Audi A4 Avant 1.8T

As you walk up to this car, it just oozes quality. The big 16 inch five spoke wheels, look chunky and tell you that it is bound to handle well. As you reach for the door handle, you can already feel the German quality. Get in, and you feel the hard seats against your rear, not uncomfortable but it semi-consciously says "quality" Start the engine and you can hardly hear it ticking over. Into first and the clutch is light, but to the point and the gearbox literally clicks into gear. Beautiful. Once on the open road, you can start to play a little, throttle response is very good, with the turbo kicking in just after 2000rpm. You can hear a beautiful whistle as you put your foot down throught the rev range. The engine boasts 150bhp and top speed of 135mph. The interior in the front is roomy, but in the rear there is hardly any leg room. Climate control is an option worth paying extra for as it works very well. Luggage space in the boot is ample. The lovely thing about this car is that everything has been thought about, for instance there is a cigarette lighter in the boot for electric cool-boxes and luggage straps to hold that shopping in place. Windows that close automatically close when you lock the car. The computer will give you every detail you might need for recording a trip and will even warn you of blown bulbs. The handling is great but tends to get a little 'light' when you are getting towards the tonne. Switch gear feels germanic and night time illuminations are a treat to the eyes, as the centre console lights up red and the dials, a soft blue. The car is expensive at over £20,000 for a basic model. Servicing also is quite dear but not as frequent as most modern cars. OK, so it is expensive, but it is worth it. We have two Audi's in the household, and I don't think we will ever regret it! Oh, and yes the handles above the seats are oil-dampened!