Should You Buy an Audi A4 Allroad? (Test Drive & Review 2012 B8 2.0 TDI)

[@HighPeakAutos]

Before buying any used car, it's important to check it's history. Use the link below for a 10% discount or Discount Code HIGHPEAK : www.carvertical.com/gb/landing/v3?a=HighPeakAutos&b=38b26e3a&voucher=highpeakautos

[@paulmaddison6193]

I was just watching some of your earliest videos and while they were always good, it's amazing how far you've come in terms of screen presence. How natural, honest and easy you are in front of the camera is a huge part of what makes your channel so watchable.

[@Sha-Ayo]

Exactly, the flow in the videos is excellent.

[@HighPeakAutos]

Wow, thank you!

[@jamesk1806]

I agree, I have subscribed to a few other car channels but never last because of their annoying presenting traits. No issues with Matt in that respect.

[@roni2977]

Yes, Matt deserves his own tv show! His sarcasm reminds me of Clarkson, yet he never smashes cars, he extends their lives!! What also adds value, the cars he reviews have a realistic reflection of the average brit.

[@HighPeakAutos]

@@roni2977 cheers guys. I appreciate it

[@markfetherston1822]

Now I’m impressed. You paid the local council to paint the name of this car into the tarmac. I guess it’s not what you know…. Some rather polished production skills on display! I like these estate cars, and the All-Road adds that class-less touch that means it will look good anywhere. A real pity that estate cars will be a thing of the past, they just make so much sense. Times are changing… another good review. Thankyou.

[@HighPeakAutos]

Thanks! It was a nice touch. Have a good weekend

[@pomerau]

That's almost word for word what I was going to say. I went back to 0:26 again wondering if the markings said A and some other road. Also the cut out of the diesel engine inside this actual car was nicely done.

[@BionicRusty]

@@pomerau Same here 😂

[@LeeviMarkkula]

Great review! I got myself a 2010 A4 Allroad a few years ago and it has been the most reliable ride I've ever had. Mine is a 2,0 TFSI wich is sadly famous for a design flaw in the piston rings. Happily, mine was completely serviced, transmission serviced on time every time and the best part: the 2010 has an actual quattro, no Haldex, just a rugged failsafe torsen lock 💪🏻

[@longclaw5711]

Best auto channel ❤

[@HighPeakAutos]

Thanks!

[@stephend4683]

Great videos Matt, thank you. Just to be slightly pedantic, most Audi quattro models above the A3 use the 'Torsen' AWD system, the 'Haldex' units are in their transverse engined cars. I owned an A3 Tdi Quattro sportback for 9 years, it was a fantastic car and yes I had the Haldex serviced every 40k miles. It became a spare car to my LR Disco 4 which I have now owned over 8 years. I have owned a couple of Audi A4 Avant's too, all my audis were 100% reliable. Not something I can say about my Disco;-). Advice; keep modern cars in manufacturer warranty (if possible), and service well before the specified service intervals, my disco received it's new engine at 4 years of age courtesy of LR, it now gets its oil changed much more frequently than officially required! It's still utterly brilliant though.

[@smallwag]

I lost my 2012 A4 Allroad 2.0TDi manual in snazzy Volcano Red (sort of orangey bronze), exactly one year ago 😢. Mrs Smallwag parked it in a French ditch after nodding off on a long, straight D route. Was a great car and as Matt says 45mpg… spot on.

[@darrencoles4022]

Great review as always Matt. I've been watching your channel for a while and I love the direct, no nonsence reviews. I picked up a 2015 Allroad Sport 3.0 tdi earlier this year. What a beast ! Awesome cross country cruiser, effortless driving. Engine ticks over at approx. 1600 rpm at legal motorway speeds. So refined and relaxed. It has 112k miles, full service histiry etc... drives like new.

[@HighPeakAutos]

Nice car!

[@johngunning2123]

Tend to agree with the general consensus of your video. Well-built cars, quiet, and responsive but expensive to maintain. I have a friend who is Audi's workshop manager and drives a Toyota.

