So, after checking out a few local dealers to see who would provide a car for an extended test drive Audi came up trumps with no fuss whatsoever - collection at 10am and return at 4pm.

 

Today I was handed the keys to a DSG 150bhp version of the above car, pretty much standard spec bar the Bang & Olufsen sound system and DAB radio.

 

First impressions - in the flesh in Phantom (flat) black paint it looked stunning, the 19" rotor alloys finishing it off a treat.

 

In I get and the dash and controls are all easy to see, use and reach, with soft touch buttons providing the expected quality feel, even the fuel filler car was effortless to use.

 

The car started and it brought a smile to my face, it purred unlike a diesel unit, bearing in mind my current car is a1.9TDi Roomster.  The seating and steering wheel were very adjustable to suit all prospective owners.

 

Having driven a DSG GTD Golf recently I was interested to see if there was a difference in the Audi box and, on first launch, I answered 'Yes'.  The unit seemed flawless pulling away, no hesitation, absolutely seemless on the move and no unexpected jitters approaching slow moving traffic, roundabouts and the like.  The paddle shift was also a revelation and provided a futher grin factor.

 

Everything seemed just hunky dorey for the first few miles then, with time, I began to look at the car in a different light.  This was the idea of the extended drive, to make sure this huge sum of metal, was worthy of my money, purely personal of course.

 

The flat-bottomed steering wheel looked the part but I could certainly live without one - it didn't cause an issue, just felt uncomfortable at times when on full lock, for example.

 

The seating was comfortable per se but when combined with what seemed like a massive offset of the pedals to the right, the postion failed to meet my expectations, albeit there was no real discomfort, pain or the like to report.

 

The 19" wheels coped remarkably well with the undulations of the Yorkshire roads but I found the steering a tad wayward, almost unpredictable at times, particularly through bends - the predictable wrestle with the steering wheel mid corner was most distracting.

 

Whether this was a result of the gyroscopic effect of the larger wheels combined with the low profile tyres wanting to follow any pattern in the tarmac, I'm not sure but it was enough to stop me from having a little more fun on the damp roads and really enjoying the experience in a relaxed manner.

 

The 150 unit pulled effortlessly, albeit ran out of steam a little too early from a slip road onto a steep section of the M62, I'm sure the 177 unit would make all the difference, but I really can't grumple at the 150s performance, much more than I expected in, what is, quite a big car.

 

As with most marques from Audi, the roofline was quite low and being 6'2" my head was nearly on the roof lining, yet visibility remained good.

 

This really is being picky, but the footrest for the left foot seemed very far forward and caused a lot of ankle flexion so after a longer journey I'm sure I'd be getting out and walking to the motorway services like John Thaw!

 

Would I buy one? Yes, if heavily discounted and I'd have to try it on 18s first.  If I'm paying top dollar I'd want to feel more at one with the car.

 

Going to try an Audi A6 next week to see if there are any noticeable differences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The New A6 PI will be a vast improvement over the A4,

More room inside and much better quality and the new ultra engine with the DSG is very good.

A6 interior is a quite a step up from an A4, especially if has the optional DIS display between the dials.

 

Might be worth trying a 150 A3 saloon, as it's more modern than the A4 and possibly a bit lighter too to help with performance / economy - also looks nicer.