Audi A3 Cabriolet

Introduction

Introduced back in 2008, the A3 Cabriolet effectively created its own class of compact executive cabriolets but nowadays it rivals the BMW 2 Series Convertible as well as other less premium models.

The 2nd generation of 2014 had very little aesthetic upgrades but went on a diet, losing some 50 kg. Very slight adjustments were made to the dimensions, although its footprint grew and height shrunk slightly.

Powertrain

Being such a stylish car, there are plenty of petrol options to give it some pace. The entry-level 1.4 TFSI produces an impressive 150 horsepower and 250 Nm, but thanks to its cylinder-on-demand technology it's able to reach 55 mpg (give or take) in both the 6-speed manual and 7-speed S tronic automatic models.

The top-of-the-range variant combines the 180 hp and 280 Nm of the 1.8 TFSI engine with quattro all-wheel-drive in order to give it a 0-62 mph time of 7.6 seconds. It will struggle to reach 40 mpg though. It's only available with a 6-speed S tronic automatic transmission.

But welcome to the 21st century where diesel power is our favoured fuel, in the name of economy and efficiency. Kicking off the range is a 1.6 TDI - 110 hp and 250 Nm, yet nearly 70 mpg.

The 2.0-litre TDI comes in many forms, producing 150 and 184 hp combined with 240 and 380 Nm. All get to 62 mph in less than 9 seconds and will do 55-65 mpg.

There are no cars that emit less than 100 g/km of CO2, so no tax-free motoring here!

My pick of the bunch would be the 150 hp variant of the 2.0 TDI as it has adequate power for overtaking but is a sensible cruiser and economy figures are admirable.

There's even a hot S3 Cabriolet with 300 hp and 380 Nm coming from a 2.0 TFSI. Power is driven through a quattro system and 62 mph is reached in a respectable 5.4 seconds. It goes on to 155 mph but still claims to achieve near 40 mpg, although 30 mpg is a more realistic figure.

In-Cabin Experience

Being part of the A3 family, the dash is more or less lifted from the A3 hatchback which is no bad thing. The minimalist design and pop-up infotainment screen are highly desirable, but it's practical to use. I'm not a fan of the cruise control stalk - it's a bit awkward to reach below the wheel. The electronic handbrake and roof operation switch work well together and are within quick access.

There is a 320-litre boot which shrinks to 287 litres with the roof stored, but you can uncover 678 litres upon folding down the seats. The quattro models lose some boot space due to the complex mechanics that take up space around the rear wheels.

Equipment and Options

There are 3 trim lines plus a unique S3 model, but despite this all models are well-equipped. Every single model comes with an electronic parking brake with auto release function, alloy wheels, a 5.8-inch infotainment display, Bluetooth, DAB radio and air conditioning.

If you climb up the trim levels, you can enjoy features such as the sports suspension, front sports seats and dual-zone climate control of Sport, or the 18-inch alloys, xenon headlights and S bodystyling of the S line.

The S3 gets the mandatory aggressive styling, giant 19-inch alloys and Nappa leather upholstery.

There is a total of 11 alloy wheel designs from 16 to 19 inches, 6 inlay finishes, 16 body colours and 3 roof colours (black, grey and brown) although you can have literally any body colour you want for over £2,000.

The £690 Comfort package adds cruise control, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, rear parking sensors and a wind deflector. You could alternatively change your headlights to xenon or LED for £1,100 or £1,850, although the Technology package for £1,495 makes more sense. It adds satellite navigation, a 7-inch display and a 10GB hard drive. The necessary Bang & Olufsen sound system is £750 and brings with it 13 speakers through a 5.1 output. Keyless entry and go comes in at £425 and is essential.

Safety

All cars come with an active roll-over prevention system, an electronically locking differential and an adaptive brake light which flashes under the circumstances of an emergency stop, with the hazards coming on at the end of the braking.

The A3 hatchback on which the Cabriolet is based achieved a full 5-star rating in its Euro NCAP testing.

Rivals

As we've already touched upon, the new BMW 2 Series Convertible is Audi's main cause for concern. It's just £200 more expensive and is much more appealing for drivers seeking rear-wheel-drive thrill. It's offered with 3 states of tune for the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder diesel unit (218d, 220d and 225d) as well as 2 petrols, the 1.5-litre 3-cylinder 218i and the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder 220i and 228i. There's even a 326 horsepower 3-litre straight-six M235i (which is 0.2 s faster than the S3 to 62 mph). It doesn't end there! Within the past week the 370 hp BMW M2 has been released! Could this mean an M2 Convertible any time soon?

