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Audi has come a long way in recent years as the quality, design and engineering of its cars has improved to now match and, in some areas, exceed the best there is. Audi cars are now ranked along side BMW and Mercedes-Benz as the three premium brands of Germany.


To stay competitive in the premium brand sectors of the market, Audi's model range has had to increase significantly. It now has a range that compares more than favorably with its competitors and has the added advantage of being able to offer the renowned Quattro all-wheel drive system with many of its products.


The Audi A3 for example has always been a great small car that feels like the concentrated goodness of a great big car. The current model sees Audi realize that the competition has been busy copying and, in certain cases, bettering the Germans when it comes to interior quality. Consider the status quo re-established with this new Audi car.


The company could have been a little more daring with the third generation Audi A4, but that won't stop it challenging for outright leadership of the compact executive class. It's a little larger and slightly sportier than before, plus a strong engine range is retained and improved.


The Audi A6 range stretches from the 53mpg 2.0TDIe model all the way up to the 572bhp RS6. In between, there should be a model to suit the requirements of most executive car customers with a collection of advanced engines and gearboxes, Quattro all-wheel drive models and Audi's usual imperious build quality thrown in.


Although it's hardly low key, the Audi Q7 is a vehicle with hidden qualities. A great long distance cruiser, the vast Q7 can shrug off family duties easily and comes with an impressive range of petrol and diesel engines. Others are more nimble and certainly easier to park, but few 4x4 rivals feel quite as well built or as well thought through as the Q7.


The first Audi TT became a style icon and while the second iteration lacks the bold architectural lines of the original, it's a massively superior all-round proposition, the line up of coupes latterly being augmented by the frugal diesel and the searingly rapid TTS. Other pretenders have come and gone but the TT is still very special.