Audi A6 Avant

Our verdict

More desirable than the saloon, the Audi A6 Avant looks better than its booted brother and is hugely practical. Not the most inspiring thing, but neither are Wellington boots and we love them.

Comfort

Can be a bit stiff with sportier suspension set-ups, especially if you carry lots of stuff a lot of the time, but generally comfy. Plenty of space and a nicely ergonomic cabin make for relaxed cruising - we especially like the seats for taller drivers.

Performance

The range covers pretty much every performance need. There are loads of petrol engines - a 2.0-litre TFSI, 2.4 and 2.8FSI, 3.2 FSI, a 4.2-litre FSI V8 and a V10 in the S6 - and three diesels - a 2.0-litre four-cylinder TDI, 2.7 and 3.0-litre six-cylinder. The base petrol gets 170bhp and is fine, but the pick of the range is again that lovely 3.0-litre TDI.

Cool

Cooler than the saloon, but still not very. S6 nearly gets there as an Avant.

Quality

Generally good, but the wood in some variants can be a bit plastic-looking and if you look hard there's not quite the attention to detail of some of the newer models.

Handling

Another big Audi with huge reserves of grip but a slightly divorced feel. It's just not that interesting from behind the wheel although there's plenty of solid cornering ability. The Avant still handles when loaded, unless you put a whacking great lump in the very back. Make the mother-in-law sit up front. The Quattros are the best luggers.

Practicality

Hugeness is the key here; the boot holds 565 litres with the seats up, a monstrous 1650 litres with them folded. You don't need an SUV if you have this - it'll happily swallow anything you care to throw into it.

Running costs

Resale values are strong on the A6 thanks to a rock-solid image, the Avants especially so, but be wary of the tax brackets if you're a company car driver; the 2.0-litre is 20 per cent and the 3.0-litre whops out a massive 30 per cent.