Entering back into the accessible market, Volkswagen's Golf Cabriolet is almost £4,000 cheaper. Something a bit different, though, would be the Vauxhall Cascada which costs some £1,500 less.

My Car

If I were to buy an A3 Cabriolet, I wouldn't be able to help myself but go crazy on the options list! All I need now is £38k!

Audi A3 Cabriolet Configuration

Mercedes B-Class

Introduction

If you’re in the market for a 5-seat MPV, you’re spoiled for choice. But narrow that search down to premium brands and you only have 2 options. The brand new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer or today’s car for discussion, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class.

Introduced back in mid-2005, the B-Class was essentially the first premium MPV and at the time looked like a big A-Class and a small R-Class before they all parted ways. In late 2011 the 2^nd generation B-Class was released bearing a complete redesign. Late last year the 2^nd generation B-Class received its first major facelift which brought new bumpers, additional chrome detailing and, for the first time, integrated DRLs (daytime running lights). Optional equipment like keyless go, full LED headlights and the option for a larger infotainment display were also added. The pricetag was refreshed too, costing just under £22,000.

Powertrain

If you still favour petrol power you have 2 options, both utilising a 1.6-litre unit. The B200 is what stands out the most with adequate acceleration and running costs not too dissimilar from the B180. Saying that, with 34 less horsepower and 50 less Newton metres of torque, the B180 doesn’t ask to be driven as heavy-footedly and therefore is more likely to obtain an mpg figure closer to what Mercedes claims.

Step over to diesel and you’ll be greeted with the entry-level 1.5-litre B180d. It’s the least powerful in the whole line-up with only 109 horsepower, but is said to achieve 70.6 mpg however a figure closer to 55 would reflect real-world driving better. All other diesels use a 2.1-litre engine. The B200d offers a 9.4 second 0-62 mph sprint time yet returns 67.3 mpg, but the more potent 177 horsepower B220d uses 350 Newton metres of torque to achieve exactly the same economy figure. It’s also available as a 4MATIC four-wheel-drive variant, but who needs this on a family MPV? And who would be willing to see a drop in mpg by 10.8 in favour of more grip?

All cars apart from the B220d and B220d 4MATIC are available with Mercedes’ 7G-DCT 7-speed automatic transmission but are specced as standard with a 6-speed manual, whereas the aforementioned models are available solely with the 7G-DCT.

My pick of the bunch would be the B200d with more than enough power for cruising and running costs that won’t break the bank.

Additionally, there’s a B-Class Electric Drive, which as the name suggests is an EV (electric vehicle). With a range of 124 miles and a 0-62 mph time of 7.9 s and the capability of going on to a top speed of 99.5 mph. It produces 180 horsepower and 340 Newton metres but is treated as a different car rather than an engine choice. It costs just over £32,000.

In-Cabin Experience

It’s easy enough for the driver to get comfortable behind the wheel and all-round visibility is great making town manoeuvres such a parking a lot easier. The soft suspension works wonders in city driving but can feel a bit flimsy out on the motorway, but this can be forgiven as there’s very little wind and road noise.

The 486-litre boot is as useable as it sounds thanks to a low load lip and a wide opening. If you fold down the 60:40 split folding rear seats you have 1,545 litres to play around with as you wish. Being such a tall vehicle it’s easy to carry awkwardly shaped and taller items.

My main issue is the centre console layout. The heating controls and awkwardly placed towards the bottom and certain buttons are hard to press due to their size and shape, meaning that you’ll have to familiarise yourself with the layout so as not to need to take your eyes off the road when driving.

Equipment and Options

Standard equipment across the range is very generous as you would expect from a Mercedes. All cars have a space saving electronic parking break and the automatic models favour a column change setup as opposed to a traditional stick.

Outside, alloy wheels, body coloured door handles, mirrors and bumpers are always present showing no sign of cost cutting, and automatic headlights and a reversing camera further entice potential buyers to the technological world of Mercedes.

The heated windscreen washer system sounds cool but would rarely be appreciated by the driver, but the automatically activated rear windscreen wiper when the car is in reverse is certainly a helpful feature.

Entry-level SE has 16-inch alloys, halogen headlights, a 7-inch infotainment display, THERMATIC air conditioning and a 12-button multifunction leather steering wheel.

Mid-range Sport ups the alloys to 17 inches and the infotainment display to 8 inches and also upgrades to a THERMATRONIC luxury automatic climate control which in turn lessens the effect of the awkwardly placed controls. DYNAMIC SELECT is also standard with ECO, Comfort, Sport and Individual modes, and the windscreen wipers become automatic.

