# Lets talk about a 2001-ish Allroad... Allroad noob



## 85_305 (May 31, 2008)

I'm not new to Volkswagen, Audi, turbo, or all wheel drive. But I am new to Allroads. 

Here's my questions. I'm considering selling my lifted truck for a more fun, more fuel-efficient ride. I already have a tdi for when I need ultra gas-savings, so this car would more than likely be the "oh ****" car... ie, ultra deep snow, my "work rig" that I stuff the hatch full of stuff, people carrier, etc. 

With all that being said, I've noticed the bi-turbos' produce over 300hp and 340-ish ft-lbs of torque w/ a chip alone. Not bad at all! 

Whats in these cars in terms of performance, handling, inclement weather driving, mpg etc? I was actually going to buy a TT, then stumbled across an ad for an Allroad and I thought hell... why not? Seems like a great base. 

FYI, IF I get an allroad it will be awd, 6spd, and turbo. 

The reason I want a TT is because they are sporty, can be fast, handle well, get good mileage, etc. But the reason the Allroad draws me in is seating, wagon-space, etc.


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## Ixomeneus (Nov 27, 2011)

85_305 said:


> I'm not new to Volkswagen, Audi, turbo, or all wheel drive. But I am new to Allroads.
> 
> Here's my questions. I'm considering selling my lifted truck for a more fun, more fuel-efficient ride. I already have a tdi for when I need ultra gas-savings, so this car would more than likely be the "oh ****" car... ie, ultra deep snow, my "work rig" that I stuff the hatch full of stuff, people carrier, etc.
> 
> ...


 This car will arguably be worse off than even your lifted truck but that really depends on where you drive (city, mixed, highway, etc). As far as a 'work rig', I don't know... It seems like a lot of the soft touch and plastic stuff on this car is just looking for a reason to get more brittle and break. 

Maintenance before performance. I wouldn't even bother looking at a car that has no records or is in overall poor condition. 

Now overall, it's a great drive. It handles well in bad weather of any sort. Just don't buy one with an expectation that this is anything remotely close to a perfect economical yet sporty car.


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## 85_305 (May 31, 2008)

Ixomeneus said:


> This car will arguably be worse off than even your lifted truck but that really depends on where you drive (city, mixed, highway, etc). As far as a 'work rig', I don't know... It seems like a lot of the soft touch and plastic stuff on this car is just looking for a reason to get more brittle and break.
> 
> Maintenance before performance. I wouldn't even bother looking at a car that has no records or is in overall poor condition.
> 
> Now overall, it's a great drive. It handles well in bad weather of any sort. Just don't buy one with an expectation that this is anything remotely close to a perfect economical yet sporty car.


 I have no doubt it wont be as good as my truck in the snow... but then, I rarely need 4x4 in it either with these tires. I live in the country, with most of my family living in ski country and on the back side of a ski-hill... if thats any indication on my need for 4x4/awd. 

By "work rig", I mean the ability to store stuff, move things, etc... 2x4's, a grill maybe, etc... being it's a wagon, I would think there's good room for all that? 

I drive like grandma most of the time... so I tend to get decent mpg's out of my vehicles. What kidna city and highway mpg could I get out of a bi turbo v6 6spd if I drive like grandma? 

If I up the suspension and do a few mods, what do these cars turn into? It seems that a chip alone brings it up to 310hp and 343ft-lbs... thats a healthy dose of power for only one mod.


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## G0to60 (Jun 23, 2003)

I have used my allroad for a lot of different hauling duties. I just recently moved so I used it to haul everything from a dresser to various car parts (extra trans for my Corrado and such) to trips to IKEA for furniture. It hasn't skipped a beat and, aside from a slightly dirty hatch area, the inside has held up pretty well. I'm going to give it a really good detail in a month or so to get it good and clean. 

Gas mileage is meh in my opinion. On straight highway runs I've gotten 21-22mpg and in mixed DD use I usually get around 19-20mpg. Not terrible but not that great when I'm used to over 30mpg in my Corrado. 

In the winter the allroad is a beast and makes it comfortable as well. I take it up snowboarding in the winter with me, my wife, and usually a couple of friends. I threw on some studdless snow tires and have never had any issue with sliding or getting stuck. The rear heated seats make the passengers happy along with the vents back there. 

