Video: 2013 Audi Allroad

In comparison, shoppers bought around twice as many A4's and S4's in 2005 alone. Well, the All Road is back and this time it's based on the popular A4 with Quattro all-wheel drive standard. We'll tackle what differentiates this all road and to compare it to some competitors like the Volvo XC70 and wagon versions of the BMW 3 series and Acura TSX. Now the A4 was updated this year with restyled headlights and a new single frame grill that looks a lot like the grill on Audi's A8 flagship. The All Road adds more vertical slats here to that grill. There is also a sort of a matte finish here along the lower bumper that can be painted the same color as the rest of the car, if you want. And finally, you get stainless steel lower skid plates here. Now check out the headlights. Audi's been a pioneer for a few years now in LED daytime running lights. These sort of snake around in a continuous band. But a problem remains, and it's not necessarily Audi's fault, the headlights are right next to the turn signals. And so when you turn on the turn signals, the headlight turns off the daytime running light. That's actually a federal requirement, but it continues to look like the headlight is burned out or something, when you're sitting there waiting to turn. Also worth checking out are the All Road's dimensions. It's about a half inch wider than the A4 wagon, which has now been discontinued in the US. The beefier suspension makes for 7.1 inches of ground clearance versus 5.6 inches in the A4 wagon. That's a decent amount. To give you some perspective, an SUV like a Lexus RX 350 only has about 7.3 inches of ground clearance. So this should really help you out in the snow, if you get my drift. Now, wagons are all about utility. And Audi says there's about 27 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the rear seats. That's more than double what you get in the trunk of an A4 sedan. Folding the back seats, not the easiest setup. There aren't any handles here in the cargo area to help facilitate the process. You've got to reach forward here or come around the sides, and the seats are kind of heavy to fold down. But once you get them down, it's a pretty flat continuous load floor here with maximum cargo volume of about 50 cubic feet. That matches roughly what the 3 series wagon offers. However, the Acura TSX wagon, the Volvo XC70 both have more than either one of these with more than 30 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 65 plus cubic feet with the seats folded. Like the A4, the All Road has a handsome captain, but a snug back seat. The turbo four cylinder is plenty quick and matches well to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The car feels a bit nose heavy in corners, but as decent ride quality, it's kinda got a tight, European feel. It's firm, but comfortable. The Acura and the Volvo both have more room and a lower starting price, but neither one feels as nimble behind the wheel as the All Road does. Their wild card is really the 3 series wagon. It doesn't hit dealerships until next spring. And as of this video, we haven't driven it yet. But on the whole, this segment is clearly alive and well. And count as happy that this combination of luxury, driving fun, utility, and capability exists. (happy drum beating) <v Narrator>For more car related news, go to cars.com or our blog kickingtires.net.