Audi A4 Avant: A winter trek to Europe
It is often said that European cars – the best ones, anyway – are even more fun to drive in the Old World than they are on our roads. Our contributor Jacques Wong had the chance to drive an Audi A4 Avant during a tour of three European countries last winter. Here’s his account and his impressions of the drive.
“It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to drive one of the best German cars in road conditions that can seriously put it to the test while offering more driving pleasure than average. I had the chance to do just that in the middle of winter on the roads of the Italian and Austrian Dolomites, where I was participating in various cross-country skiing competitions. After a three-week European excursion in the most varied conditions, here are a few snippets from my experience as a temporary Audi A4 Avant test driver. And although this car didn’t have all of the features and the same equipment as the Audis sold in Canada, the conditions in the two alpine countries helped me learn more about this car.
“Once I had crossed the Atlantic and safely landed at the Munich Airport, I picked up my big ski bag and the rest of my baggage and headed toward Audi-Forum, located right in the Munich Airport (which, by the way, is one of the most beautiful of its kind in Europe). But let’s get back to what will be our car for the next three weeks. First off, it is all German, as much for the quality of assembly, as for its simple shape and grey colour. Moreover, the passenger compartment is well designed and comfortable while the mechanical components are as good as anything else in the category. Note that our car came equipped with a 3.2-litre V6 engine paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox and Quattro all-wheel drive. I learned when I returned that, unfortunately, this engine is not available in our market, replaced by the new 3.0-litre V6 turbo engine that is said to offer better performance and to be more fuel-efficient. It’s also lighter than the 3.2-litre engine it's weight was often noticeable on narrow roads in the high mountains. However, this is an engine that always seems to be up to the task, even at high speed on German autobahns. As for the manumatic automatic transmission, I found no fault with it at all.
“After a quick once over, it’s time to put our numerous bags inside. Although it’s an intermediate wagon, the Avant has quite a limited cargo area when the rear seatbacks are up. On the other hand, once these seatbacks are lowered, my travel companion and I were able to put both of our big suitcases and ski bags inside without too many problems. “Naturally, a cargo cover is a much appreciated accessory, but I was surprised by how heavy this accessory’s anchoring bar was, and how difficult it was to take it off and put it back on. By the way, it’s also possible to spread out a cargo net to prevent objects from flying out in case of a sudden stop or a head-on crash. And since Audi never misses the chance to make a car more practical, not only is there a 60-40 rear seatback, but there’s a pass-through for the skis located directly behind the armrest. “Like any self-respecting Audi, the quality of the finish, the layout of the dashboard and the comfort of the seats are above average. However, it took me at least a couple of days to learn the tricks of the MMI control system whose large central button helps set with great precision the heating and air conditioning, but my patience wore thin at times since certain controls are hard to figure out.
On to the Dolomitenlauf
“Beginning in Munich, we set out toward Austria to take part in the Dolomitenlauf, which, as its name suggests, takes place in the Austrian Dolomites. This mountain range crosses Italy and continues into Austria. To get there, we did a part of the trip on the highway – my first experience on the famous German Autobahn – which helped me discover this car’s very impressive stability at high speeds and its very poor three-quarter rear visibility. It also gave me an appreciation for our car’s excellent rearview mirrors, and more importantly, for the system that detects vehicles in the blind spot, which turned out to be a real blessing.
“Once we were in the mountains, the car handled with as much confidence as it did on the highway, taking on twisting road after twisting road without flinching. Certain sections of the road were either snowy or icy, but the Quattro system confronted the elements like they were nothing. We arrived safely and not too tired, thanks to the quiet passenger compartment and comfortable front seats. However, had there been passengers in the back seats, they may have complained about the lack of leg room and the firmness of the bench. “Also noteworthy were the windshield wipers, which were made up of one-piece blades and were as effective for cleaning the wet snow as they were for clearing debris from the road.
Italy, here we come
“After taking part in the Dolomitenlauf ski marathon, we headed for Italy to take part in the famous Marcialonga long distance cross-country ski race. This time, most of the trip is in the mountains, on narrow winding roads covered in snow. It was a lot of fun for me to drive the A4 on these roads where I took advantage of its great handling and I shifted from one gear to the next using paddles behind the steering wheel. I hadn’t used them up to this point, but I really liked them. However, on the highways and for everyday driving, they’re not very practical.
“This car impresses me more every day. The more you drive it, the more you appreciate it. Between races we took the opportunity to do a little sightseeing, which also gave me the chance to appreciate the baggage cover.
“A significant snow storm battered the region when we were trying to make it to the village of Moena, where the Marcialonga cross-country ski marathon was going to begin. The snow squalls made visibility very difficult, and I was surprised to see that traffic was very sparse. It was surprising, given that several thousand people had to get to Moena to take part in this internationally renowned race. When we arrived at the entrance to the small village, I learned from the two carabinieri who stopped us that the road ahead was blocked and we would have to go around. One of the police officers was even quite irritated that we had made it this far, since, in his opinion, the road that we just took was blocked as well. Then, his colleague looked at him and said, “But it’s an Audi!” He then made a funny face to reflect the sentiment that this type of car could go anywhere.
“After driving more than 1,200 km since our arrival on European soil, we recorded an average fuel consumption of about 13.2 litres per 100 kilometres, which is excellent considering the power of the engine (265 horses) and the fact that we were carrying a lot of cargo. On the other hand, like all Canadians accustomed to paying very little for gasoline, filling up was a shock given the price of fuel and the strength of the euro compared to the Canadian dollar. And they say Americans complain.
Back to Munich
“The remainder of our European trek was smooth sailing. We returned to flat land on the way to the Bavarian capital, all the while enjoying the quality of the ride and overall comfort. But every time we had to place our baggage and our large ski bags inside, it required a certain amount of planning. Fortunately, the relatively low loading height of the baggage hold made the task easier, but it was also very easy to get your pants dirty by rubbing them on the bumper. I learned my lesson after a few days, and before loading the car, I placed a small cover over the bumper to protect my pants.
“At the end of the day, the Audi A4 Avant turned out to be a very versatile car despite its limited cargo capacity. If you’re travelling in a foursome you’ll definitely have to use a baggage carrier and even a roof rack to transport all your gear. However, the car’s a lot of fun to drive in all conditions and its all-wheel drive helps take on any weather that comes your way.”
