CloseSaw a weird looking Audi last week at a dealer I drove past, thought it said A1 on the back.
Wasn't sure what it was, but yesterday I saw the same type of car on the road. Looked up Audi A1 on google, and that seems to be it. Was a surprise to me, since I never heard of the Audi A1. Seems to be a small town car. Anybody got experience with it? just out of general interest.
Feb 22, 2011 9:31:40 AM
WAY:
Where have you been hiding Joost?
Indeed... 
It is based on the Polo platform and supposedly has received a better chassis setup and a more expensive feel. It is more expensive, especially when you consider most attractive options, not necessarily more attractive but smaller on the interior. Will compare boths in the next few days as my Mum is looking for a replacement. If it doesn´t drive much better than the other cars on the same platform, I would have a hard time justifying it...
When the time comes to replace my Toyota Yaris which is on a 2 year Personal Contract I will certainly look very hard at the VW Polo or it's derivatives (Seat Ibiza, Skoda Fabia or indeed the Audi A1). I need a cheap to run economical and reliable small car for my 80 mile daily commute. The beauty of the A1 is that with much higher anticpated residual value the monthly fee on a PCP is nearly competitive. It's certainly the most economical of the quartet (in diesel form), and here in the UK it attracts no road duty due to its low CO2 emissions.
I'm torn between going cheap as chips or getting something a littlebetter (like the A1) as I spend so much time in the car.
Porsche Cayman S PDK Aqua Blue / Ocean Blue (November 10) 
: Toyota Yaris D4D (Oct 10) 
Feb 22, 2011 7:06:22 PM
Feb 22, 2011 10:13:25 PM
Whaha, thanks guys, truth is, I've been living under a rocjk for some months now, things are pretty stressy at work, and on top of it all, january 2010 my sister gave birth to a lovely baby girl, Puck. So, lots of time go to "waste" at work, and whatever little spare time I have, I try to spend with friends and family!
The A1 just struck me, because I never heard of it before, never seen one either... guess audi isn't really on my radar either.
Feb 23, 2011 9:12:40 PM
@ Joost I was driving this tiny car for a few months - A1 1.4 TFSI with S-Tronic fully loaded - and I really loved the car as the handling was perfect, the car feels very light and the brakes and steering are/is just great, the new MMI-system is also way better than the one of A4/A5! 
What I did'nt like was the space (rear seats & trunk), the fuel consumption was way to high and the S-Tronic is a crap! 
It's a funny & great city-dd, I was driving it as well for longer trips but the fuel tank is to small if you push it hard.
When the A1 Sport QUATTRO will be launched I'll order one again, if the RS1 will be there, I know what to do...
Feb 24, 2011 5:37:41 AM
Feb 24, 2011 6:40:50 PM
Atzporsche:
An RS1 would be cool.
Oh yes! An RS1 as the daily driver. Signing up 
997.2 Carrera S in Carrara White. PASM-Sport Suspension (-20 mm), PSE.
987.1 Boxster S in Arctic Silver with 'Martini Racing' design. H&R Monotube Coil-Over Suspension, H&R Anti-Roll Bars, Sachs Racing Clutch, Single-Mass Flywheel, Recaro Pole Position Seats, PSE.
Feb 24, 2011 6:56:17 PM
@ reginos other than the S-tronic which is used in the A3, A4, A5,... the S-tronic in the A1 (and the low-powered Golf) has 7 gears & a dry clutch, which is very slow in shifting time and not as good in comfort & sportiness.
So YES, there's a recognisable difference between these dual-clutch-systems!
I'm changing my dd 3-4 times a year and for the city I mostly choose A1, A3, Golf GTI, Golf R,...and the A1 did really disappoint me.
Feb 24, 2011 7:00:58 PM
Lord_Driftalot:
@ reginos other than the S-tronic which is used in the A3, A4, A5,... the S-tronic in the A1 (and the low-powered Golf) has 7 gears & a dry clutch, which is very slow in shifting time and not as good in comfort & sportiness.
So YES, there's a recognisable difference between these dual-clutch-systems!
I'm changing my dd 3-4 times a year and for the city I mostly choose A1, A3, Golf GTI, Golf R,...and the A1 did really disappoint me.
Thank you for this information.
"Form follows function"
Guys,
as mentioned above in this thread, I am finally configuring an Audi A1. Does anybody have some good recommendations to make? Currently comtemplating about the runflat tires, as I still have some memories from the BMW models I wouldn´t want to experience the same here.
Currently considering the Ambition, base engine with 6-speed, panoramic sunroof, comfort drive package and a few other bits.
Thanks for the advice, guys! The car is for my Mum and we are pretty set on the base petrol engine, as that is all she ever uses. Mostly city driving indeed, we tried the S-tronic yesterday but she is reluctant to make the change from a manual.
