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Audi

Tuesday, 6th of January 2009

Polls

With demand for practicality, appealing looks and performance at a premium, the market for the estate car in Britain is booming. Audi’s latest contribution, the A4 Avant, is a very important car for the popular German manufacturer, and once again, they haven’t failed to impress. From the second that the engine starts, you can feel that this is so much more than a traditional estate, and this is confirmed when you press your foot the floor and sink back in your seat as it effortlessly reaches 60mph in an impressive 9.7 seconds. Even in sixth gear, there is no sign of the usual diesel lag, and acceleration remains smooth right up to 5,000 revs.

The aspect of this car that impressed me most is how well it glues itself to the road. Even motorway driving in torrential rain feels like you’re on train tracks, as the car intelligently compensates for the treacherous conditions. However, you can’t help but feel that a little of the fun element has been taken away, with the heavy steering and automatic traction control taking away some of the cars agility. The ride itself though is fantastically smooth, negotiating bumps and corners with ease, meaning there’s little chance of your cargo being spilt, or your kids being sick on the back seat!

I’ve come to expect top quality as standard in all Audi’s, and yet even I was taken aback with just how luxurious this motor actually is. From the sleek curves of the exterior, to the mean looking grill at the front, to the soft yet firm seats, this car is built to make you feel like a King. The on-board computer and the dashboard display both have smooth, contemporary displays, and are surprisingly easy to use.

With the release of this car, comes the release of a brand new stability system, which when coupled with its highly responsive, ESP brake system with brake-assist, and multitude of air-bags, you can’t help but feel safe from the moment you get sit in the driver’s seat. This fact is also backed-up with its 5-star NCAP safety rating. Its keyless access and engine starting, and heavy doors means you’d have a job breaking into the A4 Avant, so there’s no worries on that front either.

If you’re thinking about buying an estate car, space and practicality is probably your prime consideration, and the engineers at Audi haven’t forgotten this. The boot is big enough to get lost in, with a whopping 1.430 litres of capacity, and lots of clever little pockets dotted around, in which you can stash your breakables. The only down-side is the fact that the back-seats don’t fold down completely, so carrying very long items could be a little awkward.

Somehow, in spite of its size and performance, it still manages reasonable fuel consumption. Whilst it is hardly what you would call economical, I managed to achieve over 40 miles to the gallon on motorway driving, and in the high-20’s when driving around town. Tax and insurance isn’t going to be cheap though. The Audi also undercuts its rivals at BMW and Mercedes in price, and should have a comparatively good re-sale value, purely due to Audi’s reputation for reliability.

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