Audi RS4 Avant 2007 review

Well, you don't need to turn back time or wait for the latest Hollywood heart-throb to be in town to experience these overwhelming emotions. Just jump in Audi's latest wagon, the RS4 Avant. But don't be fooled by the term wagon, this is no soccer mum's car.

It looks like your average station wagon. Sure the bright red paint, the silver roof racks, alloy wheels, silver backed mirrors and its sleek design make it look more sporty, but you don't expect it to be the flying bullet that it is.

It's just like Clark Kent, fitting into the city crowd, but then showing its true colours when the cape goes on and you really let the superhero character rip.

There's one word that really wraps up the whole definition of this Audi and that's fun.

But at $168,100, it's expensive fun.

There's a sudden rush of blood to the head as you give the throttle an ever so slight bit of pressure and feel your heartbeat quicken in the process. Give it even more and that excited feeling kicks in. But it's almost torture confining this beast to peak-hour traffic.

The high-revving 4.2-litre, V8 engine not only has a rapid response and ever-so-smooth drive, it also has a sweet sound.

The growl gets even better when you push the "S" button on the flat-bottomed racing steering wheel. That button, which I like to think stands for Superman mode, in reality stands for Sport.

The characteristic of the accelerator changes, the flap in the exhaust opens up giving off an even sportier sound and the seat gives you that much-needed hug, with the sides squeezing in.

The front sports bucket seats are superb for that sharp, dynamic, driving, holding you right in place with support from all angles.

But it's not such an easy feat getting in or out of the car. After a week, there was still no mastering of this task, for it was done in a clumsy and unladylike manner every time, especially when wearing a skirt. You really stumble over the raised sides of the seat.

Backseat passengers suffer a little from a lack of airconditioning, as the front plastic-backed sports seats tend to block the path of the air flow. A rear air vent would have been a worthy inclusion in this expensive car.

The RS4 Avant sits 30mm lower than the A4, lowering the centre of gravity and providing better handling ability. It also has a wider track on the front and rear. It sits on large 19-inch wheels, with a seven spoke design.

And with the weight kept to a minimum, it's able to shoot from zero to 100km/h in just 4.8 seconds, faster than many a Porsche. It produces 309kW at 7800rpm and revs right up to 8250rpm and 420Nm of torque from 5500rpm. But even lower down the tacho, high torque is still on hand, with 90per cent available between 2250rpm and 7600rpm, the result, a great amount of pulling power and a smile on your dial.

The RS4 has the latest generation of the permanent four-wheel-drive quattro system, with 40per cent power distributed to the front and 60per cent to the rear.

The controlled and steady positioning on the road comes into play as you tackle the corners, the sharp steering a great assistance.

A Bose sound system with 10 loudspeakers, navigation with a TV tuner, high-intensity xenon plus headlights, parking sensors, ESP and Dynamic Ride Control are all standard.

The RS4 Avant seems to be in a class of its own, with the functionality of a wagon, yet still an exciting performance, all rolled into one. It's a car for the truly enthused driver, who has a spare $168,100, that is.

With this wagon, there's no need to sacrifice performance for your family.