Is it just me or do estate cars look better than the saloons and SUVs with which they share a lot of platforms. body panels and interior kit?

Saloons are a dying breed in this country anyway and a lot of SUVs look a bit awkward, but estates invariably look sleek and in perfect proportions.  

The BMW 3 Series Touring looks better than the saloon. The Mercedes C-Class Estate looks better than the saloon. The SKODA Octavia Estate is loads better looking than the Octavia Hatchback.  

And the one you see here, the Audi A4 Avant, looks better than the A4 saloon.

It’s tricky arguing against the plethora of SUVs which swamp our roads because buyers plainly like them, but you could never say that an estate wasn’t just as versatile and practical as an SUV. It’s also worth pointing out that apart from the benefit of a slightly raised ride height which’ll be handy in towns, an SUV is more than likely going to cost more to purchase and run, and it probably won’t be as good to drive as an estate.

Please tell me if you disagree. I’ll take some convincing.

The Audi A4 Avant and bigger A6 stablemate, are two of the most handsome cars available from any manufacturer. They come with a great range of engines and, whisper it, you can even get a diesel engine. The S4 Avant comes with a 3-litre V6 TDi and gives you a 0-60 time of 4.7 seconds. It sounds fantastic too.

If you want to go completely nuts, you can have an RS version which uses a thumping 440bhp 2.9-litre twin-turbo petrol V6.

Going for the middle of the A4 Avant range, the 40 TFSI uses a mild hybrid 201bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine which gives you 130mph and a 0-60 time of 7.3 seconds. Power goes to the front wheels via a 7-speed auto ‘box with paddle shifts on the steering wheel. Go easily and you’ll manage 44.1mpg. 

If you need carrying capacity, you’ll not be stuck with the A4 Avant. Drop the rear seats and you end up with 1495 litres of room in the boot. Climb in and have a look around. As for the rest of the cabin, there’s loads of legroom for 5 adults and the seats are comfy. 

Out on the road you’d have expected the Audi A4 Avant to go gunning for its nemesis, the BMW 3 Series Touring…but it doesn’t. Whether by choice or by accident, the A4 has more of a long-legged feel to it than the Beemer. Keen drivers will go for the BMW which has the edge when it comes to fun, but bearing in mind the opportunity to sling a car around some sweeping curves is a tad limited for 99 per cent of us, the Audi offers a great compromise. It’s smooth, relaxed, quiet and with a real sense of solidity, but it’s also good to drive. The automatic gearbox is spookily smooth.

The interior is proper Premier League stuff. Terrific quality throughout the cabin, a really tight fit to the panels and it looks extremely smart. You can scroll through most of the stuff like sat nav, audio, phone settings etc by using natty scroll wheels on the steering wheel. They take a bit of getting used to but once you know your way around, they work really well.

And, good news, the heater controls have knobs and buttons. Hurrah. I’ve lost count of the number of cars which force you to wade through loads of options on a touch screen in order to adjust the temperature.

Prices for the Audi A4 Avant 40 TFSi kick off at £37,880 for Sport trim. You get a powered tailgate, sat nav, DAB radio, front and rear parking sensors, rear-view camera, LED headlights, heated front seats, leather upholstery and smart 17-inch alloys. If you want to stand out from the crowd, go for the S Line trim which gives you sport suspension, privacy glass, 19-inch alloys, redesigned bumpers and side skirts. It looks seriously smart and is worth the additional £1,500.

If you need a handsome load lugger which looks just as good going to the tip as it does parked outside your favourite bistro, the Audi A4 Avant ticks all of the boxes. The build quality is better than BMW and Mercedes. ‘Honed from granite’ comes to mind. Yes, it’s been around for a while but the Audi A4 Avant is still a winner and continues to look fresh. A great car.

Words: Graham Courtney
Pictures: Audi PR