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Americans shy away from wagons like they are the smelly kid at school. “Too bad it’s a wagon.” is the same as, “He’s cool but he smells.” Wagons were around long before the SUV showed up, and then watched as Americans scooped them up by the dozens and took them home to a nice warm garage, leaving the wagon outside in the cold thinking, “But I can carry all that stuff, and I’m more fun to drive.”

We passed wagons by when SUVs showed up, and now the “crossover” has come along to try and steal the much-deserved thunder again. Not on my watch. Make the jump for my review of the brilliant 2010 Audi A4 2.0 TFSI Avant.

The American disdain for the wagon is something I do not understand. Perhaps it’s because when I was 12, a family friend owned a 1955 Chevy Nomad Wagon. It had a healthy (and loud) 350 under the hood, a great stance, 5 spokes and a gorgeous baby blue/white paint job. I just saw it as another sweet hot rod, not a wagon.

That attitude has stuck with me. You will never hear me say, “It’s a good car, too bad it’s a wagon.” In fact, looks aside, if two cars drive identically I would prefer the wagon. It has more space, more versatility and gives you more options. If you want to drive 3 friends to the beach, and bring your German Shepherd with you, you can. In a sedan, your friends would have to ride in the trunk. (YOU try telling that dog to get in the trunk.)

So when Matt gave me the keys for the 2010 Audi A4 Avant in the driveway, I approached it not with the common attitude of, “I’ll just leave my testicles at home.” but with the excitement that comes from knowing 1. Audi cars are generally a pleasure to drive. and 2. “Wagon” does not have to mean “boring.” If you don’t believe me go for a ride in an RS6, and call me after they pull your tongue out of your throat.

They say the eyes are the window to the soul, and it’s true here. The headlights on this car look like those of hawk; intimidating and completely focused on their target, even when sitting still. Audi has been doing a wonderful job of balancing smooth lines and sharp edges, resulting in refined aggression. The Avant is a perfect example. The nose is familiar Audi, with a slight freshening on the fascia that moves closer to the RS4′s face without causing confusion between the two. All the lines of the headlights, lip, and LEDs flow toward the large, black grill and the 4 rings. It’s not as in-your-face as the Lancer’s shark face, but it’s far from mundane.

The profile brings us back to the subtle athleticism. Gone are the days of flat-backed wagons that looked like a sedan with a fish tank sitting on the trunk. The long nose and laid-back windshield make it look low and slippery. From there there’s a constant drop to the D pillar, where the car slopes quickly but smoothly to the bumper. The shape alone makes the car look like its only mission is flowing through the Autobahn like a torpedo.

It also drives like it was made for the Autobahn. It only has a 2.0 liter, 4 cylinder engine but with Audi’s TFSI fuel system and a healthy turbo charger it makes 211hp and a respectable 258 ft lbs of torque at only 1500 RPM. That kind of grunt makes this feel much faster around town than the 0-60 time of 6.3 seconds sounds. With fast spool-up and great throttle response, this car feels much smaller and more nimble in LA traffic than I thought possible. The acceleration dwindles at higher speeds, but I never felt bored and I doubt most customers will complain. Unfortunately, the engine has far less bark than it does bite. Windows up or down, you barely hear more than muffled intake. I appreciate a quiet car, but this was quieter than Pamela Anderson was with Kid Rock. I’d like the exhaust note to be a little more like Tommy Lee.

Aiding the runabout is the Tiptronic transmission. In automatic mode the system works perfectly. It selects the highest gear possible, enabling the A4 to get  21/27mpg city/highway. I did, however, encounter a problem; this automatic is easily confused. As I was gently accelerating it tried to move from 2nd into a higher gear, but at the same moment I pressed the gas a little more. I wasn’t trying to confused the system, I just wanted to go a bit faster. This confused the transmission, leaving me in a weird form of neutral. More gas did nothing, but neither did lifting. After a few seconds the car picked a gear, but had I been turning across traffic I would have been at minimum peeved, at worst, dead. I’ll gladly take a small hit on gas mileage to ensure the car continues forward motion. Call me old fashioned, I like my car to do that.

But no matter, because it’s more fun (and apparently safer) to pick the gears yourself.  Our car came with the $1450 Sport Package, which meant along with 18 inch wheels and a better steering wheel it had shift paddles. Click it over to Sport mode and your fingertip’s wish is the car’s command. Drop a few gears and mash the throttle and the car pulls forward with smooth determination. I felt like the conductor of a high-speed train, so smooth and drama-free was the acceleration, that only a look to the speedometer clued me in to my actual speed.

