2021 Audi A4 Avant

By Alex Forrest

Drive a car-based wagon in traffic and the fact you’re in the vehicular minority will be shoved home fast.

A traditional, car-based station wagon is rare, and if you like sporty driving with the extra room and style of a wagon, you’ll be quite happy to be in that minority.

Take the Audi A4 Avant, for example. This current model A4 Avant (Avant being Audi-speak for wagon) has been available in Australia for about a year.

There’s only one model in the A4 Avant range, being the 45 TFSI quattro S line.

Deciphered, that means it’ll have a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and all-wheel drive. The S line part means it’ll have bigger wheels and lowered suspension, along with a lower front spoiler and side body skirts.

It’ll cost $81,800 drive away in Western Australia, with key rivals being the BMW 330i Touring ($84,850) and Mercedes-Benz C 300 Estate ($87,790). Other medium-sized wagons include the Peugeot 508 GT Sportswagon ($64,025) and Mazda6 wagon ($40,230).

The Audi A4 Avant’s pricing suggests to buyers that their expectations of refinement, features and handling should be high, and it does mostly deliver. Especially that smooth and efficient engine.

There is room for improvement, like needing to pay more for advanced safety features like active cruise control with stop-go traffic capability and the short three-year warranty.

Still, it’s also worth noting that the A4 Avant is the only one among its direct German competitors that offers all-wheel drive, and it’s the cheapest too.

It can do essentially the same job as an SUV, with the exception that it won’t give you a bird’s eye view over traffic.

Compared to an Audi Q5 SUV, the A4 Avant will cost less to buy in a similar specification. It’ll have a similar amount of luggage space, will handle better and use less fuel.