[@denislejeune9218]

Got the 2.0l 252hp TFSI A4 Allroad in 2017. Great car, comfy, quick and the alcantara interior I optioned is still intact. No issues whatever just yet. Only 'complaint' is that the engine doesn't sound sporty enough, or nice enough, when pushing. I upgraded the gearbox software, and that made a significant difference to how the box responds and that's a great addition.

[@drazman9]

Since it's a 2L petrol, you could go with an open exhaust system, even remove cat.. Noise should change to be louder, while MOT doesn't care much!

[@omara1802]

0:26 that edit was clean

[@alimack5489]

Was just about to say that 👌

[@juvenitto]

HI Mate, lengthwise mounted engine audis has Torsen quattro system at least up to 2016/17, transversely engine mounted audis has Haldex quattro system. Overall petrol, manual with s-line interior is a great looking in my opinion car. Cheers!

[@HighPeakAutos]

I believe so! I got that wrong

[@LondonLawyer]

Love the A4 All Road written on the road! You’re a proper KZbinr now 🥳

[@HighPeakAutos]

Thanks! 😀

[@warren6815]

That was a clever bit of editing with the A4 Allroad written on the actual road in the intro!

[@josephmifsud8261]

My mate has an Audi A6 from 2008 and it looked great. I'm certainly adding the A4 on my ever increasing list

[@longdayspleasantnights9216]

I think Audis styling keeps their cars looking young even after several years have passed, loved the new video style

[@simokonsti2440]

best reviews on the market nowadays! Honest, professional opinions with good sarcasm. thumb!

[@AirfoilOne]

As someone who drives a lot of rental cars due to all the damn travel, I can say that Volume knob is something I miss the most when I don't have my allroad to cart me around :) - great vid! I recently picked this up to join my 2014 Q5 TDI, 2017 Q7 3.0T family and I must say... I love it the most!

[@jovialgent9963]

Love the AUDI A4 ALLROAD on the road at 0:25 Sneakily put in there Matt! 👏😂

[@timcollins380]

Great review Mat. I had an almost identical 2.0 TDI one of these for 3 years which I bought to use as a company car. I had it serviced religiously every 6 months, cam belt at 60,000 miles (100,000km here in Australia) I do a mixture of city and freeway driving at our pathetic Police State 100km/h speed limits. I kept the car for 3 years and 40,000 miles and I thrashed it. Not even one pixel on the dash ever went wrong with it. I always put the DSG gearbox into N when waiting at traffic lights on the advice of someone who rebuilds DSG gearboxes to prevent clutch wear.. His advice is to drive a DSG as much like a manual as possible.

[@blackcatsarenopussies]

Dsg in neutral, I've heard many opinions. One of them saying you shouldn't as long as your foot is on the brake and avoid cripping. This can be a very good topic to cover on this chanel

[@spirosdr372]

It's nice to see this pro-looking production coming back to one of your videos

[@janiini8960]

7:08 These A4 quattros have torsen instead of haldex system.

[@gentlepersuader]

Here in Perth Australia my misses wanted to replace her old Ford Escape which she doesn't really like. She found a 2013 Black VW Passat Alltrack with the 2 litre TDI for $15K Aus with 119K kilometres on it. We went and checked it out and it was owned by this old Welsh guy in a nice suburb with the white picket fence etc. etc. Had full stamped service history and drove nicely. Everything seemed to work OK and it was neat and tidy, always garaged, so we took a punt on it and grabbed it. She can't believe the economy difference between her 2.3 litre 4 cylinder Escape and this. It's literally HALF the fuel consumption. I purchased a 2018 VW Passat estate 18 months ago and use it for work. Mine is the 132TSI petrol but is very smooth and economical too. Hopefully I get reasonable life out of them both. I know VW can be a mixed bag with reliability, but we look after our cars and generally have them for a long time. I had a second hand Octavia TDI for 10 years, and it proved extremely reliable selling it with over 250,000km on the odometer and still going strong.

