Suggest a car for me?

[skuali66]

I've had the same car (corsa) for a decade, time for an upgrade.

My commute is variable - from 20-75mins each way. Generally just me in the car. Occasional longer trips (100mile each way to visit family/friends).

Thoughts on Audi A3 & BMW 1 series?
Other ideas?

I like the idea of heated seats and assistance with parking.

@AgeLikeWine

The A3 is getting on a bit now, but the current Golf & 1 Series are brand new and come with all the latest tech. The Mercedes A class is also quite new. Most pundits seem to agree that the Golf is probably the pick of the bunch, if you can find one in your budget.

In normal circumstances, I would suggest booking some test drives so you can make up your own mind on which car you prefer, but that may not work at the moment.

I thought the A3 was the newest, was told it only came out last month?

Smart ForFour is great fun to drive and you could probably get a 3 year old Brabus for a good price at the moment. I had an A Class Merc & loved it, but I’m perfectly happy with my Smart car now.

Personally I'd look at the Merc A class or one of the "bigger" minis Countryman/Paceman (its a BMW after all).

It's not just about the badge - it's also about the ergonomics and interior quality.

I find the Audi A3 a bit bland looking and same with the BMW 1 series - but there's no doubt they are quality cars and the aesthetics are just personal opinion.

We've had a mini and it was great - and DM loves her A class and (having driven it) agree it's a lovely car to both be in and drive.

All of them are good cars and I don't think you'd go far wrong with any of them - just depends on what deal you can get and ultimately what you're most drawn to.

Audi A3 was bitterly disappointed, BMW 1 series was a much much nicer drive. Agree Merc A class sounds lovely

I find the Audi A3 a bit bland looking and same with the BMW 1 series - but there's no doubt they are quality cars and the aesthetics are just personal opinion.

BMW, Audi and MB all come lower than 30 out of 40 manufacturers for reliability so take from that what you will. There’s no doubt they use good quality materials in the interior, as for the rest of the car I’m not so sure. They appeal to buyers who think a bit of soft touch plastic makes them well built. They’re triumphs of marketing and should be applauded for that.

Also Lexus is a more expensive kind of Toyota x

Nothing wrong paying a bit more for a Toyota with a extra refinement. Both are excellent cars.

@Elai1978

I find the Audi A3 a bit bland looking and same with the BMW 1 series - but there's no doubt they are quality cars and the aesthetics are just personal opinion.

BMW, Audi and MB all come lower than 30 out of 40 manufacturers for reliability so take from that what you will. There’s no doubt they use good quality materials in the interior, as for the rest of the car I’m not so sure. They appeal to buyers who think a bit of soft touch plastic makes them well built. They’re triumphs of marketing and should be applauded for that.

According to which survey?

I've just done a quick google of 4 reliability surveys and found a massive disparity in the manufacturer rankings - certainly with very different results to those you are quoting for the manufacturers involved.

Without knowing how the stats were collated it's difficult to know the reliability of the data.

I love my Ford Fiesta!! Heated seats and all

According to which survey?

From a warranty company with 50k live polices and paying millions in repair costs. Their business relies on this data being accurate so no survey necessary.