully. I can't think of much else to do except I'm looking for orange LED bulbs for te front turn signals.

[Khaavren]

i guess clear bra is a good idea. of course i haven't done it yet, and I have chips in the plastic fenders and some long scratches in the front. I think i hit a flying paper bag on the 405. the chip on the right fender, not even sure when that happened. One thing i did do today - debadged the allroad and quattro off the back. there's a nice symmetry in the back now.

[Khaavren]

can you tell me what thule rack adapter you used. thule didn't have new allroad in their catalog. i went with 4007, the one used for a4 avant

My Thule rack that was on my 2010 A4 Avant fits the new allroad. That was a nice saving there.

[holmes4]

Definitely the clear bra. I put Sonniboy shades in mine and I like the look. I'm not interested in lowering the car or bigger tires, but those can make it look nicer.

[@llro@d]

can you tell me what thule rack adapter you used. thule didn't have new allroad in their catalog. i went with 4007, the one used for a4 avant

I used the Thule 450R Rapid Crossroad and AeroBlade ARB53. I tried using the ARB47 but the front blade was too tight of a fit and I didn't want to move the entire set up further back on the roof rails.

[dreti]

Hi Zee,

Great looking Allroad!... I'm about to take delivery of mine and was already thinking about wheel spacers from H&R.
I'm not changing the suspension (yet), and guessing that the same 20mm front and 15mm rear will work with the stock set-up.

Any chance you could post the specific part numbers you used and if you think there is any benefit from using the black versus raw metal finish.

Thanks in advance!

David

[zee007]

Hi Zee,

Great looking Allroad!... I'm about to take delivery of mine and was already thinking about wheel spacers from H&R.
I'm not changing the suspension (yet), and guessing that the same 20mm front and 15mm rear will work with the stock set-up.

Any chance you could post the specific part numbers you used and if you think there is any benefit from using the black versus raw metal finish.

Thanks in advance!

David

Thanks David. Front were 15mm (PN: 3055665) with longer bolts, and the rear 20mm were DRAs (PN: 40556654).

When I purchased my spacers (over 2 years ago - I used them on my S5), I don't recall black being an option - so mine are metal finish and have held up very well.

Cheers
Zee

[dreti]

Thanks for the quick reply Zee... Your thread is super helpful and inspiration, though you make me question throwing down on the B&O sound system ;)

Thanks again!

/D

[dreti]

PS... Are you British? If so, me too!

[zee007]

PS... Are you British? If so, me too!

Lol - I am fella. Born and bred in the midlands, moved out to VA a few years ago. Where are you in the states?

[dreti]

Ha!... Grew up in Coventry before moving to London. Did 4 years in Amsterdam and moved to Portland, OR 5 years ago! It's great to be British out here!!!