[@HighPeakAutos]

Pleased to hear it

[@olivershemwell9637]

Stunning example for 10 years old

[@mikeprice5755]

Driving through Charnock Richard I see, welcome to Lancashire Matt didn’t think you came so far north

[@darrenp2225]

Fabulously produced video Matt, you’re a natural. As for the Allroad it was like re-visiting an old friend. Grab yourself a well maintained, nicely specced version and you simply can’t go wrong. “Cheers guys and thank you for watching”

[@HighPeakAutos]

Thanks

[@shazadkhan5117]

@@HighPeakAutos p0

[@luxoriusbg]

I had such one - loaded with extras - same 2.0 tdi and for skiing was great!

[@critchee]

Ha. I just bought this same exact car 2 months ago. Everything you say. Bang on. Mine has Alcantara interior. But I’d agree with everything you say and very happy with mine

[@jeffreyday4004]

you are a consummate presenter, better than mainstream tv - the script is neat and witty without trying to hard, well done keep it up

[@HighPeakAutos]

Thanks

[@davetate6992]

I bought a 2012 Skoda Octavia Scout, and we have kept that as it is such a good car, in Western Australia we have a lot of road made out of Pea Gravel (Colin McRae described it as road made out of Ball Bearings) the Scout eats them up and never puts a foot wrong, so it's really an Audi A4 Allroad with cheap carpets.

[@ln5747]

It's not, the 4wd/AWD drive system is different, inferior on the Skoda.

[@davetate6992]

@@ln5747 True it is about a generation behind the equivalent Audi, however, for my money that means the issues have been sorted.

[@timhancock6626]

@@ln5747 It's not as if a driver could tell. My 2014 Octavia 4x4 with a Haldex is extremely capable with the 2.0 turbo diesel. It's not been perfect as it needed all four wheel bearings replaced by 60,000 miles, and the clutch got contaminated by a failed slave cylinder. Apart from that the brake discs on all VW group cars are dreadful quality, they rust and the disc face falls off ! I replaced mine with after market discs which are a) cheaper b) last better. Those niggles aside it's a really good handling comfortable car for long distances and the 4x4 is a definite plus in the Dales where I live.

[@ln5747]

@@timhancock6626 I believe they could. By all accounts Torsen is superior both off-road and as a driver's car.

[@newbeginnings8566]

I have a B9 Allroad which I'm very happy with. It is a massive upgrade over the B8

[@robloxfan4271]

Styling isnt as good though

[@spiritzen]

I had to rewind to see the road markings again! Nice touch, so subtle.

[@stevie007]

"You won't feel it is a bit french and refuse to do any work " A very naughty comment !!!!!!!!!!!! But true 😂😂😂😂

[@HighPeakAutos]

Couldn’t resist poking fun at our striking neighbours 😂

[@stevie007]

@@HighPeakAutos I Totally agree Matt, I love them all but unfortunately, I couldn't eat a whole one.

[@3150xYz]

I like how you review average cars all us viewers could own, you are very different and it makes you unique.

[@HighPeakAutos]

Thanks

[@andiscott8470]

"I could make a joke there, but that would be predictable and puerile..."... Yep... One of the things we LOVE about your channel, so, don't keep us waiting for it... 😃👍

[@bojomax1755]

I had 2 A4 allroads, the one you drive here but lift and the actual pre-lift model. In both I had 2.0 petrol and it was a good choice until you needed to refuel after high speed highway drive with family and 3 bikes on the roof. Range dropped from regular 550-600 km to 350 km at best, but all in best comfort and a lot of horse power 😂. It is overall fantastic car, well built, reliable, very fast, comfy. Can recommend always. Monsun gray was beautiful, second was white and was a looker too Cheers mate for bringing good memories.

[@olivierb9091]

Anything weird to look out for? Am looking for one

[@bojomax1755]

@@olivierb9091 i can only speak for petrol and in both cases i had absolutely no issues. Can’t advise for diesel in this model, but i know 2.0 from my Passat and it’s also problem free. Look for regular stuff, history vs. mileage, overall condition, etc. Great choice

[@olivierb9091]

@@bojomax1755Thanks! Am looking for a petrol. First wanted a 530i e39 but my mechanic wasn’t too enthusiastic about the idea having to work on that. This little Audi seems like a good choice!

