Would I be mad to buy an Allroad ?

[djharte]

Both myself and my wife both love the allroad, how it looks, versatility and luxury, however I am troubled about all the horror stories I have read in relation to maintenance and potential issues, particularly with the suspension. We need a car which will be reliable and the allroad is at the top of the list, Outback is next and then a Jeep Grand Cherokee (circa 2004).

I would really appreciate if someone could give me an idea of how much on average to expect to pay yearly for repairs/maintenance for a car with 80-100K miles on it. Also, any ideas on how long they will last if looked after. I have a BMW 635csi which is still fantastic even after 21 years, will the allroad still be in one piece 10 years from now?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
David

[I <3 Audi]

There is a lot to consider. There will be some maintenance with the suspension. You can't have a feature like that w/out having wear and tear. Check out this forum: AudiWorld Forums: allroad Discussion

More people post there.

[tobyandalison]

Hi there!

I have a 2001 Audi Allroad. Although, I LOVE it, the maintenance is very costly. I see you have a BMW, so you might already be aware of what the upkeep would be. I have had to have the whole suspension system replaced, already. I am currently trying to sell it, just because of the cost of the up-keep. It has 85,000 miles....I have kept up with all maintenance, new tires, brakes etc...... A dealership was going to give me $7600.00 for it.
The 70-75,000 mile maintenance check cost me around $1300.00, the tires (1 year old) cost me around $1000.00, the oil changes cost me around $130/every 4000 miles. I recently had work done on the suspension system and the total of that cost me around $2500.00, but there should never be any more problems with it in its lifetime.

[SulcoPete]

The allroad is a great car and I love mine. However, it is a very complex vehicle with lots of things that can and will go wrong. It's got two turbos, the suspension that you already know about, labor costs will be high since everything is so tight around the engine, lots of stuff needs to come off in order to get to anything, and then there is the issue of how much the previous owner had neglected. I bought my allroad for 9k, with 130K on it. Since I bought it, I've had to fix (get ready) two suspension airbags, 4 front control arms, fuel filter, one cat converter (there are two) two leaky valve cover gaskets, two leaky turbo gaskets, one leaky transmission output seal, and maybe even some other stuff that I can't think of right now. I've put about 8k into the car so far, doing that stuff. All in all, I still do not regret getting this car. It is quirky, but it's got great power on the highway and the off-road capability will impress you. I read on wicki that it's the only car-based SUV to complete an official Land Rover test course. It is a great vehicle but by no means is it a maintenance free one. You have to pay close attention to it and use your senses to recognize potential problems. You can smell the leaks and see torn booties...hear things like broken engine mounts (if the car is noisy over bumps)...things like that. In my opinion, the car is just too complex to have nothing wrong with it for long. I would expect to pay between 3 to 5k a year keeping it in top shape.

[Best4x4xfar]

That's funny, I've been asking myself the same question recently. I suppose alot boils down to your definition of mad, and how tolerant you are when it comes to vehicle maintenance and repairs.

Personally I'm driving a third generation Subaru Outback at the moment, but have always loved the allroads. I think it is an emotional thing though, since there is really very little that the Audi offers that the Subaru doesn't, from the standpoint of daily all weather transportation. The allroad is just much cooler looking, with a slightly more upscale interior, adjustable suspension, and twin turbo/6-speed combo (though the Outback XT with a manual is really very close number wise, and without a huge reputation for issues).

For what it's worth, my family, friends and fellow Subaru owners would say yes, you are mad, as they have been telling me. The allroad doesn't exactly have a stellar reputation for long term reliability (turbo failures, transmission failures, airspring and related component failures, etc.) despite some online ratings.

This is an interesting read, that may swing you one way or the other as well..

Here is a link to a similar thread that I started awhile back as well.

Anyway, hope that helps somewhat. If you are not already aware of these sites, here are some other valuable links to spend some time reading ans asking questions..

quattroworld.com Forums: allroad

allroadFAQ.Com - The Webs Number One Source for Audi allroad Information

Allroad.C5 - QuattroWorld Wiki

[ARSteve]

David,
my advice, after totally rebuilding a 2002 over the past two years:
Set aside $10K
Purchase any year 2002-2005 as cheap as possible and find a reputable Audi shop and go from there.
or........Consider purchasing my rebuilt 02' for $17.5K..............
K04's, compressor/air bags, Tiptrans/Torque Converter, paint, all new "gut check" parts

Originally Posted by djharte

Both myself and my wife both love the allroad, how it looks, versatility and luxury, however I am troubled about all the horror stories I have read in relation to maintenance and potential issues, particularly with the suspension. We need a car which will be reliable and the allroad is at the top of the list, Outback is next and then a Jeep Grand Cherokee (circa 2004).

I would really appreciate if someone could give me an idea of how much on average to expect to pay yearly for repairs/maintenance for a car with 80-100K miles on it. Also, any ideas on how long they will last if looked after. I have a BMW 635csi which is still fantastic even after 21 years, will the allroad still be in one piece 10 years from now?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
David

[scottc242]

German for ****box..."audiallroadnuggen"

[KenS]

I don't think the Allroad it that much different to any other big luxury car. I live in Ireland and have a 2003 2.5 TDi from new. It has covered 135k miles. Besides the normal oil services every 10k miles or so (around €300 euro from a mail dealer), I've done the following:

- Two front air springs failed and replaced (one at 80k and other at 100k miles - €500 each from a dealer. There are cheaper alternatives from Arnott Industries in the US that have received good reviews.
- Aircon radiator fan failed - €300 from dealer
- Front pads are expensive - around €120 for fronts and they last around 20k miles. You can get non OEM cheaper which some say are better. I was lucky enough to own a 1996 911 at one stage. The pads for the 911 were half the price of the Allroad
- Control arms and track rod ends - started to go around 100k miles. Budget around €1,500 to have them replaced including labour at a specialist. There are non OEM replacements available that are cheaper and have received good reviews.
- Shocks - I think mine are due as the ride is getting very bouncy. €€€ from a main dealer, but Arnott have Bilstein replacements at $799 for all four not including labour. May try these.
- From a diesel perspective, oil leaks are not uncommon when the engine ages. I have one that looks like the sump gasket that I need to get checked. Hopefully won't be too expensive to get fixed.
- Timing belt on diesel needs to be done every 80k miles - around €1k from a dealer. Specialist will do for around €600.

If you are buying, make sure you buy a good one (goes without saying). Get the car checked by a mechanic if possible. It's not unusual for a car to get put on the market just before some major work like a timing belt is due. Check for this and use it to bargain.