We may not be having much of a summer but the convertible market is pretty hot these days.
Audi is going head to head with arch rival BMW with its rival to the one Series convertible, the A3 drop top. Roof down it looks smart, but roof up... yikes!
The A3's exterior is easy to live with until you get around to the rear where the car looks very stubby with the roof up.
In fact the rear hood line reminds me of the old Fiat Punto rag top. Hood down it is a different story. The A3 takes on a very smart appearance that while still a little stubby-looking at the back is far more liveable with.
The built in rollover hoops are very smart and the strict four-seater proves to be in general a quality bit of kit.
If you want the new Audi headlight look that features a string of white LED running lights above the front headlamp cluster you can select it as an option. There is an 'S-Line' version also if you like your Audis looking extra sporty.
Inside the cabin is 100% Audi, so basically it feels like a posh VW. The driving position is fully adjustable also. It can fit four people in reasonable comfort.
The boot is big and thankfully there is no need to fold down and shelf or pull out a roller-blind to allow the hood to stow. Loading that boot can be problematic as there is a very narrow and near vertical aperture. I bought a couple of stools for the house and had to sit them on the back seat - who ever said drop tops were practical!
Like the BMW 1 series convertible the A3 Cabrio has a cloth hood. When up the cabin is hushed and with the press of a button the roof is stowed in seconds.
My 1.8 TFSi test car delivered lively performance through the front wheels. The ride quality proved excellent despite the 17 inch alloys and the handling also was a lot fun.
The turbo petrol engine was always eager to press on. All in all the A3 Cabriolet can hold its head high against the rear wheel drive Beemer.
TDi versions will prove popular and with the optional 'S Tronic' double clutch automatic gearbox you can have the best of both worlds. There are four engines in the range: 1.8 (160bhp) & 2.0 (200) litre (petrol powered TFSi) and two TDi power-plants; a 1.9 (105bhp/250nm) & 2.0 litre (140bhp/320nm) turbo diesels.
The A3 Cabriolet is a better car than I expected but I still like the BMW 1's exterior more with its more conventional saloon rear end. On the road the Audi is a far better drive than the front-wheel versus rear-wheel drive debate would traditionally suggest.
There has never been more choice in the compact convertible market and the only question one has to ask is how much you are willing to pay for a four seat car that can drop its roof. The Germans have the posh end of the market to themselves and with firms like Audi and BMW it's easy to see why. Now if those clever Germans could just turn their attention to sorting out a bit of engineering that could deliver a summer to us in Ireland that would be great!
Michael Sheridan