[@jacksonmiked]

Really nice camerawork on this one.

[@WFM65]

Mazda's have their volume controls down there, Matt and I agree with you, it's the natural place for it.

[@slypanda3655]

Just bought one with high mileage for 3.5k and yeah it's pretty alright as a family car, feels solid. Think I'll map it for a bit more oomph but the standard engine is enough to be kept amused for now.

[@Super-lucky-7777]

How's it been 😬

[@slypanda3655]

@Super-lucky-7777 ​ been pretty good only needed a new clutch after a year, parts are pricey mind. Want an s4 now ha ha

[@Super-lucky-7777]

@@slypanda3655sound good keep is going.. who doesn't want an s4 avant 😍

[@fionnofearghail4967]

Literally been on Autotrader for the past few days, mulling over B8 A4 Avants and Allroads in search of a new family work horse to add to our fleet. I swear you made this one just for me Matt, perfect timing. Fantastic video as always.

[@whizzer8507]

Tip,-Was going to buy one of these 10 years ago but I found that the manual B8 pedals were way off centre had to walk away 👍

[@chriseckley4338]

Great video and smart with little interactive bits like the engine bay and the name of the car on the road. Always watch these when looking for my next car. Honest and no mess

[@HighPeakAutos]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@laughingmole]

I've had my 2017 A4 Allroad 3.0TDI since 2018 and it has been an excellent car. Comfortable and totally reliable. Put your foot down and it's a rocket. Yes regularly get 40+ mpg and on a good motorway run will get 50mpg. After the Audi Connect licence expired I moved over to Android Auto and it works perfectly - though shame the Google maps don't get duplicated onto the driver's digital cockpit. Feels like time for a change - but what to get??

[@ianboffyboff7513]

Hi Matt, the Alfa giulia also have a volume control in the centre as well

[@AlbertArrabal]

7:20 the A4 doesn’t have haldex, they have torsen which tecnically doesn’t need to be serviced

[@henripuustinen4642]

Love your videos. It's interesting to see fun, informative videos on used cars that are interesting purchases for us who don't need new cars. I've been endlessly browsing classifieds based on your videos but for now I'm sticking to my 300.000 km Fabia Scout 1.2 TSI. Keep up the good work and keep the format you have going. It's perfect.

[@HighPeakAutos]

Glad you like them!

[@TractorChamp.]

I have to say you are very professional.

[@richarddyasonihc]

Matt, your humour is, really quite inspired! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I can’t think of any cars you don’t like very much. Nothing though compares with the Jag I bought from you 18 months ago. I’ve also found a good use for those cup holders - luckily I live in the middle of the country eh?

[@HighPeakAutos]

Pleased to hear you’re happy with it

[@joshhancill7273]

Love the Audi A4 All-road road markings at the start, nice touch!

[@HighPeakAutos]

Glad you liked it!

[@lukewokeywoos]

Brilliant review once again. You have opened up my options again as i was sold on a freelander 2 for my next family and quickly needed more space than my current focus lol. But love the more option of engines on the audi a4 allroad. And my girlfriend doesn’t understand engines so possibly could get a 3.0l lol

[@HighPeakAutos]

Haha yes definitely

[@GillmanStudio]

Just commited my deposit to a 2012 3.0 in grey with ivory leather and a high spec. Like hens teeth, I was looking for months.

[@BionicRusty]

Hmm. Been looking at these and it’s a distinct possibility. Thank you.

[@simonrhys]

As someone who produces videos, I appreciate the car make and model on the road 😃

[@ellissamsontech]

i know, that was so cool

[@jamesk1806]

Merc S class. W221 has a volume wheel in the centre console.

[@martynlockwood2190]

Hi Matt. Would you consider doing a review on the Mercedes CLS shooting brake which you mentioned on the best estate cars under £10k. What a great looking car and proper ‘champagne motoring on lemonade money’ !! Cheers

[@RezaVoorneman]

The a4 has no haldex clutch mate, other then that love your reviews. bought myself an a4 allroad and it’s a charm!