As far as mods go I would do maintenance first as these are getting around 10 years old and usually over 100k miles. If everything is sorted (air suspension, timing belt, control arms, oil leaks, etc.) then mods are pretty easy and have good results. Mine is stock but I've read that a simple chip and exhaust can get ~300hp (250hp stock). The sky and your wallet is the limit with power as there are several that are pushing 500hp and more. 

I had to get a auto because it's very difficult to find any manuals around but if you are patient you can usually find one fairly close. 

I love my allroad and plan on keeping it for quite some time. It does just about everything that I need it too without too much fuss but realize that they were ~$45-50k when new ten years ago and have expensive fixes and maintenance.


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## 85_305 (May 31, 2008)

ouch 22mpg highway... not that great at all. I wonder how much better the 6spd would do? 

is it a good dry-pavement handler?


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## diive4sho (Feb 7, 2004)

I drive 80 miles per day on the highway with my 6 speed. Most of that being around 70mph in 6th gear. I rarely ever see over 23mpg. This thing is a hog but I love it. 

Pros: 
With just a few mods (APR chip, Samco TBB, EVOMS Diverter Valves, Intake, muffler delete) I ran a 13.689 @100.3 with a 1.98 60’ I believe it still has some more in it and could get down to 13.5 but I wasn’t about to break it trying. APR quotes 318hp and 382 fl/lb torque. 
Reliable if you keep up on the maintenance 

Cons: 
The $1000 dealer option of a sunroof does not work because the motor took a crap (very common) 
All the cup holders suck 
The ashtrays in the rear doors are broken and stay open (leaving their lights on)….I don’t even know how that happened because I don’t smoke and hardly ever have people in my back seat. 
Seats aren’t very comfortable on long drives but they’re heated so that helps 
Air suspension can fail and be quite expensive but there are a ton of options out there for replacement now-a-days 
Value has gone WAY down (my car’s sticker price $45,200, I bought it four years ago for $16,700, probably KBB now for under $9,000) 

I just bought a hitch and I’m looking forward to towing things with this car. 200lb tongue weight and 5,000lb towing capacity. 

You can go broke doing modifications to these things as the possibilities are endless. You can do A6, S4, and A8 upgrades to just about everything on the car. 

Overall I LOVE my allroad and wouldn’t take back a single day of ownership. Good luck!


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## awdjunkies (Nov 8, 2006)

Yep, they aren't the fastest avants in the world but once you get into the Stage 3 category(Ko4/frankenturbos/hybrids), you definitely notice the power gains. I have had the pleasure of owning two allroads and let me tell you, they are a pleasure to drive whether to the store or for long trips, they are very comfortable (Great Back seats in terms of leg room as well). If you OP haven't read up on the ins and outs of an allroad here is a great start: www.allroadfaq.com 
the creature comforts are numerous and if you like these there are plenty of them, from heated leather front and back seats to a heated steering wheel for those winter chilly days.


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## 85_305 (May 31, 2008)

diive4sho said:


> I drive 80 miles per day on the highway with my 6 speed. Most of that being around 70mph in 6th gear. I rarely ever see over 23mpg. This thing is a hog but I love it.
> 
> Pros:
> With just a few mods (APR chip, Samco TBB, EVOMS Diverter Valves, Intake, muffler delete) I ran a 13.689 @100.3 with a 1.98 60’ I believe it still has some more in it and could get down to 13.5 but I wasn’t about to break it trying. APR quotes 318hp and 382 fl/lb torque.
> ...


 Wow... 318hp and 382ft-lbs and 13's... thats a fun one right there. That sounds like a blast of a car. 
So theres lots of aftermarket performance and tuning for those cars then? 



awdjunkies said:


> Yep, they aren't the fastest avants in the world but once you get into the Stage 3 category(Ko4/frankenturbos/hybrids), you definitely notice the power gains. I have had the pleasure of owning two allroads and let me tell you, they are a pleasure to drive whether to the store or for long trips, they are very comfortable (Great Back seats in terms of leg room as well). If you OP haven't read up on the ins and outs of an allroad here is a great start: www.allroadfaq.com
> the creature comforts are numerous and if you like these there are plenty of them, from heated leather front and back seats to a heated steering wheel for those winter chilly days.


 yes I def. love all the gadgets and goodies in the car. Since this will be my "oh ****" car, ie blizzard/storming etc car, so having all of the goodies and options (probably none that I even know of in those car) will be great... especially front AND rear heated seats, heated steering wheel (sweet!), etc. 



