Audi RS4 Avant 2006 - Present

The Audi RS4 belongs in the class of car that pretends that it's a roadgoing car when what really pulses through it's various veins is the blood of a racecar. With a simple glance at the car you could easily miss what you have in front of you. The giveaway twin exhaust is a hint at the sort of performance you are driving behind but if you don't spot that then the way it races away from the lights will be. I was once driving up the M1 with one in front and one behind me. He wasn't behind me for long.

The understated looks are just one of the great attributes of the RS4. The sheer power of the car as you drive it grabs your attention when sitting behind the wheel. The 414 bhp powerplant will take you from standing to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds. It doesn't quite match BMW's 100 bhp per litre of the M3 and M5 engines but the 4.2 engine comes so close that it has no relevance. The acceleration feels a little more brutal than the M3, although 0-60 times are slightly slower (0.2 secs). But even in the brutality of take off (as that's what it feels like your going to do), the RS4 feels composed and astonishingly within it's limits.
The six speed gearbox is smooth and provides an efficient way of delivering the power to the road. The sport button on the steering wheel is for occasional showing off only and rather sensibly gives additional padding to the side of the seats in order to hold you in place. It also gives the exhaust note a slightly harder edge, so the banshee wail that accompanies your flooring the car turns into more of a scream. It's the sort of sound that won't just turn heads but will make people come out of their houses to see if the four horsemen of the apocalypse have just arrived.

The steering has an excellent weighting system that add extra assistance when driving at slow speeds and removes it as you accelerate. The result of this is that the car is extremely easy to park and offers great manoeuvrability around town but as you cut loose on the open road the steering becomes more engaging and offers a great feel for the road. The RS4 is fitted with the rally bred ‘Quattro' four-wheel drive system. This is set to deliver 60% of the torque to the rear wheels which gives you the sensation of a rear wheel drive car but the safety net of front wheel drive to pull you out of trouble if you over-cook it. The brakes are sensational and will bring you to a halt on a sixpence.

The RS4 offers a decent level of comfort for it's passengers without being overly padded. The front seats are intelligently controlled in sport mode and feature the sort of support that encourages your concentration. The RS4 has the controlled Dynamic Ride Control system. It is firm but easy to live with offering a good balance of comfort and poise. The estate boot offer storage space galore and room to pack up for long holdays

The RS4 offers a glimpse into what it's like to drive a race car. It's very fast and handles impeccably. If you're looking for an estate car that performs like a racing car it has to be on the shortlist.

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