Used test: Audi RS4 Avant vs Mercedes-AMG C63 S Estate: interiors

Interiors

Driving position, visibility, build quality, practicality

When choosing a regular estate, outright practicality often takes priority over everything else. But, of course, these are not normal estates, so a good driving position and luxurious interior are just as important. With that in mind, the Audi RS4 is tough to fault. Its diamond-stitched sports seats are comfortable and supportive, and the highly adjustable flat-bottomed steering wheel allows you to find your ideal driving position easily.

That said, the Mercedes-AMG C63 S feels like a sportier car from behind the wheel. You sit lower in the heavily bolstered AMG sports seats, and the thick-rimmed steering wheel with aluminium gearshift paddles (the RS4’s are plastic) feels fantastic.

The RS4 claws back some points with its more user-friendly infotainment system and Audi’s excellent Virtual Cockpit digital instrument dials. The interior features a plethora of soft plastics, well-damped switches and beautiful chrome accents that feel a cut above the C63 S’s in outright quality.

If you look past their performance, you’ll find that both cars are as practical as the regular models they're based on.

That means it’s the RS4 that offers more usable boot space, thanks to its extra length and larger aperture. The RS4 swallowed seven carry-on suitcases in our tests, whereas the C63 S could manage only six.

The C63 S does have some advantages, though. It has a smaller loading lip (just 2cm high), comes with a fold-out basket for your shopping and has one-touch switches at the boot opening that drop the rear seatbacks. The RS4 makes do with handles on the walls of the boot that do the same job but aren’t as convenient.

As for rear passenger space, the C63 S offers fractionally more leg and head room, although there’s less space for your feet under its front seats.

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