I really can't comment on the Allroad or the V70. I love my A6 2.7T and recommend it highly so that is about as close as I can come to recommending the Allroad. I really don't like the Volvo brand or styling and feel they not as good a value as Audis so that makes me prefer the A6 Avant or Allroad.
I did test drive the Passat W8 a few weeks ago. Personally, I really did not like the engine. The torque curve is about as bad as a mid-eighties turbocharged four cylinder engine. No torque at all down low. This made it very weak off the line and forced downshifts for passing at highway speeds. The Passat wagon is also smaller in interior volume than the current A4 Avant. I believe the Passat W8 Wagon is less expensive than the A6 Avant and Allroad so that would be the selling point that would make me consider the Passat W8 which is very well appointed for its price.
Enjoy!
I'm on my second A4 2.8 4-door Quattro, and I've loved them both. >
> My second car is a 2001 Saab 9-5 Aero Wagon. It's a bi-polar, Jekyll and
> Hyde kind of car: an absolute beast on straight, dry roads, but a hairy,
> slippery one on anything else (I live in the Eastern US, where winters can
> pose a challenge). The FWD and high-hp create scary torque steer, and the
> car has a pretty a sloppy suspension (esp. compared with my A4) for a car in
> this price range.
>
> When the lease runs out on the Saab, I'm going to need a new wagon. I'd
> probably go for an A6 Avant, but I don't want an automatic or Tiptronic...
> gotta have a stick. Gotta have AWD. Need the extra room in back, so the A4
> Avant's too small... What does the group have to say about the latest
> Allroads? Are they worth the extra bucks? How do they stack up vs. the
> Passat W8, the new Volvo V70 (anyone seen or driven the new "R" yet?), et > al.?
>
> I suppose I'm looking for a reason to go with another Audi: any dissenters > here?
>
>