Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/94515
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF AUDI CARNOISSEUR an all-star for all roads THE NEW AUDI ALLROAD CAN SAFELY TAKE THE WHOLE FAMILY—PLUS GEAR— INTO THE MOUNTAINS FOR SKIING AND RIDING WITH VERVE. BY CRAIG CARLSON W hen I heard that Audi was releasing a second-generation Audi Allroad, I was genuinely excited. I fondly remember the first model released in 2001 with its raised suspension, beefy tires, and great fender flairs. The first luxury sport utility vehicle, it had "the look," as car people say—the right proportions, design, and trim. The new Audi Allroad shares the design language from the original but is more elegant and refined. It has the raised suspension and fender flairs, but they are more subtle. And although the new car is virtually the same size, it offers more headroom and spacious rear seats that fold down to give the vehicle a large cargo volume, which is necessary for transporting win- ter gear, as the trunk is surprisingly small for a crossover. Also new this year is the voice-activated Audi connect navigation system, enhanced with Google Earth, which includes a 3G Wi-Fi hotspot, a hard drive for MP3 storage, a DVD player, and HD radio—all the toys the adults want. I picked up a Phantom Black Pearl Allroad just north of Boston and voice commanded Stowe Mountain Lodge in Vermont as this weekend's destination. The vivid color-information screen displayed the route 138 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM clearly. I merged onto 93 North, where the 2.0L engine mated to an eight- speed automatic transmission worked seamlessly. The strong performance easily affirmed the manufacturer's claim of zero to 60 in 6.5 seconds. As I drove Vermont's Route 108, the car hugged the incredibly steep road carved into the mountain pass between Stowe and Sugarbush with mus- cular grace. The Allroad handled well and the heated front seats boosted the interior comfort factor, but a heated windshield would have gone far in snowy conditions. Returning to Boston, I needed to try one last thing—the U-turn test, the ultimate measure of a car's true functionality. When I reached a standard, two-lane stretch of road, I checked for approaching cars and then executed the most useful maneuver known to drivers: a U-turn in a narrow urban street—without hitting any curbs—thanks to the Allroad's impressive turning radius. Audi has produced another excellent car. Starting at $39,600, Allroad offers a bounty of features, luxury, and performance in a very attractive package. Audi Burlington, 62 Cambridge St., Rte. 3A, Burlington, 888-607-9887; audiburlington.com BC the