Navigating the Car-Buying Teeter-Totter: Our Journey to the Audi A6 Allroad

Barb and I have been on the new car teeter-totter for months. We’ve evaluated the cost and environmental impact of cars with gasoline engines vs. electric or hybrid styles. And we parried whether to buy a 4-door sedan or drive out of a dealership in a new SUV.

I am a sedan type of guy. I prefer them understated, stylish, and engineered in Germany. I’ve been that way for 30 years. Yes, I’ve driven various SUVs as rentals or loaners but I have never comprehended their immense popularity. And although I am a member of the Riverwoods Sustainability Committee, I am not quite sold on going EV, especially for long-range travel.

We decided on a pairing of objectives. If we bought a new sedan, to be used mostly for short-haul local trips and Saturday night date nights, an EV sedan made the most sense. But if we were looking for a car suited for long-distance driving, our best alternative was a gas-powered SUV. It was a difficult choice. We flip-flopped so often that I felt like JD Vance talking about Donald Trump.

Until Barb stumbled upon a quote in an online Car and Driver review.”If you can’t choose between a luxury sedan and an SUV, the Audi A6 Allroad splits the difference–and beautifully so.” Is someone at Car and Driver clairvoyant?

We were intrigued by the Allroad. I currently drive an A6 sedan, but neither Barb nor I had heard of an Allroad version. Driving deeper into the C & D article, we read that it was a powerful, gas engine, all-wheel drive vehicle mimicking the A6, but with a roof rack and a roofline less like a sedan and more like…a station wagon.

The Allroad is popular on the West Coast but has barely made a dent in the Chicago market. Checking with local dealers we found that only the downtown Audi dealership had even a single Allroad in stock. We made an appointment and then drove into the city for a test drive.

The salesperson with whom we had an appointment ghosted us, but after a discussion with the world’s least helpful receptionist, a salesman was found who could help us. He brought us to the Allroad on the showroom floor and spent 20 minutes showing us new electronic features; the Allroad has more doodads than my current A6, though it is nowhere near as techie as a Tesla. We then took a test drive around the Near North neighborhood, making one stop for the salesman to show us the buttons and touch screens he had missed during his first demonstration.

Barb and I liked the car — the lines, the size, and the ride. The color, gray with a cringe green hue in the sunlight, was less to our liking. The salesperson checked his inventory and found an Allroad still in production in a more comforting gray. A snazzy brown interior sounded good too. We discussed pricing and trade-in, were introduced to the sales manager (there is no way to look for a car without that happening), and agreed that when the Allroad arrives from the factory in 2 or 3 months, it’s ours.

Once we have the car I’ll be easy to spot. While most men my age love driving their Viagra-blue Porsches, Vettes, and Maseratis I’ll be the guy tooling around in a dark gray Audi station wagon. Be sure to wave when you see me!

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