For The Audi A4 Allroad offers some of the image and mud-plugging ability of a regular 4x4 in a less controversial estate body. It also has a practical boot, strong engines and plenty of standard kit.
Against The pedals are badly offset on right-hand-drive A4s. Plenty of other estates are better to drive. However, its biggest problem is the hefty premium over the regular A4 Avant.
The Audi A4 Allroad has all the space and practicality of an A4 Avant with some added off-road ability. It's hard to justify the big jump in price, though, and it isn't available with the cheaper A4 engines.
Anyone buying an Audi A4 Allroad might also want to consider the regular Avant estate and Audi's Q5 SUV, which is closely related to the A4 under the skin.
If you're still sure the Allroad is the one for you, then the only big decision you face is which engine to go for. The 2.0-litre diesel would be our pick because it's strong, refined and the cheapest to buy and run.
The turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol is also worth considering if you're a private buyer who doesn't do many miles, or if you prefer to have your gears changed for you (it comes with a semi-automatic gearbox, whereas the 2.0-litre diesel is manual only). However, we'd avoid the 3.0-litre diesel because it's just too pricey.
Whichever engine you choose, the Allroad comes in just one well-equipped trim, although Audi offers plenty of tasty options. Just make sure you don't go crazy, because it's easy to add thousands to the price and you won't get the money back when you sell it on.
First impressions are of a fine car with some REALLY annoying little quirks and very poor fuel economy for a CR170 diesel. It's the little things…