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The problem with station wagons has been well documented: ugly, cumbersome machines to which you were sentenced when the family came along or the spouse came home with two Great Danes.

The problem with Audi also has been well documented: a German automaker that came under fire in the ’80s because some of its cars tended to accelerate on their own.

Audi escaped disaster when the government concluded that the cars accelerated because folks applied foot to gas rather than brake, which may sound silly, but if you ever saw how close the Audi gas pedal was to the brake pedal in the ’80s, you’d buy the argument.

In the midst of sudden acceleration charges, Audi dealers couldn’t give cars away. Time to pack up and leave, except that Audi chose to upgrade and stay.

Now, the only thing accelerating on its own at Audi is sales. As fast as the workers build them, the accountants tally them. Sales through Oct. 20 have topped the 34,160 that were sold in all of 1997.

The reason for Audi’s strong comeback is that it replaced all its old machines with new ones that start with the letter A: the compact A4, mid-size A6 and full-size A8.

People started taking notice when the Audi A6 arrived for the 1995 model year to replace the Audi 100/200 models. But when the A4 replaced the 80/90 models in the 1996 model year, Audi sales took off. The A4 proved the switch to the A models wasn’t a fluke; that Audi had gotten its act together.

Whereas the old cars had been a bit tinny, the new ones proved solid. The old ones were a bit short on power, the new ones had muscle. The old ones floated and wobbled on the road, the new ones sat still. The old ones relied on a statue of St. Christopher to keep occupants safe, the new ones had the latest technology: all-wheel-drive, anti-lock brakes and standard front/side and optional rear-seat air bags.

So Audi settled its debts and is square with the world again. To capitalize on its new-found warm-and-fuzzy image, it brings out a new vehicle for its 1999 A6 lineup, whose sales are up 98 percent from a year ago.

A hot performance sedan? Nope, a station wagon: the 1999 Audi 2.8 A6 Avant Quattro.

When sport-utility vehicles and mini-vans have all but erased wagons from the earth, Audi throws caution, and apparently its gray matter, to the wind.

But, if Audi could survive sudden-acceleration charges, government investigation and public examination, what the heck. Why not a wagon rather than an SUV or mini-van?

For starters, the A6 Avant we tested comes with all-wheel-drive as standard yet better fuel economy than most SUVs outside a mini Chevrolet Tracker. And it has as much if not more people and storage room as a mini-van plus every amenity you can think of, only without slide-open side doors.

The Audi 2.8 A6 Avant Wagon Quattro is a mouthful. The 2.8 refers to the 2.8-liter, 200-horsepower, dual overhead cam V-6, a quiet yet peppy perf ormer that delivers a respectable 17 miles per gallon city/26 m.p.g. highway. If 17 were to read 18, or better, 20 m.p.g., “respectable” would become “most pleasant.” But such is the plight of an all-wheel-drive machine.

The V-6 is teamed with a 5-speed automatic with Tiptronic, which means you can tap the shift lever to move through the gears without a clutch.

The A6 designation refers to the fact that the wagon is a midsize 6-cylinder machine, a size above the A4, with its base 4-cylinder (V-6 optional), a size below the V-8 A8. Avant has a spacious cabin for people and their things.

Quattro refers to the fact all four wheels are working all the time, a feature usually found in sport-utes and trucks and a smattering of vans.

Avant refers to the fact that this is a wagon without having to use the word with stigma, though even without the fancy name the design staff deserves credit for coming up with a car that forces you to look twice to make sure it’s a wagon and not a sedan with a slightly taller roof line.

Avant has large windows front to back and your eye tends to focus on the glass, rather than on the telltale luggage rack.

Wagons traditionally were unsightly because the automaker designed a sedan and then bolted a cargo compartment on back as an afterthought. Avant is designed as one vehicle, front to rear.

A host of noteworthy features set Avant apart from a traditional wagon, such as very good mastery of the road without lumbering and stumbling.

