USED Audi A6 Allroad 4x4 (00 - 05)

The Allroad is basically an A6 Avant estate with pumped up suspension and four-wheel drive, and shares the good and bad points of the car it’s based on.

The build quality, for a start, is excellent, and there’s plenty of room inside for five passengers. There’s also an enormous boot, so it’ll take family life in its stride.

Don’t think of it as a full-on off-roader, however. Yes, the clever air suspension does give it some ability away from Tarmac, but plenty of other cars are more capable if you really need to get off the beaten track.

Stay on the road, though, and you’ll soon realise the Allroad’s not great there, either. Although none of the versions are short of performance, the ride is no better than reasonable, and the handling lacks the sharpness you’d find in a BMW.

Each of the four engines comes with just one trim level, but at least it’s generous, with a good selection of luxury and safety equipment fitted as standard. Pretty much the only options you mighy try to find are an automatic gearbox, electric sunroof, leather upholstery and sat-nav.

Engine-wise, by far the most sensible options are one of the two turbodiesels, preferably the more powerful 180bhp version. Not only are they more economical than the petrol engines, their stronger low-down pull is just what you want in a car that’s likely to be carrying heavy loads or towing. And, as if that wasn’t already enough to sway you, they’re also in lower insurance groups.

That’s not to say the two petrol engines are bad, though. On the contrary, both rev sweetly and perform well, even with an automatic gearbox. It's just that they do nothing to justify their higher running costs.

Whether an Allroad makes financial sense depends on what other cars you’re considering. Compared with 4x4s such as the Volvo XC90 and BMW X5, the Allroad looks like a bargain, but next to the Volvo XC70 or the standard A6 Avant it’s dear.

It’s much the same story with fuel economy and insurance. Fair enough, things look favourable if you compare the Allroad with cars such as the X5 and XC90, but on the other hand, it is both less fuel-efficient and more expensive to insure than the equivalent A6 Avant.

Look at repair costs, and the picture’s even less favourable. According to figures from Warranty Direct, not only are average repair costs on Audis among the highest – above BMW and Volvo, and only just below Mercedes – the hourly labour rate at dealers is also very high for servicing.

Our experience with the A6 suggests the brakes and suspension are the main areas of trouble.

Overall, though, Warranty Direct says problems on Audis are not too frequent. Plenty of other makers’ cars are worse, although notably BMW and Mercedes are better.

Only one recall has affected the Allroad: on cars built before February 2001, there could be a problem with the driver’s-side wiper. The only other word of caution is that, if the four-wheel drive system does need work, it will require specialist attention, so make sure it’s in good nick before you buy.

There are also no specific reports for the Allroad in JD Power surveys, but owners of the A6 are generally pretty happy. It finished in the top 40 in 2005 and 2006, and consumers report that, mechanically, the A6 is no worse than average and its build quality is excellent.