Audi just killed off this car, so I’ve spent a week with it to find out if it’s made a mistake

After a 16-year production run, the Audi A1 is dead. You can still order one for the time being, and there are plenty of nearly-new examples on forecourts, but by the end of this year it’ll be no more.

It’s one of Audi’s best-selling cars, and I can see why. It’s the cheapest way to get a new car with four rings on the bonnet. I’ve spent a week with the Audi A1 to find out whether discontinuing it was a mistake and if you should consider buying one while you still can.

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Audi A1 review: prices and deals

The Audi A1 is a small hatchback which provides an alternative to cars like the Mini Cooper and the Volkswagen Polo.

Prices start from £24,295, over £1,000 more than the mechanically-similar Volkswagen Polo but almost £1,500 cheaper than a Mini Cooper 5-Door.

Standard equipment isn’t too bad. You get a 10.1-inch touchscreen with smartphone mirroring, a 10.3-inch digital driver’s display, cruise control and power-folding mirrors.

Annoyingly though, if you want things like a reversing camera and heated seats you have to get the £1,295 Technology Pack. If you want keyless entry, dual-zone climate control and an armrest (yes, really) these are part of the £2,795 Technology Pack Pro.

You get all of this in a Mini Cooper 5-Door with a £2,000 option pack, and that also includes blind-spot monitoring – a £375 option in the Audi.

The car I’m testing is the top-spec Black Edition, which has more aggressive exterior styling, upgraded alloy wheels and sports suspension, and it has the most powerful 150hp engine. It also has the basic Technology Pack, bringing the price to a hefty £32,000. That’s more than the Skoda Fabia 130 I’ve been daily driving, for a car which still isn’t as well-equipped.

Thankfully, you can save over £3,000 on a new A1 through Carwow to sweeten the deal, but this Audi has its work cut out to justify that price tag.

Audi A1 review: interior and technology

Things get off to a good start inside, because it feels suitably posh for a small car. You do have hard plastics on the door tops, but this is to be expected in a car like this and everything feels really solid and well-made.

You get soft-touch plastics on the dashboard, something which elevates the quality feeling over a Polo or my Fabia, and the metallic switchgear operates with a satisfying click.

The central touchscreen is decent as well. I like the fact you get a haptic vibration when you tap anything, and you also get physical knobs for the climate control. The menus are pretty easy to navigate, although the graphics are quite dark.

This car also still has the old iteration of Audi’s digital driver’s display, which I reckon is much better than the one you get in newer Audi models. You do have to get the Technology Pack Pro to get maps on the screen though, which is a shame.

Audi A1 review: space and practicality

This is Audi’s smallest car, but it’s still a practical one. I found it more spacious in the back than my Fabia thanks to the skinnier front seats, which is impressive when you consider Skoda is renowned for interior space.

It’s by no means a limo, but I’m 6’3” and I can just about fit in the rear seats. A used Audi A3 may be a better bet if you carry people in the back on a regular basis though.

Interior storage is only average as well. Not having a centre armrest proved more annoying than I thought it would, and the small cupholders don’t quite accommodate my modestly-sized travel mug.

The 335-litre boot is decent though, and the low load lip makes it easy to haul heavy items in. That said, the Skoda Fabia has 380 litres of space on offer.

Audi A1 review: engine and driving

The car I have is fitted with the 150hp 1.5-litre petrol engine and a seven-speed automatic gearbox, and I think this is the one to have. You can have a 95hp or 116hp 1.0-litre engine, and the latter is pokey enough, but the 1.5 just makes the car feel more premium to drive.

It’s quieter than the 1.0-litre, and the extra power makes it easier to drive on the motorway. During my week with the car, I covered hundreds of motorway miles and it was a quiet, comfortable cruiser.

There’s nothing particularly exciting about the way the A1 drives. It’s comfortable over bumps, although the larger wheels on this Black Edition make it a bit more fidgety, and it inspires confidence on a twisty road. It’s not grin-inducing, but it’s a very pleasant daily driver.

My final verdict: should you buy an Audi A1?

I’ll be honest, I’ve never really got the point in the Audi A1. I’m the sort of person who buys t-shirts from Marks and Spencer rather than getting designer brands, because in my mind they do the same thing for less money. I feel the same way about the A1 – it’s like a Volkswagen Polo but more expensive.

But after spending a week with one, I can see the appeal. It’s more than just a posh badge, the interior looks and feels better and it offers a more premium driving experience.

I wouldn’t get the Black Edition though. The S Line is a few grand cheaper, and offers pretty much the same exterior styling and standard equipment. Through Carwow, you can get an A1 S Line with the 1.5-litre engine for just over £28,000, which is about the same as a high-spec Volkswagen Polo.

It may not be as well-equipped as the VW, but if you’re after a posh badge, sharp styling and a premium feeling in a small package, I reckon the A1 is worth shortlisting. Just get in quick while you still can.

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