While 15-inch, all-season radial tires come as standard, our test car had the optional wider footprint 16-inch radials ($225) that do an even better job of gripping the road, a job made easier, of course, by the all-wheel-drive.

Quattro means secure handling and control in any weather. Go-where-you-point confidence–and safety.

There are a host of added Avant touches, such as power heated leather seats; covered pouches in the doors to keep road maps out of sight; a covered coinholder in the dash, along with a pop-out cupholder; a wide-open hatch lid with low liftover height; and one of the few cargo nets in the industry that serves a purpose.

Rather than stand upright to keep contents from shifting, the net lays on top of packages to keep them in place. Four metal hooks lie flat in the floor. Put packages down, raise the hooks, attach the net and the items won’t shake, rattle or roll all over.

Also, roof-mounted grab handles above each door aid entry or exit; coat hooks that pull from the ceiling to get dry cleaning home without wrinkling; rear seat backs that fold flat for more storage; when not folded, the rear seat offers ample leg, head and arm room for passengers; a driver message center with outside temperature/fuel-economy readings; and “puddle lights” in the lower doors so you don’t step ankle deep into water when you exit at night.

There’s also a pull-down rear shade for the hatch-lid window, a first-aid kit in the rear seat center armrest and a power plug for accessories in the cargo area along with a variety of compartments to hide accessories. Cargo-hold mats are removable so you can use them as ground cover if you need to change a flat tire.

That’s not all.

A neat option is the availability of a third seat that faces the rear and is removable in back. You can order that option from the factory ($700) or wait until the family grows and have the dealer install it ($1,000). Avant comes from the factory with two seat-belt holders in the rear floor to accommodate that third seat. Those removable rear floor mats cover up the seat-belt holders if you don’t get, or don’t use, the third bench seat.

If you opt for a $1,500 convenience package, you get a power tilt/slide glass sunroof, memory driver’s seat/mirrors and automatic dimming inside/outside mirrors.

If you choose an $800 summer package, you get a fixed solar glass roof panel rather than sunroof plus pull-out rear and side window shades. The solar p anel comes with sensors that activate the engine fan to circulate ambient air in the cabin to cool it down when the vehicle is parked in the sun.

Seems like Audi thought of everything, except loading the cupholders and filling the coin holder.

Actually, Audi did miss on a few items, one strangely being the small power sideview mirrors. No reason to go petite when it comes to side and rear vision.

And when activated, the lumbar seat support is designed strictly for those to whom comfort means sitting on a leather-covered chair filled with tennis balls.

And you shouldn’t have to fiddle for five minutes to power the seat down for those who choose not to drive with the steering column in their lap.

Base price is $36,600, making it a rival to the Mercedes-Benz C-Class or Lexus ES300. Standard equipment, in addition to that noted, includes speed-sensitive power steering, dual-zone climate control, power windows, tilt and telescoping steering column, remote keyless entry a nd AM/FM stereo with cassette.

Avant is for folks who have everything, but don’t want to carry it in a yacht-size SUV that gulps gas or a mini-van that takes up most of the garage and is difficult to slither into a narrow parking space.

>> 1999 Audi A6 Avant Quattro
© 1998 Chicago Tribune Wheelbase: 108.6 inches Length: 192 inches Engine: 2.8-liter, 200-h.p. V-6 Transmission: 5-speed automatic with Tiptronic Fuel economy: 17 m.p.g. city/26 m.p.g. highway Base price: $36,600 Price as tested: $39,875. Includes $1,550 for leather seats; $1,500 for convenience package with glass sunroof, memory seats/mirrors, auto dimming inside/outside mirrors; and $225 for wider-profile, 16-inch, all-season radial tires. Add $500 for freight. Pluses: Go anywhere, anytime all-wheel-drive just like an SUV. Peppy V-6. Host of safety features. Acts like a wagon without looking like one. Minuses: Why such small mirrors? Why lumbar support? Why not a couple more m.p.g. in city mileage? Why more than $40,000 to take one home? >>