The Audi A1 undeniably turns heads and divides opinions. Sadly for me, I discovered this at the kind of social event where you really want to blend into the background: a funeral.
Worse than that, I was giving a lift to some of the family, who really needed a stress-free, quiet journey. I thought an Audi would be ideal – not an unreasonable assumption?
But Audi's start-stop technology has been engineered by fans of 1960s movies where all cars make a, ‘eek,eek,eek,click,clunk,grrrrRRR...’ noise when they start. BMW’s start-stop gives a little shake when it comes alive again, but it doesn’t make anything like the racket of Audi’s technology. And it really did notice. At first it was amusing, but then it just became irritating. On a long daily city commute it would drive you nuts. Once I turned the auto start-top off however, the A1 only just acquitted itself.
Which is odd, because the City should really be where the A1 excels. But it’s not. On the motorway it is quiet and stable. On country roads it is poised and has a lovely steering feel (neither too heavy nor too light). These were the arenas in which the A1 showed its credentials as a serious Mini rival.
That and in the style stakes. While it divides opinion, with some saying it looks a bit squashed and ugly, on balance, people who want a Mini, but want to be different to all the other Mini drivers, are going to find the A1 (in the right spec) hard to resist.
Assuming that is, that they don’t spend a lot of time commuting through congested cities. Not only is there the noisy starter motor, but the gearing is wrong for cities on the 1.6 TDi. Once out of a queue, you and your fellow rat racers will travel at 18-22 mph until the next set of lights, which is a speed that falls between 2nd and 3rd gears. You are either on the edge of stalling or revving the car’s natural refinement away.
So it has to be one of the small petrol TFSi engines that you go for, which is fine if you don’t live 15 miles outside the city you commute into, or travel a lot at the weekend. The diesel has 15 mpg advantage on the small petrols and for some that’s going to be a key decision point.
As will the colour schemes. In brilliant white with gun metal alloys, the A1 can mix it with a Mini Cooper. It’s just a little bit flash and compels people to compliment or tease you about it. This is what you want if you spend £15,000- £20,000 on a small car. Again, except at a funeral.
What’s the market like?
There are more Audi A1s on the market than you might expect for a new premium brand – but there are still five times more Minis to choose from. As a result, the A1 looks like it is holding its price well.
And it is. A one year old with 5,000 miles will have lost practically nothing. It will have extras – usually- not on the base price, so you are getting those free, but there are no exciting savings to made like there are with Minis.
What else does this budget buy?
A Mini is the only really credible rival because the Fiat 500 is too badly made and overpriced. Sadly for those who really want an A1, the Mini is up to £3,000 cheaper when comparing one year old diesels. If you want petrol – and I would – the difference is only £17,500. But still, it’s the wrong way around – the slightly less competent Audi needs to be cheaper to swing sales in its favour.
Summary
At last, a credible rival to the Mini. Not as pretty outside, or as much fun inside. But that will be why people buy it.