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SO YOU WANT to buy an Audi A4. But which one? Do you opt for the estate, or go all-out for the allroad or would you be better going for the A5 Sportback or even the A6? Time for an Audi showdown.
The Audi A4 has been around since 1994 and is the company’s rival to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Its current version has been on the market for just two years, so in the interest of appealing to more budgets, we’re going to focus on the previous ‘B8’ generation, which was sold between 2008 and 2016.
You won’t find much colour choice on the used market beyond ‘safe’ blacks, blues, greys and the occasional white. Of the specification grades, it is the sportier S line model that is usually the more sought-after. These models look good on larger alloy wheels, but you should also consider the trade-off in road noise and comfort that these come with, not to mention the risk of curb damage. Nobody likes that.
You’ll also struggle to find anything other than diesel on offer in the used A4 market from this period which was after the introduction of changes to motor tax favouring diesel engines.
On the practical front the A4 does have a 480-litre boot, capable of expanding to 962 litres. And if you need more than that, there’s an estate (or Avant in Audi-speak) offering 490 to 1,430 litres of cargo space.
The A4 Allroad takes the estate body and adds a wider track, quattro all-wheel, some ground clearance and a more rugged exterior. They’re a rare sight and don’t provide much additional benefit other than overall aesthetics.
If space is that important, the A5 Sportback offers only a tiny bit more room than the A4 but has the benefit of being a hatchback. It has a boot capacity of 480 litres which can expand to 980 litres with the rear seats folded.
Overall, you would be better served by either the A6 saloon or A6 Avant. There’s isn’t as much choice in the latter on the used market, with most A6 sales being the saloon model. The saloon model has a 530-litre boot that can swell to 995 litres with the rear seats folded.
A useful hatchback opening isn’t the A5 Sportback’s only redeeming feature. It might not deviate from the A4’s size all that much, but its sleeker design has aged well. We’re not going to include the A5 Coupe in this as its two-seat design is more limiting, but that’s not to say we aren’t a fan of the Walter de Silva designed car.
The interiors of both the A4 and A5 are very similar. The A6 not only gets more space, but it also features a nicer cabin. It’s differentiated by a swooping design that curves around the dashboard from each door. The infotainment system gets a free-standing screen, adding a more modern look to it, while the rear is more spacious.
If it were our money, as good as the A4 is, if you can stretch your budget we think it’s best to look past the A5 Sportback and consider the A6. Not only does it have more presence on the road, it’s better inside and more refined to drive as well as offering more cabin space and bigger boot space compared to the A4 and A5 Sportback. However, if boot space is your main priority, then the A4 Avant is the way to go.
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One of the truly great songwriters, one of lifes mystery’s is how he made 60, a true testament to the resilience of the human body.
Congrats Shane, deserves it
Legend !
@Gavin O’Brien: absolute legend,
Such a pity Dolores o Riordan didn’t get one also.
He looks in a bad way.
@@Kevinro1980:
What happened to him?
@@Kevinro1980: Dubliners song seven drunken nights comes to mind
@John Byrne: 40+ years of alcohol and drug abuse will do that to you. Unless you’re Keith Richards, in which case you walk away unscathed. I think Shane also broke his hip recently.
Would love to have been at this,absolutely love Shane McGowan, and to top it all off,Nick Cave was there too,would literally have fainted on the spot,Anyway congratulations Shane,legend.
Well deserved but, something tells me 2018 may claim him soon too
The greatest poet of my lifetime.
One of Ireland’s most talented artists
Immensely talented, no doubt about that, but he’s from England not Ireland.
@O Swetenham: born in England to irish parents, spent the first 6 and a half years of his life in Tipperary, considers himself Irish and has spent more of his life living in Ireland than England. That makes him irish in my opinion.
@Dermot Lane: Yeah you’re right. I’m being a wee bit pedantic I suppose.
The picture reminds me of one of those creepy Victorian post mortem photos where family members would pose for one last family photo with the dressed up corpse.
@TechProducts: he looks like a waxwork statue
Does anybody know if this was recorded and if so will it be made available for viewing?
@Brian Brogan: There was a some professional camera men there last night along with notices saying it was being recorded so hopefully it will become available.
Incredible night but I was annoyed to see some empty seats in front of us from no shows when there was a few hundred people queuing up outside hoping to get a ticket.
@Brian Brogan: Yes it was recorded.
Everyone loves him now.
Very well deserved. What a great night that must have been!
what a poet. Well deserved
who’s the guy dressed up as Johnny Depp?
@Johnhunky Dory: Oh… it IS Johnny Depp!!
@Johnhunky Dory: Bah humbug, I like Johnny Depp…
@Johnhunky Dory: don’t think he will offering to blast Shane out of a canon when he goes .
Thompson cost him a packet
When he was good he was very good, the music industry,it’s not for the faint hearted
have your say