New Ford Focus vs used Audi A3: which is best?
The new Ford Focus is a fine family car, but is it a better buy than an award-winning used Audi A3 for similar money?...
New Ford Focus vs used Audi A3 – alternatives
One of the most spacious family cars is the Skoda Octavia. There’s a reason they’re a firm favourite with taxi companies: it’ll take five people and all their suitcases without breaking a sweat. But they haven’t forgotten the basics, because it's well kitted out, features nice quality plastics on the inside and is good to drive.
Finding a decent premium alternatives to the A3 is trickier, because it beats all of its rivals in any group test it's included in. As long as you avoid M Sport suspension and big alloy wheels (or get adaptive dampers) the BMW 1 Series is worth a look. It’s more fun to drive, the infotainment system is one of the best in the class, and while its interior may not look as good as the A3's, it's just as plush.
New Ford Focus vs used Audi A3 – which is best?
In terms of practicality and driving experience, the Focus is ahead of the A3. You can already get some great deals on it, and if you use What Car? New Car Buying, you'll be able to knock even more off. It’s also impressive that you can add lots of active safety tech at a reasonable price.
However, it’s hard to ignore the appeal of the A3. Not only is it nearly as good to drive and comes with a decent amount of equipment, but also it feels a step above inside, will no doubt hold its value better over time and manages to be almost as economical as the smaller-engined Focus despite having significantly more power. You won’t have as much warranty cover, but then it is more reliable according to our own reliability data.
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