Audi A4 Avant New

ON THE ROAD

Performance
The A4 Avant is available with five engines. There are three diesel and two petrol versions, and even the least powerful – the 141bhp 2.0-litre diesel – has plenty of pull. The 2.7 V6 diesel's CVT gearbox is a little slow to react, but it soon picks up. The 3.0 V6 diesel and 3.2 V6 petrol channel their prodigious power through all four wheels.

Ride & handling
Although it doesn't live up to Audi's billing as the sportiest car in its class, the A4 Avant is good to drive, with well balanced handling and lots of grip. The steering weights up nicely at speed, but has a rubbery feel. Ride comfort is generally good, although larger bumps can upset the car’s composure.

Refinement
Most of the engines are quiet, but the turbocharged 1.8-litre petrol becomes gruff when worked hard. There’s also a fair amount of wind noise down the side of the car, but road and suspension noise aren’t a problem

OWNERSHIP

Buying & owning
Audi generally undercuts its rivals from BMW and Mercedes on list price and that's true of the A4 Avant. Discounts might be limited, but resale values should be high. The 2.0 TDI attracts a lowly 20% company car tax rating and returns almost 50mpg, so running costs are sensible. The V6 four-wheel-drive versions will hit your wallet harder, though.

Quality & reliability
Audi has a well-deserved reputation for outstanding cabin quality, but the A4 is a bit of a disappointment. At first glance it looks great, but it just doesn't feel as special as other Audi models. The plastics aren't as dense, the carpets aren't as thick and some of the switchgear doesn't feel as substantial. As a brand, Audi didn't fare particularly well in our latest Reliability Survey, either.

Safety & security
The A4 ticks all the boxes for safety kit, with six airbags and stability control as standard. Rear side airbags are available as an option, as are lane-departure and blind spot-warning systems. Deadlocks and an alarm are fitted as standard to guard against theft

IN THE CABIN

Behind the wheel
There’s a wide range of adjustment for the seat and steering wheel, but the pedals are significantly offset on right-hand-drive A4s. The busy dash layout can be confusing, too, but the controls are logically arranged and Audi's MMI control system is fairly intuitive to use. Visibility is fine, thanks to a large glass area.

Space & practicality
The A4 Avant accommodates four passengers and luggage better than most of the cars in its class. There's plenty of headroom throughout and rear legroom is generous. With the rear seats in place, the well-shaped boot is larger than those in both the BMW 3 Series Touring and Mercedes C-Class Estate. However, the seats don’t lay completely flat and the Mercedes offers more space with the seats folded.

Equipment
The basic SE trim comes with the usual creature comforts: a CD player, alloy wheels and four electric windows. On top of that, there’s a 10-speaker stereo, a multifunction steering wheel and automatic lights and wipers. Upgrading to the sporty S line trim brings larger alloys, a body kit, sports suspension, part-leather seats and Xenon headlamps.

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