[@iandavenport4794]

Cheers Matt another really informative video. Even cars like this which are 10 years old still look great and if well maintained by previous owners are a great buy for a few years. Why people (sheep) go for £40k+ EV’s is beyond me….

[@HighPeakAutos]

I agree!

[@ziepie-m4x]

Maybe try do a toyato auris estate

[@khelgarironfist3301]

" for a few years"? Thats why i guess.

[@100xasd]

And to top it all of the electricity prices are going through the roof at the moment, in my country at least, so it is actually more expensive to drive an EV than one of these!

[@Onidax]

We had our first baby just before Christmas. I've been trying to decide what car to get as the Polo is a bit small (her pram fills the boot). I considered these A4 Allroads, but ultimately opted for a 2014 VW Alltrack. Bit cheaper to buy, pano sunroof is nice and it should haul all our stuff to the alps without issue next year :) Great video as ever Matt

[@HighPeakAutos]

Good choice!

[@scrossman8991]

You are right about the A6 Allroad, best avoided. A poor ride and woeful steering were lowlights. Mind you, hilariously slippery seats meant that cornering was like being on a plastic bag in the snow.

[@AndrewLomax80]

Always liked the look of those All roads, good car for a family. Going looking at an Octavia Vrs diesel estate tomorrow, hope its as nice as the pictures

[@happysporran]

"AUDI A4 ALLROAD" road marking, nice touch.

[@Christoph_mauss_artist]

That was fun. Thanks mate for doing it short , sweet and with humour . Loved it .

[@HighPeakAutos]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@benny_mc]

Nice tour around Wrightington Lancs here😉

[@khelgarironfist3301]

This and Yeti are two of my favorite cars so spot on there lol.

[@martincassels7995]

I don’t think these have the haldex system, if it’s the same as the a6 allroad it’s permanent. You would still be advised to change the oil in the diffs but at 60-80k as a precaution especially if the cars used hard.

[@janisberzins3939]

Exactly. And the grabbing feeling (called diff scrub) is somewhat normal behavior of such 4 wheel drive system. It also very much depends on wheel size and width. You may feel almost none with 17 inch 225 tires and quite a lot with 19 inch 245 ones. If you feel this with haldex, then there is a high chance that the diff clutch plates have clamped together permanently and service is needed asap.

[@jacklane8642]

Nice touch with the writing on the road as again amazing production

[@gwgrote5]

"You won't have any times where it feels a bit French and refuses to do any work"...OMG. LOL You are so, as they say over there....Brilliant! Your unpracticed dialogue is priceless.

[@robloxfan4271]

The a4 is a good car, recently been in my aunt and uncles, even in se teknik it’s comfortable headroom isn’t the best, though i am 5 ft 9. Boot is huge on the sedan and its very well equipped.

[@Birmingham_racing]

Funny enough I seen one yesterday for the first time in years. It was in white and made me think of your a6 all road review

[@doggy55915]

got to agree with you Matt.The most thing that impressed me too driving Audi was the volume control near the armrest.

[@javigar133]

Why? It is easier to adjust on the steering wheel...

[@kayseeday]

This is such a great and practical video with tons of advice, especially in the used car portion you were discussing in the end. I’m in the market for a family car in the us and it sucks that we don’t have many fun to drive options. Audis wagons look great and they look fun to drive and they’re non-cvt. Wagons here are limited and they have cvts and their rear passenger space is very tight. Great video.

[@jeffallinson8089]

Very nice car indeed. Shame the spares are a tad on the expensive side but thats what Audi owners have come to expect but if you are looking for an estate car that will get you from A-B on an icy/snowy morning look no further.

[@xanpagebrown]

Mazda also put the volume control in the centre console, so do the newest BMW's (iX & 2 Series), and I'm sure other manufacturers do it as well that I can't think off the top my head

[@dickie8184]

Would be good to get a Volvo XC70 review up to compare with.

[@pclayton5063]

Matt just did an estate special with the XC70.

