What car has SWMBO chosen?

Audi A3

Something sitty uppy? They all seem to want sitty uppy at the moment. Juke maybe?

Heated front seats puts us into more 'premium' territory, I suspect. A BMW 116i would work for four if they only had little legs. Not sure a new one would come under £20,000, but perhaps mine isn't the only BMW salesman brandishing the pencil sharpener this month.

Thanks for being interested enough to have a guess! Dixinormus got closest, as we'd gone looking for an A3. In fact it's an A1. 5-door A1 Sport 1.4 TFSI to be precise.

We were looking around and getting together a shortlist with a view to changing around March. Poole Audi (much keener to sell than Yeovil Audi) have a special stock-shifting offer on at the moment, and we thought we'd go and look at an A3. SWMBO fancied a little more space than there is in her Mini, so we'd thought that the A1 would be too cramped.

Not at all: she found the seat suited her better than the A3 and even the higher-up Q2 (and the Q2 being a new model isn't being discounted). And to drive it was exactly what we want - much nippier from low revs than the Mini and what seems like a good balance between ride and handling. It's in stock somewhere in the UK so delivery should be weeks rather than months as for a factory order, which we wouldn't have minded.

Because we were both so happy with the A1, we went for it before trying too many others. But we thought seriously about:

VW Polo - would be a 1.2 and the PCP deals would cost as much if not more than for the A1 (probably because A1s hold their value better); and I have a rooted objection to VW's stingy one-year breakdown cover when Audi, SEAT and Skoda all offer three.

VW Up - the new 89 bhp turbo version, but I asked two dealers to let me know when a demonstrator was available but neither has.

Renault Captur - new 1.2 manual - same lack of response from two dealers. Maybe it really isn't in yet. We tried a 1.5 diesel: great driving position but not a ball of fire. Some very tacky trim inside.

Mini Clubman - a bit big and definitely too expensive - and after six Minis SWMBO is ready for a change!

SEAT Leon - smaller than the A3 and I think we'd have liked it, but we didn't get round to testing one. Same applies to the Fiesta 1.0, but residual values and rumours about problems with this engine are against it.

The A1 ticked the boxes and then some - so we feel fairly confident we've got it right. 'Sitty-uppy' was tempting, especially as we're getting older: but what is there that's small, sitty-uppy and yet fun to drive? If we hadn't seized on the A1 we might have looked at the Suzuki Vitara 1.4S and the Ford B-Max.  

Edit - we didn't try any Peugeots or Citroens: although HJ speaks highly of the 1.2 petrol engine, I'm not prepared to buy any car which makes you fiddle with a touchscreen to change the temperature inside the car. Dangerous.  And the DS4 has a pointed shape to its rear doors that could take a child's eye out.

You'd have probably liked the A3 to drive if you'd tried it. The 1.4TFSI engine is very good in my opinion. I'd not go for a 1.6TDI instead. It's not as economical but very flexible. In an A1 it will be even better I'd have thought, smaller car etc.

I don't think a Leon is much smaller than an A3.... 2 inches. If you're talking 5 door layout for both (Leon = 4263mm and A3 = 4313mm). Same wheelbase too. I had a brief drive of a Leon FR and then an A3 and the latter was much nicer inside and to look at.

WDB, your comments apply very well to SEATs in general, at last up to recently. Very little brand image, and they haven't sold well.

But the current model Leon seems to be changing that. I think I read recently that SEAT has made a profit for the first time in ages, and the new Ateca has been very well reviewed. People seem to like the look of the Leon (hatch and ST estate)and are buying it - maybe to be a bit different from ubiquitous VWs and Skodas.