Even better than the engine is the handling. The car corners flat except when at the extreme limit, which is no surprise considering this car can attain an incredible .92g on a skid pad. That is well above it’s competition from Volvo or BMW. Audi is really hitting it’s stride in handling dynamics. The 3,850lb Avant is no 9 year old Chinese gymnast (oh sorry, 16, right.) but it feels like a lighter car. Directional changes happen as fast as you can turn the wheel, and the Quattro system provides complete confidence.

Inside you’re in the intuitive and brilliant cocoon that has become Audi’s forte. Audi makes the best interiors in the business, and I’d be tired of saying it if I didn’t like them so damn much. Almost all the materials in the cabin are top-notch, or at least look it. The balance of black rubber, leather and quality plastic contrasting with bright aluminum is great. In between the tach and speedo is a small screen that can be changed from radio to NAV, fuel econ, or phone functions. The window switches were a little flat-looking, and it was easy to notice the fake aluminum dash when it’s sitting right above the drilled aluminum surrounding the shifter, but I’m nit-picking. It’s a sharp-looking cockpit, everything is where you want it, and it feels great (the wheel is particularly nice. Ahem, Hyundai.)

It’s not what they’re equipped with, but how it’s done. For example, within minutes of sitting in this car (and without even seeing a manual) I had synched my phone with the in-car BlueTooth and was making phone calls. The menus of the MMI system are very easy to use and smartly organized. It’s packed with the usual fancy features you expect of a car in this class; Sat NAV, BlueTooth, iPod, Satellite Radio, Smart Phone interaction, radio and car features. But my favorite part were the shortcut buttons surrounding the MMI wheel.

Say I’m driving down the highway, flipping through the Satellite radio stations, trying to find a song without Lil Wayne in it (Check NPR, mayyybe a country station. No guarantees.) and I realize there’s a 15-highway interchange coming up and I have no idea where to go. Rather than fumble with the wheel looking for the “back” button, I just hit the “NAV” button and the NAV screen pops right up in place of the radio stations. Simple, easy, brilliant. There’s buttons for each menu, and there’s 4 more buttons closest to the MMI wheel that have different functions depending on what menu you’re in. It makes using the system effortless.

The back seat is comfortable enough, but the leg room won’t keep you happy on a long road trip. The back seats are bolstered like Kate Hudson, so passengers will be making good use of those door handles during “spirited” errands. The cargo area is again, smart. There’s 6 metal anchor points, as well as a DC plug (The 3rd in the car). And if you fold those seats flat, you have as much cargo space as a Mercedes GLK or Audi Q5. Why’d you buy that SUV again?

This car drives exactly as I expected: wonderfully. It’s comfortable, quiet, agile and as quick or docile as I want. It had every gadget I needed, without needing an ITT Tech degree to work them. It has the safety of AWD, the speed of a sport sedan, and the space of it’s Q5 big brother. And on top of all of that, it’s a hoot to drive. Sure it’s no RWD coupe or freeway monster, but you could pack it with camping gear and rip up to the camp site.
The only negative is the cost. Our car, fitted with the Sport Package, NAV Package and Premium Plus package came to $44,100. At first glance it’s a lot, but when you look at the competition, it’s actually a bargain. A BMW 328i wagon is comparable, but it’s RWD. Cadillac’s new CTS Sport Wagon, with RWD and the V6, starts at $44,055 and quickly crosses into the 50s with options. You could look at on of the new crossover offerings, but even the boring-both to sit in and drive-Toyota Venza has the same MSRP (V6 AWD model). An SUV at this level will cost way more, and get it’s fake machismo handed to it in the twisties. With AWD, 260 ft lbs of torque, a delightful interior and great handling, this is luxurious practicality at a bargain.

Which brings me back to my original thought; why don’t we like wagons? The majority of SUV owners neither off-road nor tow anything. SUVs get worse gas mileage, are slower through corners and generally cost more. There’s a stigma with wagons that they will turn you into a boring person reminiscent of Chevy Chase’ Clark Griswold. That may have been the case in the past, but not here. This car can box with plenty of “sporty” cars, without having to leave half it’s Costco haul in the parking lot. If you were looking for something to fill the gap between sedan and a 4×4, this is it.

- Zack K

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 at 6:07 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.