When you've finished hauling groceries, when the kids are all delivered to their various sports practices, and when the dog is getting his teeth cleaned at the vet, you can indulge your inner speed demon, slam on the gas, and go rocketing down the highway in thrilling abandon in......your station wagon? Yes, if it's an Audi S6 Avant wagon, the souped-up version of the Audi A6. The 2003 S6 looks like a practical family car, but acts more like a growling sports car, giving some comfort and joy to those parents lamenting their lost youth.

There were few changes to the 2003 Audi S6. It is powered by the same engine in the A8, a 4.2-liter, 40-valve V8, but is retuned to get 335-hp. Only offered with a 5-speed Tiptronic with Sport mode (no manual is available), it comes standard with the all-weather, all-road, all-wheel drive quattro technology. Opening the wagon up will get you 0-60 in under 6 seconds, according to Audi. An aluminum suspension that is 20 mm lower than the regular A6 Avant, with stronger shocks and larger sway bars, optimize sports handling and cornering around back road curves.

Speed and power are the highlights of the 2003 S6 for its owners. They love the smooth powertrain performance, the way the S6 stays glued to the road, and the quattro excellence in snow and offroad. The combination of sports power with practical utility is a big attraction for parents. And the S6 hides all this potential in a high-end, stylish exterior. Drawbacks include lousy mileage, an out-of-date navigation system, and the lack of a manual transmission to get the full feel of the S6 on the open road. Unhelpful and unfriendly Audi dealers are often mentioned.