Audi A1 review

Introduction

You could argue that the Audi A1 has furrowed its field rather nicely, being one of only two choices for those wanting a posh small car.

Alongside the A1 is the Mini Cooper, which is seen by many as similarly premium and is roughly the same size. Otherwise you have to go bigger and more expensive (think Mercedes A-Class) or accept a less glamorous badge (on, for example, a Volkswagen Polo, which is mechanically very similar to the A1).

The Audi A1 is available with a broad choice of engines, all of them petrols, with power outputs ranging from sensible to rather spicy. There is a wide range of trims available too, from the relatively spartan Technik to range-topping Black Edition, which places the emphasis on sporty style.

Sadly for those who value extra traction in slippery conditions, Audi's quattro four-wheel-drive system is not offered on any version of the A1. For that, you’ll need to move up the range to the Audi Q2.

Is the Audi A1 worth considering as an alternative to the Mini? And is it really upmarket enough to justify its price premium over big-selling mainstream rivals, including the Honda Jazz, Peugeot 208 and Vauxhall Corsa. Let's find out...

What’s new?

• June 2021: Sonos premium audio systems added to Vorsprung trim level

• July 2019: A1 Citycarver (later renamed the Allstreet) announced, with increased ground clearance (by 1.6in) and ride height (1.4in)

• January 2019: Crowned ‘Best Small Car for more than £20,000’ at What Car? Awards

• June 2018: Second-generation A1 launched, bringing new looks inside and out, updated safety systems, and a new 2.0-litre TFSI petrol engine with up to 197bhp

Overview

The Audi A1 is a fine car – it's great to drive, comfortable to sit in and available with lots of big car options. However, if you can live without a posh badge, the Peugeot 208 and VW Polo offer slightly more for less money. Our recommend version of the A1 is the 30 TFSI with entry-level Sport trim.

Pros

• Smooth ride and tidy handling
• Relatively quiet at higher speeds
• Slow depreciation

Cons

• Costs more than rival small cars
• No hybrid engine option

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Performance & drive

What it's like to drive, and how quiet it is

Engine, 0-60mph and gearbox

Audi's badging policy bears no relationship to engine size and, to prove the point, the A1 range kicks off with a 25 TFSI, which is actually a 94bhp 1.0-litre petrol.

We haven't tried that engine yet but we have tested the 30 TFSI version with 108bhp and its performance is more than adequate. It pulls well from around 2000rpm and, if you let the revs build to 6000rpm before changing gear, 0-60mph takes a respectable 9.1 seconds.

If you need more poke – enough to match the Mini Cooper for example – you might want to look at the 35 TFSI instead. With a 148bhp 1.5-litre engine, it gets into its stride earlier, at around 1500rpm, so it's quicker outright and also more flexible than the 30 TFSI.

Suspension and ride comfort

A smooth, controlled ride is something of a novelty in the small car class. Fortunately, the A1 offers just that – as long as you pick the right trim level.

Around town, the Sport trim version, which comes with 16in wheels and regular suspension (called "dynamic suspension"), deals with pockmarked urban roads very well. Even the nastiest bumps don't ruffle its feathers.

It’s a wholly calmer experience than you'll endure in the Mini, which rarely stops jostling. It’s the same story on a motorway. Where the Mini struggles to settle, the A1 fidgets only on particularly corrugated sections. In the main it's one of the comfiest small cars you can buy.

S line and Black Edition trims are a different ball game. S line gets 17in wheels and Black Edition 18in ones, and both trims have sports suspension, inevitably firming things up and making it less comfortable as a result. The ride is more brittle over potholes in town, but calms down at motorway speeds.

Handling

The A1 is grown-up to drive, in a similar vein to the closely related VW Polo. Its steering is well-judged – light around town, but with enough weight at faster speeds to give you confidence. Those virtues are backed up by enough accuracy to let you place the car's nose exactly where you want on a meandering B-road.

If the bends tighten and you maintain a spirited pace, you’ll find a slight tendency for the car to lean in corners but it's comparatively minor and there's plenty of grip.

