| Week at the Wheel | Audi A3 1.4T |

Inside & Out:

Audi has a knack of making its cars look similar while still giving each range its own distinctive style. The A3 could so easily be the dumpy hatch version of the A4 saloon, but in three-door form the A3 still manages to give off an air of sophistication missing in most of its rivals. Then again, so it should, considering it costs more than most small hatches.

It's the same story inside. The A3 shares a lot of familiar buttons, dials and switches with other Audi models, yet there's still something unique about the ambience of the A3, and we don't just mean the tip-forward front seats that give access to the reasonably sized rear pews in the three-door test model either. Quality of construction is something else the A3 shares with other Audis and our only complaint here is that we found the centre tunnel shoved its way into our left legs when not using the clutch. A 350-litre boot is good for the class, if not cavernous, and can be extended to 1,080 litres by dropping the rear seats, though they do not fold to leave a completely flat load floor. However, we suspect A3 buyers will not rate outright practicality as highly on their wish list as some other small hatch buyers.

Engine & Transmission:

You've got to love a trier and the turbocharged 1.4-litre engine in the A3 tries more than most to please. A 101bhp 1.6-litre normally aspirated petrol engine may be the starting point for the A3 range in power and price, but this little 1.4 turbo is where any sensible buyer will begin their search. In the SE spec we tried it, the 1.4 T is not even as expensive as some of the tardier 1.6 versions, which makes us wonder why Audi persists with the dowdy 1.6 other than to advertise a temptingly low starting price for the A3 range.

Never mind, it's the 1.4 turbo we're testing here and it gives a good account of 0-62mph, taking 9.4 seconds and heading on to a 126mph top speed. Okay, those figures are not going to bother any self-respecting hot hatch, but the A3 1.4 T feels zesty enough to be fun and, despite its small cubic capacity, there's more than enough strength in the mid-range for it pull clean and hard from low revs. This is down to the 148lb.ft of torque available from 1,500- to 4,000rpm, or exactly the rev band where you're most likely to spend most of your driving time. The six-speed manual gearbox has a light gearshift action too, along with a clutch that demands little from your left leg muscles.

Ride & Handling:

With such a keen little engine burning under the bonnet, it didn't take us long to head for some favourite back roads to make the most of the engine's peppy nature. Unfortunately, the engine's ability had raised our expectations beyond the point where the chassis could match up. There's decent grip from the driven front wheels and the A3 soldiers through corners with a determination to get to the other side, but it doesn't have the deportment found in several of its mainstream rival and nothing like the verve of a BMW 1 Series or MINI Cooper. Power steering with little in the way of feel further hinders the connection between driver and machine, though it should be stated that the A3 is nothing if not competent. It's just it's not in the least bit exciting either.

In SE trim, the suspension copes with most British roads in an equally competent but unexciting fashion, keeping corner lean in check while filtering out most disturbances efficiently. The only real star of the driving experience is, again, the 1.4 turbo engine. It's quiet when cruising, has just a hint of sporty, rorty exhaust noise when worked hard and pulls well out of corners.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:

The Audi badge carries a huge amount of cachet and the A3 is no exception to this. Many buyers will view it as a cut above the small hatch herd, but we have our reservations. Yes, it's very well put together, but so are a great many more mainstream rivals. The A3 1.4 T may also have an engine that turns in 49.6mpg average economy and 132g/km, but these figures are merely good rather than exceptional in this market now.

For the £17,515 Audi asks for the A3 1.4 T SE in three-door form, the customer receives air conditioning (though not the climate control of some of the competition), electric windows and a CD stereo, plus alloy wheels. There's also ESP traction control and six airbags, but the likes of cruise control, metallic paint and rear parking sensors remain on the options list. Still, one benefit of the Audi badge is that the A3 will hang on to its value in the used market more graciously than most of the competition.

Overall:

We're fans of the 1.4-litre turbo engine, in case you hadn't guessed. It makes the Audi A3 more fun to drive than the cheaper 1.6-litre versions. However, it doesn't do enough to elevate the A3 to more than a three-star rating overall, which is more down to the cost of the car, running costs and only a so-so spread of standard equipment. If you're not concerned about the badge on the bonnet, we'd recommend looking elsewhere, but if it's an A3 you're after, then the 1.4 T model comes with our blessing.