It may look like a station wagon, but this car rarely wants to be stationary. Think of it as the practical side of performance. It's pure sport, just with enough space for a dog or skis or almost anything you can buy at Ikea. It combines the practicality of space, the performance of a finely tuned German sports car and still comfortably wraps you in leather. Zipping down the Florida Turnpike couldn't be finer than in this wagon. Even the hot sun is repelled by UV-protected glass and strong AC. (Many European cars skimp on their air conditioners, but this Audi seems well prepared for byproducts of global warming.) On a recent test of the A4 Avant, I drove it from Ocala, Fla., to Fort Lauderdale. The four-hour trip was a breeze in this car, except for the constant stopping to pay tolls -- which add up quickly and cost almost as much as the gas. The 2-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine generates 211-horsepower while remaining frugal on gas -- I averaged 25 miles per gallon on the trip to Lauderdale, and that was at speeds above the state's recommendation. (In Florida, everyone seems to drive a little fast, so I was just trying to fit in.) When driving, I never noticed a turbo lag on the Avant; the accelerator response was clean and exact. Push the pedal and the car launches; you need that highway boost to pass an annoying semi or just to show off in front of some family sedan at a traffic light. The car's maximum torque of 258-pound-feet kicks in at 1,500 rpm, which helps gives the Avant a punchy feel at any speed. Really, there's a lot more car than most people need in the A4 Avant, making this A4 either a sporty family of four hauler or a potential single man's mobile toy chest. That's despite Audi cutting the overall storage space from 59 cubic feet in 2008 to 50.5 cubic feet in the redesigned model. For starters, Audi has moved the engine behind the front axle, giving it a more balanced feel. The taut suspension -- Audi offers a Driver Select Package that allows you to change the car's ride -- provides a smooth ride and it handles sharp cornering extremely well. The all-wheel drive system, known by Audi as Quattro, is one of the best systems available and it helps the car through turns as well as makes traversing wet or icy roads easier (the latter I did not have a chance to test). The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that also offers manual shifting. The time I usually try the manual shifting on an automatic is during twisty road driving or snowy conditions. It didn't snow and Florida may have a few roads with curves in them, but I couldn't find any so for this trip. The transmission was extremely smooth on upshifts and not noticeable on downshift -- about as good a combination as you'd expect. Audi maintains its position at the top in interior packaging, with loads of creature comforts in the A4 Avant, including: premium leather, the center stack canted toward the driver, the easy-to-use MMI (Multi-Media Interface) on the dash and the 6.5-inch color screen, which show controls for the the stereo, air conditioning and navigation. More importantly, every seat is comfortable, though the second row can feel a little cramped. (There is, however, a nice fold out armrest in the center for the people in back.) But this is a driver's car and Audi caters to the inner cruiser. New features include adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning system, a new parking assist and a Bang & Olufsen sound system. If the car's performance doesn't bring a smile to your face, the interior will. The only thing missing from my test vehicle was a push button start; instead, you had to push the entire key fob into the dash while pressing the brake. If you did this incorrectly, you'd have to push it again to pop out the fob and then press again. A button would have been much easier. For 2009 Audi has stretched the car's wheelbase 6.6 inches (though the car was only lengthened 4.7 inches), which helps smooth out the car's ride, and pushes the wheels farther out to the front. Audi also curved the roof more toward the back, which is why it lost some of that cargo space. The spatial sacrifice was worth it. The car looks fast and expensive. Both are good things, because it is fast and it starts at $35,325, which is not cheap. The bejeweled headlamps with LED eye liner dotted below the light give the Avant a seductive wink to its face. It's the kind of thing people will notice in their review mirror right before you pass them. The big grille suggests the power in the Avant and streamlined profile also add to the car's elegance. It's this combination of sophistication and driving prowess I most enjoyed in this Audi. Station wagons may not be as popular in the U.S. as they are in Europe, but that only adds to their charms. If you want to carry a lot of stuff and drive a luxury car that's still fun, the A4 Avant will fit your bill. The Sun Pass is completely optional, but in the end, we all pay The Man, one way or another. Scott Burgess is the auto critic for The Detroit News. He can be reached at (313) 223-3217 or [email protected].