Contrary to popular belief, station wagons didn't die off because they were bad. Nope, they were pushed to the brink of extinction by the fact they'd become terminally uncool.

You've read before - on this very site, no less - about the slow demise of the once-mighty wagon. You remember them, of course, those big-bummed cars you used to see whisking families down the freeway toward summer-holiday bliss.

MORE: Read the full Audi S4 2017 range review here

But those days are long gone, and with an SUV on offer to suit every size and budget, they're unlikely to ever come back. And that's at least partly because (unless your father's name is Enzo) nobody aspires to own the car their parents used to drop them off to school in. Image is everything, and the humble wagon's image was that of practical parents.

But that doesn't mean you, dear reader, shouldn't be paying attention to this. Because we'll let you in on a little secret: station wagons often make more sense than SUVs on just about every conceivable level: Dynamics? Better. Practicality? Better. Economy? Generally speaking, better.

And crucially, when the wagon in question is Audi's fun and fast S4 Avant, they're a damn site cooler, too.

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