2.5 Sport 4dr

Very, very smooth

Only a month in (2016 / 80K miles / pristine)

I've come out of a succession of two Audi A4 1.8t manuals (on motorcycles before that). I would have been quite content to go Audi again (although looking into the cabin of same, it looked a bit same old, same old).

However my wife insisted in automatic (I wasn't as keen) . Given I'm a bottom feeder and resent putting petrol in a car I wasn't keen on the idea of VAG DSG gearboxes. Or diesel DMF/PF's.

I was never keen on Merc build quality (once aged) and a breakdown guy I talked to put me off French/Italian amd BMW's (whose engines, he said, were made of chocolate)

"Honda and Toyota call outs" said breakdown fellow "are either a flat tyre or a flat battery"

With 2nd hand prices in Ireland having rocketed up since Brexit (we used to import 100K 2nd hand cars a year from the UK) reliability was a prime consideration.

Luxury + reliability. A narrow field of 1 so. The IS

I really like it. Even the auto has won me over, given most miles aren't trying to get from A to B in a time trial. Very relaxing (and encouraging relaxed driving) and a cabin which wraps around you nicely. The CVT is fine - much written about in the negative but when you come from a manual, a lot less work.

Great 'oomph' from the off: nipping into a tight space off a roundabout or needing to get away from lights when folk beep because you've been picking out a song on the phone.

The build quality is premium (although p-leather seats are a bit cheap looking but comfortable. The boot lid feels like Kia-quality: flies open its so light amd closes with a clang!

Its a great looking car (I like a bit of aesthetics) much nicer than its German counterparts. Its also rare enough: you'd see 30 A4's before you'd see another IS. Its only when you stand back you realise the German stuff is as common as muck.

So: reliability, classy looks, well equipped and decent performance and economy (without the rattle of a diesel)

A winner. Indeed, a no brainer.

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