2001 Audi Allroad Quattro

Colorado's Hardscrabble Road west of Denver is no place for a luxury automobile. Sharp rocks poke out of the terrain to bite holes in the sidewalls of low-profile tires and deep ruts lie in wait to snag vulnerable undercarriage gear. Yet, the Audi Allroad Quattro hardly slows its pace. Prancing on its tiptoes, the Allroad maintains forward momentum with the sure-footed confidence of a Rocky Mountain bighorn.

Front-end suspension is a four-link system. As with the rear, it uses airbags atop the shocks for ride-height adjustment.

Consider this the anti-SUV, a versatile luxury wagon transformed into a capable all-terrain vehicle by means of some clever engineering. A computer-controlled air suspension allows the driver to select from four different ride heights to program the Allroad for high-speed interstate cruising, adventurous off-road slogging, or anything in between. The low setting offers 1.6 inches of ground clearance above what's provided by the A6 Avant donor vehicle. The high setting—available below 22 mph—gives you a towering 8.2 inches of ground clearance or 4.2 inches more than the civilian wagon offers. Air struts support the body so the independent front and rear suspension systems can keep the tires in touch with whatever lies beneath. When extra air pressure is needed because of a heavy cargo load, this system shrewdly resets the rear shock absorbers for more damping. At 75 mph, the lowest setting is automatically selected for minimal aerodynamic drag and optimum highway stability.

Allroad is more versatile than its A6 Avant parent. For one, four-level pneumatic suspension permits altering ground clearance for the terrain and provides automatic load-leveling.

The list of alterations also includes structural reinforcements, an electronic stability system, larger wheelwells, composite plastic undercarriage protection, and a restyled exterior to make the new Allroad more than a catchy name. Most of the exterior sheetmetal differs from the Avant's to provide an attractive and distinctive appearance with specially designed Pirelli and Goodyear 225/55HR17 radial tires. Horizontal aluminum ribs help protect the body from flying gravel and slush.


Powertrain hardware from the regular A6 Avant consists of a twin-turbo, 250-horsepower 2.7-liter V-6. With five valves per cylinder and sequential fuel injection, the twin-turbo 2.7 produces peak torque at 1,850 rpm. Audi touts it as quicker-accelerating and more fuel-efficient than its BMW and Mercedes competitors (X5 and M-Class, respectively). Gear-shifting is accomplished with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed automatic that features Tiptronic manual control.


Audi has become nearly synonymous with full-time all-wheel drive since it introduced the Quattro in 1980. Traction and cornering grip provided by the system have led to several rally victories. The Allroad Quattro's AWD mechanism includes a Torsen center differential, which allows as much as 66% of the available power to be transmitted to either axle. Electronic Differential Lock maintains forward progress if tires lose grip below 58 mph.