Like it's saloon counterpart, the A4 Avant was a breakthrough model for Audi. It had the quality and refinement to compete with estate rivals from BMW and Mercedes, something which the brand had never quite managed before. It looks stylish - but this is at the expense of luggage space, while rear passenger space is tight too. Otherwise it's a great choice with well built interiors, safe handling and a great choice of strong engines. There's even a crazy high performance RS4 version with a mind boggling 380bhp.