AUDI A4 AVANT REVIEW

My car

I have owned the car from new and have had a number of Audi Quattro’s before, on the whole I am very pleased with the car, its been very reliable (in part why I buy Audi’s) and is great to drive, the 7 speed double clutch gearbox is just incredible (though can get a bit flustered if you change your mind foot off the accelerator when it thinks your pulling away quick) it goes like stink and is just so smooth, you hear a pop from the exhaust and you see the rev counter moving that’s the only way you know you’ve changed gear.

Fuel economy is much lower than I expected (or the brochure suggests) and I don’t drive the car hard, I do a town commute, and get 26.9 (exactly what I got from my previous S3, I should have realised) and it just doesn’t seem to change however you drive it, on a run its disappointing (I’m embarrassed to say what little I get). It drinks oil, have put 4 or 5 litres in 16k Having said that I do love the car and I know its easy to pick holes on what is a lovely responsive car.

My car

Had my A4 for 2 months now having traded down from an A6 Avant. Like other reviewers I don't quite understand the emphasis placed in the "proper" review on offset pedals as this isn't something I recognise or feel affected by...so don't let that put you off, at least test driving the car.

POSITIVE: compact shape, easy to drive, plenty of room for the driver and improved rear room - enough for 2 adults to ride comfortably albeit not in limousine style. Well shaped load area, neat reversible load floor. Good stereo system with mp3 connection and voice activated phone bluetooth connection that works well, very easy to set up and use.

NEUTRAL/NEGATIVE: Not as rewarding a drive as a 3 series, though bigger and better laid out interior. Most interior materials are good but some not to the quality I expected after the A6 - in particular the centre console area, boot, visors and armrests - all of which feel a bit less "premium" that I'd expected in a £27k small car

DRIVING: Fuel consumption looks promising; average about 45 mpg and can get 50 on a longer run, and that's in the first few thousand miles so I'd expect to be regularly getting 50mpg plus for a whole tank once the engine has properly loosened up. S/S system works well - though the odd occasion when you need to dip the clutch or put into neutral and back again, if you momentarily stop and then take off again - e.g. at a roundabout. Engine is no racer, but is smooth, quiet and powerful enough for me.

My car

Moved to the A4 Avant from a history of large 4X4 (ML and Cayenne). It is a revelation to drive a 'normal' car again : handles well, fast and feels very safe - and it still carries as much stuff as the big machines. Seats and driving position are excellent. 8 Speed CVT is great with lots of shifting options - sports mode works great. I have the S-Line SE with the Bose hi-fi which is awesome. Some initial teething troubles with the ipod interface but my dealer come round to my house to fix. Mpg not as good as the big diesels - can get around 35 but I am told this should improve. Also looks great with the 19 inch wheels and tinted windows. Have also owned C class and 3 Series in the past and this is way better in terms of practicality, quality and ergonomics - although the handbrake 'button' gets a bit of getting used to. Very satisfied so far and would thoroughly recommend.

My car

I've owned this car since April, and have so far covered 7000 miles.

I was initially sceptical about moving from the current 3 series saloon to the A4, after reading so many average A4 reviews, which all basically said the the 3 series is a far superior car. How wrong these reviews are!

For an estate car, handling is superb, light when it's supposed to be light, and the steering gets heavier the faster you drive.

Cabin quality is far superior than the 3 series. Beautifully constructed, and the driving position is also very good. The A4 standard 10 stereo speaker set-up is also far, far, superior to the 3 series.

The off-set pedal issue is totally nonsense, and I would urge the What Car review team to actually get behind the wheel of a 3 series again, then sit straight afterwards in the A4. You will actually realise that there is no difference whatsover between both cars in the pedal department.

Fuel economy is not as good as the 3 series, but still early days. I average 42mpg in the A4 compared to 46mpg in the 3 series.

The ride is very comfortable in the A4, especially on motorways, far superior again to the run-flat 3 series ride.

The 170bhp engine is a dream once worked in. 0-60 in 8.6secs, although it does feel much faster. The Audi gearbox is also much smoother than the 3 series.

Rear room and boot space is better in the A4 avant compared to the current 3 series Touring, although I prefer the 3 series rear seats to the A4's.

Delighted so far