What do you guys think of the awd system in hars climates? I wont be running snows, but will be running top notch all-seasons and am curious if it will be nearly as good as my f250 w/ mud tires. 

oh and I'm checking out that Allroad link, thanks guys


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## G0to60 (Jun 23, 2003)

To be honest I think the AWD system in the allroad will do great in the snow. Probably even better then your truck. I don't know how many 4x4 trucks I've passed up the mountain because they were stuck or going extremely slow up the pass. If you keep the air suspension (many ditch it for coilovers) then you can raise it up to around the ground clearance of a Ford Explorer for when the going gets deep. Here's a little youtube video when they did a comparison of several of the AWD cars of the day. Pretty impressive. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAHPMUkhj5Q


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## 85_305 (May 31, 2008)

G0to60 said:


> To be honest I think the AWD system in the allroad will do great in the snow. Probably even better then your truck. I don't know how many 4x4 trucks I've passed up the mountain because they were stuck or going extremely slow up the pass. If you keep the air suspension (many ditch it for coilovers) then you can raise it up to around the ground clearance of a Ford Explorer for when the going gets deep. Here's a little youtube video when they did a comparison of several of the AWD cars of the day. Pretty impressive.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAHPMUkhj5Q


 Interesting. I wouldn't say "better" than my truck, as I have 35" mud tires and a 6" lift and can get thru most of winter in 2wd hehe. But if I could at least "keep up" with my truck I'd be very happy. I need a winter-tank! 

I like the idea of lifting the suspension up and dropping it via stock air... thats great! If I cant find a 6spd, will I be disappointed w/ the auto? Are the auto's tough in these?


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## G0to60 (Jun 23, 2003)

Mmmmm, the autos are hit or miss. There has been some problems with torque converters on many of them. I haven't had any troubles with mine and it's at 165k. 

I find that there is a slight delay sometimes when you go to take off at a leisurely pace. It gets kind of annoying. I think they call in TIP lag. I usually keep mine in "Sport" as it doesn't shift to the highest gear possible so soon so it holds the revs in the 2500-3000 rpm range instead of ~1500 rpm. If you want to do big power then I would search for a manual as the TIP really only can handle the Stage 1 stuff before having issues. 

I would say that the allroad could easily keep up with your truck in anything that won't high center it. Quattro really is an impressive system in the snow.


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## 85_305 (May 31, 2008)

G0to60 said:


> Mmmmm, the autos are hit or miss. There has been some problems with torque converters on many of them. I haven't had any troubles with mine and it's at 165k.
> 
> I find that there is a slight delay sometimes when you go to take off at a leisurely pace. It gets kind of annoying. I think they call in TIP lag. I usually keep mine in "Sport" as it doesn't shift to the highest gear possible so soon so it holds the revs in the 2500-3000 rpm range instead of ~1500 rpm. If you want to do big power then I would search for a manual as the TIP really only can handle the Stage 1 stuff before having issues.
> 
> I would say that the allroad could easily keep up with your truck in anything that won't high center it. Quattro really is an impressive system in the snow.


 I REALLY want a 6spd, but I was just wondering if I could suffice w/ auto. I dont want major mods.. but a chip, tip, tip tuning (i'm sure there's some out there...), exhaust/dp, intake would all be doable. MAYBE some day a bigger turbo. But then I'd focus on brakes and suspension. 


I'm really considering one now.. I love how it fits more than a TT would (also considering TT's)


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## G0to60 (Jun 23, 2003)

You should be fine with those minor mods as long as you get a TIP that is in good shape but I would still try to hold out for a manual if you can. They are hard to find though. If you do decide to go bigger power later on then many people will do a manual swap and it's fairly straight forward. 

I'm also a member of the Audizine forums and there is a lot of information there as well in the C5 forums. Everything from basic maintenance to big turbo builds. Good stuff. :thumbup:


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## 85_305 (May 31, 2008)

hehe i've been browsing the AR section of audizine. 

Will the stock clutch hold up good in the 6spd's??


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## G0to60 (Jun 23, 2003)

I haven't heard any issues with the stock clutch. I know that some of the guys will upgrade to an RS4 clutch when they up the HP significantly. The only issue I've read about on the manual is the 1-2 shift collar can break if you're rough with it. 

Talk with [email protected] on Audizine if you have in depth transmission questions. He seems to know everything about both the TIP and the manuals. Wealth of knowledge.


