The boxy estate is, thankfully, a dying breed. Car firms are now turning towards smart sleeker lines for the family four-seater with room for a dog and shopping in the back.
These are cars historically created out of necessity than design. Until the early 1990s most estates resembled saloons upon which some mad welder was let loose: half car, half minibus.
Thankfully there's been an epiphany in the design world and car firms are now take the estate market seriously. Estates can be cool, so the message goes, and several marques now offer stylish estates. Alfa Romeo was one of the trailblazers in this area with its 156 Sportswagon, while BMW and Mercedes have long held their own with the 3-series Touring and C-Class Estate respectively. These days the likes of Lexus and more recently even Jaguar have entered the fray.
Our attention of late has been drawn to the Audi range, having spent a week behind the wheel of its A4 Avant 1.8T quattro, one of the growing band that make load carriers cool. Not surprising really, from a firm that offers one estate version, its S4 model, with a whopping 4.2-litre engine offering 344 bhp. Admittedly its priced at €83,900, well out of the range of the average family motorist with a fondness for DIY.
Our test car nonethless held its own in terms of sporty design and snappy performance. It came complete with an S-Line package - allowing you to fool yourself every now and again that you're really in the S4 Avant - that includes sports suspension on 17-inch alloy wheels. Mated to a six-speed gearbox the lively turbocharged petrol offers 190bhp, with a top speed of 143 mph and a 0-62 mph sprint of 8.5 seconds.
But it was the handling that took us by surprise. The Quattro four-wheel-drive system lives up to all expectations, and hugged the road regardless of the conditions. Of the faults, the clutch was too long for what should really be sporty drive and with the extras added on, such as leather interior and that all-important S-line package, the price rose from €48,100 for the standard package, to over €56,000. Within that price range many would consider it anathema to buy a utilitarian motor, and several serious competitors come in well under that bracket.
On a more positive note, the 1.8-litre engine qualifies for less tax and is more frugal than many of its competitors at 30.1 mpg. In the end, the A4 Avant's sporty look and sharp handling may soften the culture shock between ultra-cool saloons and load carrying estates.
