In 20 years of road testing and writing about cars, I have been privileged to have driven some of the world's most exciting and exotic machinery. There have been many memorable moments. None moreso than the Audi RS4.
When I first drove one in 2001, never before had I experienced such jaw dropping acceleration and power in what was basically a small family sedan.
The engine was, and remains a masterpiece.
A 4.2 litre 32 valve, hand built V8, with 301 kw and 430 nm of torque.
Incredibly the RS4 engine achieves this with normal aspiration...there's no turbo or supercharger, It's redline is 8,250 rpm...almost two thousand more than a V8 Supercar.
Even that hard headed "Top Gear" cynic Jeremy Clarkson, lavished praise on this engine as one of the finest he'd ever sat behind.
Twelve years on and I have revisited one of the performance bargains of the decade.
This time it's the RS4 Avant, (or station wagon in Aussie lingo,) with an extra 30kw or so.
Just one full throttle takeoff leaves you breathless, shaking your head and laughing in awe at the sheer thrill of that visceral howl from under the bonnet, and stentorian roar blasting out the dual exhausts.
Unleashed, it assaults the senses with its brutal, almost stupefying, ferocious mechanical snarl.
By the way, it's absolutely compulsory to wind down the windows, and find the nearest tunnel, just to revel in the experience.
You will want to do it again and again.. it's addictive!
Once tried it's not forgotten, believe me!
Zero to 100 is reached in about 4 seconds, faster than a Porsche 911.
All this towering performance is linked to Audi's Quattro all wheel drive system.
Gigantic drilled discs effortlessly haul the RS4 down from speed.
The RS4 Avant is something of a chameleon.. from full on racer, to being easily able to tootle around town with nary a hint of complaint.
Fuel consumption averaged about 13 L /100 k mainly in urban driving, and about 8 on the highway. Naturally if you want to hear and feel more of that stunning aural symphony, you will pay for it at the pump.
The car driven here is a 7 speed automatic with the usual D, Sport and Manual settings. There are numerous suspension modes available as well, from Comfort to Dynamic.
In Sport and manual mode, the engine will "blip" itself ready for a lower gear, with a masculine throaty cough on overrun.
Despite having almost race car pretensions, the RS4's suspension is quite acceptable even in Dynamic mode, where shockers stiffen up to enable safer, surefooted, spirited driving.
265/35 series tyres on 19" multi spoked alloy wheels keep everything tracking truly.
Inside it's all traditional Audi detail...no complaints about room, seat comfort or ease of instrument use.
If you ever tire of the mechanical symphony up front (not that that's likely) there's a 180 watt 10 speaker sound system (with sub woofer) to keep you entertained.
So: Family wagon, (check) Shopping runabout, (check) School taxi, (check) Racing car,(check) Good.
That's that then..all bases covered!
If you crave a genuinely multi purpose supercar,(and you can spare a lazy 149 thousand dollars,) this could be a match made in heaven, and money well spent.
Peter Sellen
Australians have taken to so called "SUVs" like ducks to water. More than 30 percent of all car sales are now in this Sport Utility Vehicle segment. The CX-5 is the top seller in its class, closely followed by Mitsubishi's Outlander.
While most manufacturers have the utility part right, the "sport" aspect is lacking in some.
Not so the new Mazda CX-5.
While it's no MX-5 through corners, it's well planted and scare free,with little body roll, belying it's people and luggage carrying status.
It goes exactly where you point it, and the steering weighting through the leather bound wheel, is spot on.
There are three engine choices, a 2.0 litre and 2.5 litre petrol, and a 2.2 litre turbo diesel.
On test here is the 2.5 L petrol model, the range topping Akera with a six speed automatic gearbox.
A growing number of manufacturers, are fitting "idle stop" fuel saving technology to their cars. If not used to it, the system can be distracting, as it shuts the engine down when the car is stationary, restarting it instantly and automatically when the brake is released. The system can be over ridden via a dashboard button, when for example,the engine is needed to constantly run the air conditioner in summer.
The CX-5 's version is called SKYACTIV "i-stop" and as I mentioned, once used to its operation, is a handy feature.
Official fuel consumption on combined highway/ urban cycle is 7.5 litres per 100 kilometres.
I achieved about 9 in mainly urban driving over seven days.
In size the CX-5 is just about right, not too big, not too small.
The cargo area is large, and happily there's a full sized spare beneath the floor.
The CX-5 has replaced the CX-7 in Mazda's lineup, below the larger CX-9.
it looks purposeful and that's a good start.
There's plenty of room in the cabin, even with the sunroof. One of the few roof openings that has an adequate, well designed (and quiet)wind deflector.
Legroom in the rear is okay, but diminishes when taller folks are up front.
This Akera model has dual zone climate control, but rear seat passengers go without their own air conditioning vents, an annoying omission especially on hot days.
Electric windows are on all doors but only the driver's has "one touch" operation.
Leather seats in the CX-5 Akera are generously sized, and quite comfortable, the front pair are heated.
There's a dead pedal for the driver's left foot, positioned in just the right place. Others can be too far away near the firewall and for all intents and purposes, useless. Brownie points here Mazda for getting that detail right.
The CX-5 wants for little in the equipment department.
Among the goodies, a lane departure warning system, high intensity bi xenon gas discharge headlights (with washers) an automatic high beam feature, as well as blind spot monitoring in the wing mirrors, parking sensors and reversing camera.
The sound system isn't too shabby either.
In upper spec models you get a 9 speaker 231 watt Bose item, that should please most owners in tone, clarity and volume. The central touch screen is very easy to use, and it doubles as the Satnav.
At any speed, wind and road noise is commendably absent, even from around the wing mirrors, often a problem area in other vehicles.
Mazda has put a lot of effort into ride refinement and it shows.
The 19 inch wheels shod with 55 series tyres ,help the CX-5 absorb bumps like a much more luxurious vehicle, smooth, and well controlled.
The 138 kw engine with 250 nm of torque has a pleasing throaty note from beneath the bonnet. It's never harsh or raspy.
The 2.5 litre engine is a good performer with more than adequate pickup under hard acceleration.
In a crowded market it's often difficult to rise above the pack, but Mazda is onto a winner with the CX-5.
Peter Sellen.
