# beginning the seatrch for an Allroad. what to look for?



## sayemthree (Mar 2, 2006)

I prefer a 2.7T with a 6 speed but am open to other options. prefer newer year and lower miles.

question is - what things should I be awar of or look for when buying used Allroad? is there a FAQ or other thread on this (couldnt find one)
thanks


----------



## sayemthree (Mar 2, 2006)

ok how about

airbags done? water pump and timing belt done?


----------



## gneboardin (Nov 2, 2001)

After owning one my answer would be a different car.


----------



## sayemthree (Mar 2, 2006)

ouch!

what would you suggest instead. that has decent power, carlike handling, good cargo space and AWD ground clearance? 

my other option is a BMW x3. but for the same money its strpped down and has less cargo space.


----------



## jonnyz1245 (Feb 24, 2010)

*Hey*

The person that said "buy a different car" was one persons experience.

My experience is different. I have a 2005 Allroad 2.7 Tip with 73,000 miles on it that for the most part has been completely trouble free. The front airbags did go out and were replaced under my extended warranty. I had a sensor fail when the car was a few months old that required an hour visit to the dealer. Other than those two things + regular oil changes and all ongoing maintenance completed by the dealer where I bought car new, my allroad has not been in the shop. I have not had one single problem other than those two things. Almost 6 years, almost 73,000 one owner miles, no accidents, always garaged. This car has been an absolute dream to own. My 95 Honda accord and 99 Acura TL saw thousands of $'s in repairs over their respective lives...this car hasn't cost me a dime other than oil and the 65K tune up.

If you are seriously considering an Allroad, I will be putting mine up for sale shortly. I am getting an '11 or '12 S4 in the next few months.

Car also has balance of 100K 3 year extended warranty that will expire in Aug 2012. Covers everything.
Car is Atlas gray(whole body) and loaded with every option Audi had at the time. I didn't have a choice and had to buy it loaded as the car had been discontinued and my dealer had 2 left.

I am on AW under same name.


----------



## sayemthree (Mar 2, 2006)

jonnyz1245 said:


> The person that said "buy a different car" was one persons experience.
> 
> My experience is different. I have a 2005 Allroad 2.7 Tip with 73,000 miles on it that for the most part has been completely trouble free. The front airbags did go out and were replaced under my extended warranty. I had a sensor fail when the car was a few months old that required an hour visit to the dealer. Other than those two things + regular oil changes and all ongoing maintenance completed by the dealer where I bought car new, my allroad has not been in the shop. I have not had one single problem other than those two things. Almost 6 years, almost 73,000 one owner miles, no accidents, always garaged. This car has been an absolute dream to own. My 95 Honda accord and 99 Acura TL saw thousands of $'s in repairs over their respective lives...this car hasn't cost me a dime other than oil and the 65K tune up.
> 
> ...


I know what you mean. we had a 2004 S4 for three years it was flawless and had not one single thingl go wrong. but buying used at high mileage is more risky. your car sounds nice but we want an MT


----------



## Gberg888GLI (Nov 1, 2006)

My mom has a 4.2 allroad and that thing is truly a beast. It keeps up with my friends 350Z.

Anyways, we had the main seal issue that early 4.2s did. We had a loose bolt on the steering rack which once tightened, made the car completely different. We did break a tie rod once, but that was because my father was driving it a little too much like our Porsche...

I love it, ours has 100XXX miles on it and there really hasnt been any issues that are super serious. The main seal was fixed by audi... The tie rod was actually only a 300 dollar deal, and the steering rack bolt once identified, but easy too.


----------



## sayemthree (Mar 2, 2006)

Gberg888GLI said:


> My mom has a 4.2 allroad and that thing is truly a beast. It keeps up with my friends 350Z.
> 
> Anyways, we had the main seal issue that early 4.2s did. We had a loose bolt on the steering rack which once tightened, made the car completely different. We did break a tie rod once, but that was because my father was driving it a little too much like our Porsche...
> 
> I love it, ours has 100XXX miles on it and there really hasnt been any issues that are super serious. The main seal was fixed by audi... The tie rod was actually only a 300 dollar deal, and the steering rack bolt once identified, but easy too.


maybe we should just get a 4.2 and forget about the MT. saw a nice one with 50k miles but they want $17,000 and with the price of gas going up....


----------



## Gberg888GLI (Nov 1, 2006)

Well the 2.7t is a great motor with the right amount of air passing around it. The problem in the S4 is that there is no room for the heat to escape the engine bay and thus the turbos grenade. That problem does not exist in the all road cause the engine bay is much larger. 

Plus, a tune for the 2.7t with downpipes and your at the same power levels as the 4.2 allroad...and you have better gas mileage..

That being said, the 4.2 allroad has a mean growl and i love the way it sounds...


----------



## ((a.v.))mk-1 (Dec 10, 2010)

*sounds like you know already.*

i bought one as well... i should have done more research before the purchase, however, i didnt come out too far behind... i had the typical failing of the front air bags (replaced both, and the compressor, w/ arnotts, wont ever have to deal with those again) other than that have it taken and run for codes, the torque converter code seems to be pretty expensive. id also like to see extensive history of oil changes/ water pump/ timing belt. other than that... when i test drove the car i would bring it up to level four on the air ride, and down to level one, then park it, come back in the early am to make sure there are no bag leaks.. other than that you should be ok! best of luck! they are great cars!


----------



## Hufeisen (Jul 18, 2006)

Just checked the Arnott's webpage, see the front coil-over set-up is $1,300 - does that sound right?


----------



## allroad (Jun 27, 2010)

No, it doesn't.

First, "Price: $1,199.00" and is for all four corners, not just the front. Maybe you're rounding up or including shipping?

Second, "Coil Spring" isn't the same as "coil-over". Meaning that the Arnott Industries setup doesn't have threaded bodies for height adjustment and is therefore a static ride height (at about level 2 of the factory air ride). I've heard a few people say that Arnott's solution is too softly sprung but haven't tried it out myself. If you're interested in it then order from Amazon where prices are significantly less:

http://www.amazon.com/2001-ALLROAD-...XNJ4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1313771191&sr=8-2


----------



## Hufeisen (Jul 18, 2006)

allroad said:


> No, it doesn't.
> 
> First, "Price: $1,199.00" and is for all four corners, not just the front. Maybe you're rounding up or including shipping?
> 
> ...


Thanks for the clarification :beer: 

I admit I rushed to ask the question and not paying attention to the details with the coil spring and price question. Saw some allroad posted today and was trying to educate myself with the known issues.


----------



## Incrementalg (Oct 14, 2008)

I'd recommend looking at the following:
Check suspension and cycle through all the levels.
Are the suspension air bags newer?
Is the compressor noisy?
Valve cover gasket and cam seals
Pull codes if you have access to a reader.
If you don't find a manual and opt for tip, then give a run through all the gears including reverse. Torque converter failures aren't uncommon.

It's a great car, but will require a lot of maintenance. If you have diy skills that's a plus.


----------