S line trim, with stiffer sports suspension, helps keep the A1's body more upright while cornering, but that doesn't make it the best-handling car in the class. For something a little more entertaining, we’d recommend trying the Seat Ibiza. Still, the A1 is better balanced and more composed than the Mini and the Peugeot 208.

Noise and vibration

The Audi A1 does a fine job of providing peace and harmony on the move. The 25 and 30 TFSI engines are not quite as muted as the Mini's 1.5-litre but are hardly boisterous and settle down at a steady cruise. You can feel a little vibration through the controls but not an excessive amount, although the start-stop system can be a little dim-witted. The 35 TFSI is even smoother.

While you can hear a small amount of road and wind noise, there's not enough of either to irk on a long drive — as long as you avoid the largest 18in wheels. Those increase road roar and give rise to more suspension noise. Broadly speaking, the A1 is pretty similar to the Polo and proves a quieter cruiser than many other rivals, such as the Mini. The Peugeot 208 is quieter still though.

The A1 25 TFSI and 30 TFSI come with a five or six-speed manual gearbox with a light and reasonably precise shift. You can upgrade both to a fairly responsive automatic gearbox or get it as standard by going for the 35 TFSI.

"The A1 is a surprisingly mature car. I was impressed with the way it rides, although having tried a few I'd choose a model with smaller wheels because they provide more comfort on a long run." – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

Interior

The interior layout, fit and finish

Driving position and dashboard

The Audi A1's seat, steering wheel and pedals are lined up as neatly as a team of synchronised swimmers. There's also a broad range of height and reach adjustment for the steering wheel.

If you want adjustable lumbar support to stop you slouching on longer journeys, you'll need to go for Sport trim or above to get sports seats, which also hold you in place slightly better through corners.

The simple dashboard controls include physical knobs and switches to deal with the air-con, rather than the fiddly touch-sensitive buttons that some small cars employ. You get a digital driver's display as standard, with the option of swapping the standard 10.3in display for a more configurable version if you add the (rather pricey) Technology Pack.

Visibility, parking sensors and cameras

Thanks to the A1's comparatively skinny front windscreen pillars, it’s easy to see out of the front. Rearward visibility is less impressive due to the chunky rear pillars. The VW Polo and the Mini 5-Door Hatch have a wider expanse of glass at the back, for a clearer view out when reversing.

The restricted rear view is less of a problem if you go for Sport trim or above because rear parking sensors are fitted to the A1 as standard. Front parking sensors and a rear-view camera are optional on all trims with the Comfort and Sound pack.

LED headlights are fitted to every A1 – all the better for illuminating the road ahead at night.

Sat nav and infotainment

Even the cheapest Audi A1 trims come with an 8.8in infotainment touchscreen and it’s positioned high up on the dashboard so you shouldn’t have trouble seeing or reaching it. That said, you inevitably have to glance away from the road to hit the screen's icons.

Every trim level comes with Bluetooth, DAB radio, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring (so you can use phone apps on the touchscreen).

If you add the Technology Pack, the screen will be larger (10.1in) and you get a lot more features, including sat-nav with a handwriting function for entering postcodes. The standard stereo has six speakers, and is reasonably punchy. You can upgrade it to a 560W, 11-speaker Sonos system with the Comfort and Sound Pack.

Quality

Sadly, while interior quality was one of the defining aspects of the 2010-2018 A1 it's no longer outstanding in this second-generation model.

Don't get us wrong: the A1 still feels suitably more expensive inside than the Seat Ibiza thanks to the soft-touch materials on the dashboard, high-quality switches and gloss-black trims that spruce up the look. However, the cheaper-looking plastics on the insides of the doors and around the gearlever disappoint on a premium-brand car.

The VW Polo is not immune to hard plastics inside but in places it feels just as robust, while the Peugeot 208 has more upmarket materials.

"I love that Audi has managed to capture that big-car feel in a small package. I'm tall but I found it easy to find a great driving position." – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

Passenger & boot space

How it copes with people and clutter

Front space

Head room and interior width in the front of the Audi A1 are right up with the best in the small car class but you'll find less leg room than in the surprisingly accommodating Mini Cooper 5-Door. That said, even if you’re more than 6ft tall you shouldn't have any problems.