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## 85_305 (May 31, 2008)

Good info.. I appreciate all the knowledge in this thread:thumbup: 

Reading audizine like a hawk:snowcool:


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## awdjunkies (Nov 8, 2006)

You can also speak with Bryan at www.audis4parts.com (Also an Audizine vendor). He is a great guy with an abundance of knowledge and will hook you up if you ever need any parts whether new or slightly used...


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## teespeed (Apr 17, 2008)

Im not sure what year your 4x4 truck is, or if it has ESP system (stability control) like the allroad, but if you want a winter/snow rig, then in my opinion the allroad with esp it what you need:thumbup:. You can have the best 4x4 lifted truck with moster tires on it to get you out of a ditch, but when your simply driving along the snowy roads and your front or back end decides it wants to slide out, theres nothing that will save a 4x4 vehicle except for the esp system. I drive a snowy mountain pass in the winter and see several 4x4 vehicles spun out... rarely do i see anything with esp system ditched on the side of the road. Just a helpfull thought.


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## 85_305 (May 31, 2008)

teespeed said:


> Im not sure what year your 4x4 truck is, or if it has ESP system (stability control) like the allroad, but if you want a winter/snow rig, then in my opinion the allroad with esp it what you need:thumbup:. You can have the best 4x4 lifted truck with moster tires on it to get you out of a ditch, but when your simply driving along the snowy roads and your front or back end decides it wants to slide out, theres nothing that will save a 4x4 vehicle except for the esp system. I drive a snowy mountain pass in the winter and see several 4x4 vehicles spun out... rarely do i see anything with esp system ditched on the side of the road. Just a helpfull thought.


Nothing special like that... just some meaty 35's. But one of the biggest selling points of a new allroad/a4 is that sure, my truck can take OFF in anythign deep, but the handling and braking are still scary in my truck. My mkiv jetta has EXCELLENT winter handling/braking, but cant go thru nearly as much as the truck. I figure an allroad or a4 is a good compromise :laugh:


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## Zachariah_allroad (May 2, 2011)

*Get the allroad...*

I've pulled two Jeep Wranglers out of 1.5ft of deep mud consecutively....BACKWARDS! It can do 75mph in four inches of snow and scale a rutty, 25% dirt grade without wheelspin. Yet, I can pass 75% of cars on steep mountain roads, simply because the twin turbos are not affected by high altitude. 

When this car is working RIGHT...it's all about LOVE. When things go wrong or wear out - I absolutely HATE this bitch. Yet, I still come crawling back to this car like a wet puppy looking for a little of bit of warmth....:facepalm:


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## 85_305 (May 31, 2008)

lol well that was certainly an interesting review... I appreciate it:thumbup:


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## awdjunkies (Nov 8, 2006)

Zachariah_allroad said:


> I've pulled two Jeep Wranglers out of 1.5ft of deep mud consecutively....BACKWARDS! It can do 75mph in four inches of snow and scale a rutty, 25% dirt grade without wheelspin. Yet, I can pass 75% of cars on steep mountain roads, simply because the twin turbos are not affected by high altitude.
> 
> When this car is working RIGHT...it's all about LOVE. When things go wrong or wear out - I absolutely HATE this bitch. Yet, I still come crawling back to this car like a wet puppy looking for a little of bit of warmth....:facepalm:


Hmm, I am not sure whether to laugh or CRY .. or both 



85_305 said:


> lol well that was certainly an interesting review... I appreciate it:thumbup:


LMAO Seriously!!


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## passat3.6 (Mar 10, 2012)

To the OP wondering if the Allroad would perform as well as the truck in snow......

I went from an '01 Allroad on all season tires and a stage 1 APR tune to an '04 F-150 FX4 with 33" mud and snow tires. No comparison. The truck was a pig that wanted to kill me at any opportunity. The Allroad was perfect. inspiring confidence and driving like a true high speed all weather interceptor should.

Don't think I'm hating on Fords either. Dodges, Chevys, Toyotas....I've driven the lot in all sorts of weather. Even winter driving in a HMMWV (truly terrible). Audi and their Torsen system are the best.

The drawbacks are mediocre mileage and maintenance costs. Everything in a compromise.


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## 85_305 (May 31, 2008)

Awesome input! the trucks handling/braking IS scary in the snow... thats the biggest downfall. Thanks for the informative review though.


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