The S-line package is great but would be too much for her. Same with the diesel engine as she never drives long distances. I agree that the A1 is overpriced and I find it obscene that you have to pay for heated mirrors and a light in the glovebox. On the other hand, she is very set on this particular model, appreciates its dimensions and the interior feel.
Volkswagen has a pretty good deal on the Golf but it is far too big, Polo feels a tad too cheap for our liking. Thought about Fabia and Ibiza as well but we have a decent VW/Audi dealer around so that´s pretty much the way to go.
KresoF1:
Mostly city driving? 1.6 TDI with S tronic then.
BUT... IMHO A1 is overpriced. You can buy a Golf for the same money.
Don't think you can have S tronic with the diesel engine - at least you can't in the UK....
It's more a rival for the Mini than anything else, also on my short list for next year.
--
Porsche Cayman S PDK Aqua Blue / Ocean Blue (November 10) : Toyota Yaris D4D (Oct 10)
Ferdie:
Thanks for the advice, guys! The car is for my Mum and we are pretty set on the base petrol engine, as that is all she ever uses. Mostly city driving indeed, we tried the S-tronic yesterday but she is reluctant to make the change from a manual.
The S-line package is great but would be too much for her. Same with the diesel engine as she never drives long distances. I agree that the A1 is overpriced and I find it obscene that you have to pay for heated mirrors and a light in the glovebox. On the other hand, she is very set on this particular model, appreciates its dimensions and the interior feel.
Volkswagen has a pretty good deal on the Golf but it is far too big, Polo feels a tad too cheap for our liking. Thought about Fabia and Ibiza as well but we have a decent VW/Audi dealer around so that´s pretty much the way to go.
In that case stick with base 86ps engine and your initial configuration. You can go for 17" wheels(they look much better) just stay with normal suspension. Ambiton package is the way to go.
dreamcar:
KresoF1:
Mostly city driving? 1.6 TDI with S tronic then.
BUT... IMHO A1 is overpriced. You can buy a Golf for the same money.
Don't think you can have S tronic with the diesel engine - at least you can't in the UK....It's more a rival for the Mini than anything else, also on my short list for next year.
In mainland Europe you can order 1.6 TDI with 90hp with S tronic.
ResB:
Joost is right though. I've only seen one on the road in the UK and that was last week and had to look twice to work out what it was. It looked okay to be honest.
Audi is probably pricing itself out of the market as it did with the A2. Someone should tell them that smaller cars are more price-sensitive than mid-size models, even if they try to sell themselves as a quality brand.
On the other hand, the A2 was also ugly. Not many people go out to buy a car just because its body is made of aluminium.
fritz
fritz:
ResB:
Joost is right though. I've only seen one on the road in the UK and that was last week and had to look twice to work out what it was. It looked okay to be honest.
Audi is probably pricing itself out of the market as it did with the A2. Someone should tell them that smaller cars are more price-sensitive than mid-size models, even if they try to sell themselves as a quality brand.
On the other hand, the A2 was also ugly. Not many people go out to buy a car just because its body is made of aluminium.
I recently observed that there are more and more A1 driving on Germany's roads - seems that the car is quite well received despite the "premium prices". I personally like the looks of the car 
Biggest disadvantage is the FWD. An A1 with AWD and about 250hp would be a very nice offer.
MKSGR:
fritz:
Audi is probably pricing itself out of the market as it did with the A2. Someone should tell them that smaller cars are more price-sensitive than mid-size models, even if they try to sell themselves as a quality brand.
On the other hand, the A2 was also ugly. Not many people go out to buy a car just because its body is made of aluminium.
I recently observed that there are more and more A1 driving on Germany's roads - seems that the car is quite well received despite the "premium prices". I personally like the looks of the car
I think my above post was open to misunderstanding. 
What I really meant was that the A2, in addition to being too expensive, "was also ugly", and not that it was "also ugly just like the A1". 
fritz
fritz:
Audi is probably pricing itself out of the market as it did with the A2. Someone should tell them that smaller cars are more price-sensitive than mid-size models, even if they try to sell themselves as a quality brand.
I know enough people that would be in the market for such a car, even at the given price, if it would convince them. It is somewhat irritating to see that Volkswagen provides their dealers with a higher sales margin, special editions and lower prices to start with compared to Audi´s offering. We are honestly hard pressed to pay the additional sum for what is actually the same drivetrain and underpinnings. Everything I have seen, heard and experienced myself so far indicates that, for a lot of people, the A1 is considered as a very nice car but neither as agile as the Mini nor as sensible as the Polo. For me, its advantages are the compact dimensions and the well-executed interior. Apart from VAG´s offers on the same base, both A3 and Golf are promoted by very attractive offers that make them more or less equal in price.
To be honest, we are still undecided on the purchase. We would´ve ended up with a difference of several thousand Euros for a car with less features and power. As there is in no hurry for a new car we will contemplate a bit longer. 
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