The A1 has lots of storage space for those odds and ends you might need during a journey. There's a generously proportioned glovebox, a recess for your phone in front of the gearlever, sensibly sized door bins and a couple of cupholders.

Rear space

The A1 isn't the best small car for roominess in the rear but it's not overly cramped either. You can fit a couple of six-footers behind people of the same size in the front, although their knees will be brushing the backs of the seats and their heads will probably do the same to the roof lining.

There's plenty more space in the back of the A1 than you'll find in a three-door Mini Cooper, which can really only fit two passengers in the back. By contrast – and like the related VW Polo – the A1 can squeeze in a third adult, although there'll be some shoulder-rubbing involved. The Polo has more head and leg room though.

Seat folding and flexibility

Few small cars do much to gain a high score for seating flexibility. The A1 is another that's strictly par for the course: you get 60/40 split-folding rear seats, which are released by pulling levers near the rear headrests. That’s your lot.

Along with the usual sliding and reclining motions, the front passenger seat is height adjustable, and from Sport trim up it has manual lumbar adjustment.

Boot space

The A1’s 335-litre boot space falls a whisker short of the biggest load-luggers in the class – the Honda Jazz and Seat Ibiza. Its sizeable luggage compartment is very usable though. It's capable of swallowing five carry-on suitcases below the parcel shelf (the five-door Mini Cooper fits four).

A height-adjustable boot floor is a cheap option that’s well worth adding to the A1. It increases boot flexibility by letting you create a separate lower boot space, and in its highest setting, reduces the height of the lip at the entrance of the load bay.

"Admittedly the passenger space inside the A1 is only average for the class, but I was impressed that it swallowed cases for an early-morning airport run because the boot is usefully square." — Darren Moss, Deputy Editor

Buying & owning

Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is

Equipment, options and extras

The entry-level A1 Sport has most of the kit we believe people want, including 16in alloy wheels, a digital driver's display, cruise control and rear parking sensors, as well as some personalisation options, including a contrasting colour roof.

S line trim is is all about sportiness, with bigger wheels, more aggressive looks and stiffer suspension. It also gets interior ambient lighting. Black Edition is more about adding extra style than having more substance and isn’t worth the extra. Either way, we'd stick to Sport trim if it were our money.

Costs, insurance groups, MPG and CO2

You’ll pay a hefty price premium to own an Audi A1 rather than the closely related VW Polo. Better news is that the A1 holds on to its value much more tightly than rivals. In fact, it has the slowest predicted depreciation in its class.

The 108bhp 1.0-litre petrol engine is pretty thrifty on fuel and delivers better real-world economy than you can expect from the Mini Cooper five-door.

If you’re a company car user, the A1’s relatively low CO2 emissions will net you cheaper BIK tax payments than the Mini. If you can live without the Audi badge, you can get your tax even lower by going for the Peugeot 208 Puretech 100 – or really trim your tax bill with an electric car.

Reliability

Audi didn't do brilliantly in our 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey coming 24th place out of 31 manufacturers – well below Mini and also Skoda, Hyundai and Kia. The A1 itself came roughly mid-table in the small car class, placing eighth out of 15 cars – above the Seat Ibiza but below the Polo.

So what cover do you have if things go wrong? The answer is the same package as Volkswagen offers – an unlimited-mileage warranty for the first two years, followed by a third year in which the mileage is capped at 60,000 miles.

Safety and security

Euro NCAP awarded the A1 the full five stars in its safety tests – the same score as the Polo. Adult and child occupant protection were found to be almost identical in the two cars, with scores far higher than the rival Mini's.

The A1 also comes with a full complement of airbags, as well as automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-departure warning. However, useful safety aids such as blind-spot monitoring and traffic-sign assist – which are available on the Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris – are not offered on the A1.

"The A1 is the perfect illustration of the impact of used values on monthly repayments. That helps offset much of its higher purchase price when new, and why I like that the Sport trim provides a little more visual pizazz, which is important to ensure desirability." — Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

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