"I need my space" takes on a very different connotation when you decide to start a family.
In fact it's a particularly hard one to stomach for those addicted to performance cars, which are often decidedly impractical.
Thankfully there are still cars like the Audi RS4 Avant, and its tamer S4 sister, both of which are about to hit South Africa's streets.
Let's get the boring bits out the way first. Here you're getting estate practicality with five doors and lots of space for passengers, prams and the like thanks to 490 litres of luggage space being available - or 1430 litres if you decide to fold the rear seats down.
CHOOSE YOUR POISON
The S4 Avant, available to order now for R637 000, is powered by a 2995cc 3-litre supercharged V6 engine that's credited with 245kW and 440Nm. Shoving this urge to all four wheels via quattro and Audi's seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch automated gearbox, the S4 is said to be capable of getting from standstill to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds.
Under normal conditions the quattro system sends 40 percent of the power to the front wheels and the rest to the back, to create a slightly rear-biased characteristic, but it can also vary the power split where necessary. A set of 19-inch 'Rotor' alloy wheels also aid grip, while numerous modifications give both the exterior and interior a sportier personality.
HIGH-REVVING V8
If a purely hardcore wagon is what you're after then it has to be the RS4 Avant, endowed with Audi's high-revving normally aspirated V8 that pushes 331kW and 430Nm, also through all wheels via the seven-speed S tronic. At the coast you can expect a 0-100 of 4.7 seconds. In both cases, the top speed nanny clips your claws at 250km/h.
The cost? That, says Audi, will be revealed closer to its official launch date in February 2013, but the standard kit sheet has just been released.
The RS4 Avant is equipped with Audi Drive Select (with comfort, auto and dynamic modes), xenon plus headlights, MMI Navigation Plus, electrically operated tailgate, Audi Parking System Plus, 19-inch alloy wheels and an aluminium matt finish on the window surrounds, mirrors and roof rails.