Audi S4 Avant

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Introduction

Few car niches - with the notable exception of the people carrier - are as synonymous with the mundane as the estate. People carriers and estates are styled primarily with the business of transporting things in mind, rendering them the automotive equivalent of the bum bag. And when did you last see a stylish one of those?

Except in Europe, we can't get enough (of estates, that is, not bum bags). It's basically because here in the UK we're all posers who put style over function; I'm the same. I was quite disappointed when our S4 test car turned up in Avant form. But I think I'm converted, and here's why...

What are its rivals?

Looking at the quad-piped, aluminium-mirrored S4 leads to the initial impression that it mixes it with 'super estates' like the Mercedes C 63 AMG and the BMW M5 Touring. But actually, look closer and that's not quite the case. At around £35k, the S4 is many thousands cheaper than both those cars (and smaller than the latter), and priced more akin to something like the BMW 335i Touring. However, it's notably quicker than the Three, and more overtly sporty, so it kind of bridges the gap between bona fide, supercar-scaring wagons like the first pair mentioned, and 'nice' versions of a common 3 Series estate like the 335i.

How does it drive?

It drives like it doesn't have a whopping great cargo box stuck to its backside, that's for sure. The S4 Avant is a genuinely marvellous piece of kit on any road, in any situation, turning from smooth and docile cargo transportation device to rapid and involving sports saloon seamlessly. That's possible thanks to the delightful combination of Audi's new (and confusingly named) V6T supercharged powerplant and 'Audi Drive Select', a package that can alter the character of the car at the press of a button. We'll get into that, but we bet you're expecting us to say it understeers too, right? Wrong. Ish.

What's impressive?

Let's wax lyrical about the S4's dynamic prowess then, a quality made yet more enjoyable because it's so far above what we've come to expect of an Audi, what with its history of making heavy-handed cars. This one isn't; it's nimble, razor-sharp, rapid and surprisingly involving.

First the engine. The supercharged V6 develops 328bhp and 325lb.ft of torque, yet the latter figure feels conservative because the car pulls with such force from so low in the rev range. It revs freely too, so unlike, say, a 3.0-litre TDI Avant, you're rewarded for keeping the throttle pinned right to the limiter in the S4. Usually this would be a problem when it came to turning the wheel, but the S4 has something called a 'sport differential'. Without going into quite how it weaves its magic, all that really maters is that it helps pull the car around corners at an almost terrifying turn of speed. You can feel the front wheels tucking in as the diff senses the car losing grip and does something about it, while all you're doing is keeping your foot planted hard and turning the circle thing in front of you.

Audi Drive Select also allows you to change the settings of the throttle, steering and suspension between sporty and soft - and it works a treat, instantly changing the car's character from that of hardened sports saloon to docile box-carrying 'lifestyle' wagon (whatever one of those is).

What's not?

It's a fun thing, but it's not perfect. There's very little legroom in the back; it's expensive once you've specced it into a proper Audi (our test car was nudging a frankly shameful £50k) and when you're doing the day-to-day thing - you know, like taking the dogs to the stables to polish the horses - the steering has this bizarre 'snatchy' tendency, where it feels light for the first inch or two of travel, then instantly weights up as though immersed in glue. It's brilliant in 'dynamic' mode when you're at full tilt, though.

It also has a tendency to confuse itself in the wet. If you think about it, there's loads of mechanical trickery happening (quattro four-wheel drive, ESP and sport diff to name but three), which, when it all works, feels indomitable and amazing. But when it has a hissy fit - as it can do on a wet roundabout - it just stops working altogether, no matter what you do with the wheel. In that sense it's a bit like the supercomputer Richard Prior designed in Superman III; built for good, but so powerful that it develops a mind of its own and goes all crazy.

Should I buy one?

If you can afford it, like your cars fast and discrete, but you also need the practicality that only a massive hatchback will provide, then yes, buy one. Like Serena Williams, the S4 is built for speed and comfort. There are cars that drive better - and certainly with more purity - and there are many much cheaper and far more practical estate cars, but few are as complete and satisfying to own as this Audi. It's not even that bad on fuel: 29.1mpg and 229g/km aren't green numbers, but when you plant your right foot in the S4 it will all of a sudden seem very reasonable. If only it was a bit cheaper, a bit bigger and a bit more dramatic generally, it would without doubt be a five-star car.

Mark Nichol