[@sssssneaker]

I agree, although I'd definitely get the Volvo, bigger and much more practical, and the 5 cylinder diesel makes it feel a bit more special.

[@dickie8184]

@@pclayton5063 I know, but it wasn't a full review, just a quick mention as an option.

[@dickie8184]

@@sssssneaker The XC70 is on my potential to buy list, but I've heard the 4 wheel drive system is a little delicate. Also the Audi 3.0 v6 is more powerful.

[@pedrofly100]

Please buy and review one of those 635D late 2000s era plz

[@Nolangainsborough]

Nice to see someone not wearing a watch on the crease of the wrist and hand!

[@drazman9]

"Perfect if you're a veganist.." I literally laughed out loud while hearing this!!

[@smaragd_]

Great job man. Really a pleasure to listen to your reviews. Feels honest and on point.

[@pavlinadoherty2884]

When you said no other company’s have the volume button on the centre console Mazda has that

[@Godot28]

The comment on the Skoda Yeti amused me because that was the very first video of yours I watched. I then went out and bought one. After that was a 2001 BMW E46 coupe, 2003 Honda CRV, 2016 Skoda Fabia, 2016 2.0 Mini Cooper S, 2008 Lexus 400h, and now a 2013 Mini Cooper S. All in the space of around two years...😐 Funnily enough, I can only blame you for the Yeti and Lexus...🤣

[@HighPeakAutos]

Hahaha very good

[@robertwalker1742]

Matt, love your comment on our French mates!!

[@HighPeakAutos]

They do like a strike don’t they 😂

[@alhit007]

Another great video 👍your rocking the BROSS haircut 💇‍♂️. Very 80s , but love the A4 allroad,

[@sheilawootton2422]

Great video as always mat I have Mazda CX-5 and that has a volume knob near the arm rest as well

[@Scott-ku8le]

Finally, it’s up! Glad you said nothing too bad about them after I bought one a while back. Great video. Still… I should have maybe gone 3.0L….

[@ukpipeline]

Great review and loved the little trick with the road markings….

[@philbateson7966]

An "under the radar" car this one, and a nice example. Looks like the test drive was around my way in Wigan? Proper roads! 😉

[@domvssapientiam665]

Thank you for the review, it’s noticeable the time you put into it! Great result, dependable car. Cheers!

[@HighPeakAutos]

No problem 👍

[@tonynicholson2789]

Correct you at last Matt! E class merc has volume control down there mate 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@abbottsadventures]

You’ve got great presence on screen, would love to see you do something on tv

[@gileshalliwell3591]

Manages to pull off that Volvo “trick” of not dating badly despite being ten years old… Also avoids being the victim tasteless modification later in life by “Yoofs”!… Great video!

[@HighPeakAutos]

I agree

[@sjp3568]

have one of these, handling similar to normal avant I thought because the vehicles track is 2 inches wider to compensate (I think I read that somewhere)

[@alfonsowadeyua5293]

Mazda CX-5 also has the volume button “down there”.

[@relaxitaxi5014]

There's a4 all road written in the start of the video on the road watch 0.26

[@mikeprice5755]

0:25 GRAPHICS 😮😮😮

[@Nite-owl]

I'd just like to say that my Mazda 6 has the volume control in the same place 😜😜

[@TheQuinnzo]

Hello and thank you. I found that review really helpful, it helped me make up my mind.

[@HowdyJJE]

Loving your videos, any chance you could do a video on catalytic converter thefts? Maybe discussing which cars are easier targets and which ones are well protected? This is a huge issue pretty much worldwide sadly

[@mehmetguner5729]

I am genuinely looking at one of these at the moment

[@stephenlane9168]

Another great video Matt. You’ve mastered the dynamic, engaging presentation, always witty humorous delivery 👌👏👍

[@HighPeakAutos]

Thanks

[@whizzer8507]

Loved that review Matt, top tip for the engine "out" on the V6. Was going to buy one of these 10 years ago but I found that the manual B8 pedals were way off centre - had to walk away.

[@drygulch100]

Good review of the A4 and just a note Volume control in MX5 in same place with a push for mute - really ergonomic