Prices from £6000 Our pick 1.5 TFSI 150 Sport
Imagine being told that luxury ice cream and Belgian chocolate are good for you. Done that? Good. Now you’re ready to hear that this aspirational premium family car is the best used hatchback you can buy.
Like the latest model, the previous-generation Audi A3 Sportback offers something for everyone. Want an economical engine? Thanks to its clever cylinder deactivation tech, our favourite 1.5-litre petrol engine (available from 2017) officially uses less fuel than even a 1.0-litre Ford Focus. Or are you looking for a comfortable long-distance companion? Well, the A3 does a fine job of insulating you from the outside world, and our preferred Sport trim gives you stacks of driver’s seat adjustment, including extendable under-thigh support – rare in this class.
The A3 scores highly on driver appeal, too. Its steering is accurate and almost perfectly weighted, and its exceptional body control and huge reserves of grip help you to scythe through bends with confidence.
In five-door Sportback form (there’s also a three-door in this generation, but it wasn’t popular), the A3 shines when it comes to practicality, accommodating four adults much more comfortably than the previous-generation BMW 1 Series with which it competes, plus it has a bigger boot. Sure, the Skoda Octavia is even roomier, but that car can’t hold a candle to the A3 for comfort and driving pleasure, let alone desirability.
Although a newer generation of the A3 is now available, in some ways we actually prefer this previous model. It certainly has the edge on interior quality; in fact, it’s classy enough to embarrass plenty of newer, pricier alternatives. What’s more, the dial between the front seats that controls this car’s infotainment system is much more intuitive to use on the move than the current model’s touchscreen set-up.
The A3’s premium badge is good for more than just driveway credibility, too. Yes, you might find a slightly newer Kia Ceed or Hyundai i30 for a similar outlay, but neither of those models will put anything like as much cash back in your pocket when it comes time to sell.
BEST NEARLY NEW BUY
Seat Leon
2020-present
Price from £15,000 Our pick 1.5 TSI 130 FR
■ Brand new cars have been in short supply of late (due to the semiconductor chip shortage), and the demand for nearly new cars has gone through the roof as a result. Naturally, this increased demand means sky-high prices – bad news for bargain hunters. However, the brilliant Seat Leon somehow manages to buck that trend.
In fact, you can buy a lightly used example of the cur
