When it comes to all-round cars, the kind of thing that will carry you, your kids, your luggage and the dog to Germany in any weather and still be an entertaining plaything on a lap of the Nordschleife, not much touches an S4 Avant. The B7 is a real sweet spot in the model line-up too – lots of luxuries and features, understated styling and a Quattro system powered by that mighty naturally aspirated V8. It’s a truly capable family machine that just happens to have supercar rivalling performance.

They’re becoming rarer too, especially in original condition. Many have been modified in one way or another, so to find a completely original car with just two owners from new is a real rarity. However, the real star of the show is that V8 – creamily smooth with a fantastic exhaust note and effortless performance. S4’s have always been a more subtle (and some would say classier) choice than their competitors from BMW and Mercedes, and we think this is a great opportunity to obtain a car that, if looked after properly, is not only a great drive but has good potential as an investment.

With supportive, comfortable Recaro sports seats, lots of kit, plenty of room for the average family and typically bulletproof Audi build quality, this S4 makes a great case for itself as an interesting and enjoyable daily wagon. All of the kit in the vehicle functions well and as expected, with the owner telling us there are no faults or issues they’re aware of. In terms of space, there’s easily enough room for four adults to travel in comfort, and the large glass area and light coloured headlining and leather make it quite a light and airy cabin. The boot area is similarly generous, with charcoal grey carpet, a matching pull-out luggage cover and, under the floor, a full-size spare wheel.

Overall the interior is in reasonable condition for the vehicle’s age. All of the trim is intact and there are no rips or tears in the headlining or any of the leather. There is some age-related wear, particularly on the driver’s seat, but no more than you’d expect on any 16 year old car. There are a couple of scuffs to the plastic trim on the C-pillars, probably from loading things into the boot, and some marks on the headlining. However, with a good interior valet and leather clean, we think the cabin will come up very well indeed.

If you’re going to own a B7 S4, Sprint Blue Pearl is the colour you want it in. It’s the classic ’S’ colour scheme and looks great, complementing the car’s great proportions and smooth lines very well. When polished up, it looks magnificent. On this car, the paint is in good condition and all of the panels are straight and undamaged, with no signs of corrosion we could see. There are some minor scratches and blemishes, but nothing that would concern us. 

A good machine polish would soon see the paint back to its best. All of the external trim is present and correct and in good condition too, the silver roof rails and mirrors contrasting well with that brilliant blue paintwork. The lights are in excellent condition too, with no chips or cracks.

The Avus III wheels were an option on the B7 S4, and her they are presented in a good state, with just a few minor blemishes. The owner has also recently replaced the Audi centre-caps. They’re shod with Continental tyres, with the fronts having a good amount of tread left on them but the rears do need to be changed.

Underneath, the floor, suspension and drivetrain components we could see are all in good condition, with no significant corrosion we could see. Everything appeared to be straight and clean. The only damage we could see was to the plastic undertray, which is cracked on both sills. But this is not structural and is a purely cosmetic issue that is easily addressed.

The B7 S4 features one of the all-time great drivetrains, Audi’s monster 40-valve, 4.2 litre V8. This naturally aspirated unit pushes 399bhp and 410Nm to all four wheels via a ZF automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel-drive system. It gives this family estate serious performance potential and phenomenal ability in most weather conditions.

Unsurprisingly, what with the car having a full Audi service history, the engine starts, idles and runs beautifully with a smooth hum and burble on tickover and a proper, barrel-chested roar under acceleration. Keeping all those horses under control is a variable power-assisted steering system, together with ventilated brakes front and rear and a host of electronic safety features (ABS, ESP, TCS, EBD etc.). 

Everything works just as you’d expect, with the gearbox shifting smoothly and quickly and no unexpected noises, bumps or movements in the suspension, brakes and steering. We only got to drive in the car briefly, but it felt very tight and well-maintained. 

The owner tells us the car drives very well and they are not aware of any issues with it at all. The engine bay is in need of a good valet, but other than that as far as could tell the car is in excellent mechanical condition.

With just two owners from new, a full Audi service history and a long MOT, this is the kind of car that you can purchase with your heart and your head. That naturally aspirated V8 really is a lovely engine: smooth, endlessly powerful and with an epic exhaust note. matched with the auto box here, it makes the S4 Avant a very practical car - easy to live with day-to-day, but with continent-crossing ability when you need it and all the oomph you need for a quick B-road blast, should the fancy take you.

Obviously, this is a 16 year old car that has been used as daily family transport, so there are minor blemishes, a few scuffs to the interior and it’s in need of a good valet. But that’s all surface stuff – underneath, this is a very original, unmodified, well-maintained and solid example of one of the finest fast estates ever built. 

Earlier S4 models weren’t as capable, lacking the grunt of that V8, and later models had issues with a stiff and uncomfortable ride. The B7 really is the sweet spot, and we think it’s a brilliant opportunity to own one of the few cars that truly can claim to be “all the car you need”.