Top-of-the-range AMG Line has 18-inch alloys, the necessary AMG bodystyling, carbon fibre and aluminium trim and sports steering. It’s also lowered by 20 mm at the front and 15 mm at the rear.

The Executive package, welcomingly priced at £995, adds heated front seats, PARKTRONIC Active Parking Assist and Garmin MAP PILOT satellite navigation (which is £495 alone).

If you’re after a high-end sound system, the Harman Kardon Logic 7 costs £680, and you can even specify Apple CarPlay for £250.

Safety

As it’s a family MPV, child safety is of upmost importance. That’s why there’s an automatic child seat recognition sensor and ISOFIX fittings on the two outermost rear seats. Among the plethora of acronyms are some standout features like COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS, adaptive Brake Assist with Hill Start Assist and speed-sensitive automatic door locking.

It may come as no surprise then, that the B-Class was awarded a full 5-star rating the its Euro NCAP test and was a class leader in 2011. Other cars worth considering though is the 2014’s class leader, the VW Golf SV, 2013’s Kia Carens, 2012’s Ford B-Max and Fiat 500L and 2010’s Toyota Verso.

But if you do have any doubt in the back of your mind when driving the B-Class, you can always rely on the 3-year unlimited-mileage warranty.

Rivals

As we’ve already discussed, the BMW 2 Series active Tourer is the B-Class’ main competitor. With an economical range of 3- and 4-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, it’s able to compete strongly against Mercedes. The top-end 220d and 225i are even available with xDrive all-wheel-drive if that’s your thing. The BMW does come at a £1,185 premium though.

If the desirable badge isn’t of great importance to you but you still like the German way of doing thigs, Volkswagen’s Golf SV is £2,620 cheaper and uses technology that is just as impressive.

The Renault Scenic (£2,460 cheaper than the B-Class) and Citroën C4 Picasso (£3,555 cheaper) are equally as good at doing what they’re designed to do, but do not hold the title of luxury meaning they will not hold on to their value as well.

My Car

Here is how I would spec my Mercedes-Benz B-Class:

Mercedes B-Class Configuration

What's the deal with VW? What do I do?

Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (VAG) has already set aside €6.5 billion in order to deal with the major dieselgate uproar and its 11 million affected cars, but what does this mean for both VAG and us, the consumer?

The Bosch-developed defeat device was used in the EA 189 EU5-compliant diesel engines. This means the gadget activates under test conditions and temporarily cuts fuel emission figures so they do not reflect those of the real world - this explains how it has not been picked up in MOT tests.

Cars fitted with the software are perfectly safe to drive and do not cause any reason for concern, therefore they can continue to be driven. Despite this, it is thought that in the long run VW, Audi, Skoda and Seat could recall affected vehicles for an engine re-map or a software update.

Audi has a Germany-only website where owners can input their car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to check whether the engine implies the manipulative apparatus. It’ll be a worldwide feature in the coming weeks. Good news (well, let’s step back and look at the situation, it’s not great news!) if you own a Volkswagen, their VIN checker is up and running here.

It’s important to note that V6 and V8 TDI engines are not part of the scandal, and as a result VAG-owned Porsche has come out unscathed. The recent EU6-compliant engines are free from cheating devices too.

Over the pond, VW USA has removed most TDI (diesel) engines from its website hinting that the repair time could be a lot longer than anticipated.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), PSA (Peugeot and Citroën), BMW, Daimler (Mercedes-Benz and Smart), Ford, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Renault-Nissan have all stated that their engines comply with regulations, and FCA even proudly announced that it fully supports the EU’s efforts and works along side it so that its figures more accurately reflect real-world figures.

For VAG on the other hand, Australia could fine the German automobile empire millions of dollars after the chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) claimed that the device is prohibited and that environmental claims such as CO2 emissions affect consumers and on that account can mislead buyers.

Authorities in Switzerland have also placed a ban on select diesel cars from the VW group which utilise the 1.2, 1.6 and 2.0 TDI engines.

Credit Suisse estimates that it could cost the company up to €78 billion, although more conservative estimates place it at around €23 billion.

To further complicate matters, VAG recently announced that it’s unsure whether European-spec cars even used the defeat device in the first place!

Nevertheless, if you own any of the following cars, it’s worth doing some investigating.

Volkswagen

• Beetle
• CC
• Eos
• Golf
• Jetta
• Passat
• Scirocco
• Sharan
• Tiguan
• Touran

Audi

• A1
• A3
• A4
• A5
• A6
• Q3
• Q5
• TT

Škoda

• Octavia
• Superb
• Yeti

SEAT

• Alhambra
• Altea
• Exeo
• Leon