(QQ, Winter 2003) — I'm not Walter Röhrl and the car isn't the S1 Sports quattro, but I couldn't help but imagine myself as that racing legend while piloting a new 2002 A4 3.0 Avant up Pikes Peak. What had it been like to race this road going triple digits and with nearly 600 hp to play with? Should I give the Avant a try and see if I can beat Röhrl's then record-breaking run of 10:47.85 (or should I go for the current record of 10:04.06 set by Rod Millen in 1994)? I'm sure this new Avant would be up to the task - ABS, ESP, Tiptronic, airbags everywhere conceivable, these are features that were lacking in the S1 15 years ago - they were sure to keep me on the road. Right? Sliding around corners that appear to drop off to nothing seemed like a fairly fun thing to do on this day, plus there wasn't that much traffic leading up to the Peak, surely I could pass all of these cars and still beat that record.

A wayward potato chip and the cries of my fighting daughters snapped me back to reality. I guess it wouldn't be too responsible of me to attempt to break a world record with my children in the back seat… plus, we didn't even have our helmets.

With reality nearly restored, I went about the task of enjoying the drive to the peak in this new A4 Avant. It's no secret that I'm a fan of Avants, having been a former owner of a 2000 A4 1.8t, so I had been looking forward to driving the new A4 Avant.

Like its predecessor, it's hard to tell you're driving a "wagon" from the driver's seat. It feels just like the sedans I reviewed last winter (See Spring '02 issue of the Quattro Quarterly), but in the Avant you have the additional cargo room. Also like its predecessor, many find it to be a more attractive car than the sedan, although I seem to be in the minority in thinking that the new A4 sedan is a wonderful looking car.

As with the sedans I reviewed last winter, I still experienced some major discomfort with the center console intruding onto my right leg - in fact for the first few days with the car I had a sore spot on the outside of my right knee. The soreness did go away and I got used to the console before my week long review was up, but I feel this can be a major concern for a potential buyer of the new A4 models. With my two daughters in the back, the occasional kick to the back of the seat was a reminder that the rear seat is still lacking in room, although it has been increased from the previous generation.

The Pikes Peak highway leading to the summit is a well maintained, although sometimes bumpy, dirt road, which the A4 Avant handled with ease. Sections near the top can get fairly steep, the cars in front of me appeared to bog down a little in these sections, whereas the A4 3.0 had plenty of power to spare, even while nearing the 14,110 ft summit. Visions of Walter Röhrl kept creeping back as I fantasized about passing these slower vehicles. I fought the temptations, with the help of the two fighting girls in the back, long enough to make it safely to the summit.

After a short stay at the summit, it was time to head back down to lower elevations where breathing was a little easier. During the descent the Tiptronic transmission really shined. When you first leave the summit, there are numerous signs warning to stay in lower gears and warnings about brake fade (something familiar to those of you that track your car often). With the Tiptronic, I was able to put the transmission into manual mode, and toggle between 1st and 2nd gears to keep myself at a slow pace without having to use the brakes. There is checkpoint a short ways down the mountain where they check the temperature of your wheels/brakes and ask you to stop if they are too hot. The A4 was in the clear and I was able to continue on.

The drive home was taken through back mountain roads, and proved to be some of the most enjoyable driving I've done in a few months. As with all newer Audis, this new A4 Avant really shines when it's able to stretch its legs. The new 3.0 engine provides adequate acceleration and passing power, even with the Tiptronic transmission. With the sport suspension, the Avant handles the corners with minimal body roll, and soaks up the majority of the bumps like a sponge.

Our trip home took us along Hwy 67 through the Pike National Forest, which was the location of the largest wildfire in Colorado history earlier in the year. The highway then follows the South Platte river, turns into a dirt road for a couple of miles, then goes through the mountains and down into the town of Sedalia. For those in the Colorado area looking for a good weekend drive, I would highly recommend taking this route sometime.

I was able to spend a week with the 2002 A4 3.0 Avant and the entire experience was enjoyable. Other than the previously mentioned center console, the only other complaint would be the poor gas mileage that I experienced. According to the trip computer, I averaged just over 18mpg during the 500 miles that I traveled, most of which was highway mileage. Of course, I was thinking of Walter Röhrl half the time, so I'm sure that had a little to do with it.