Dave Cornwell
Registered User
I thought I'd pass on my early impressions on this probably not that common combination. There were three main reasons why I went for the smallest engine: The first was cost then the low tax band and the third was hopefully the best economy for my type of driving. Well the second one got blown out of the water as the car got delivered three days after the deadline! (I will start a new thread on the big implications of this). After a month I am very impressed with the car. The engine is sufficiently powerful and surprisingly quiet, although both of these were expected following reviews. I previously had a Seat Leon DSG with the 1.2TSI engine and it is similar in many ways. The auto gear changes seem smoother on the Audi than the Leon. It may be even slightly quieter although this may be due to better sound proofing in the Audi. As far as economy goes and considering the engine is probably still a bit "tight" (500 miles) it looks promising. The Leon overall was returning about 46 mpg while the Audi is looking more like 49 mpg over similar journeys. One of the bug bears of the Leon was that it seemed stuck on about 46 mpg at that typical motorway cruising speed of 75mph. The Audi is looking nearer to 50mpg in those circumstances but it is a bit early for reliable figures. Comfort levels are generally higher but the ride is a tad firmer probably due to the 17" as opposed to 16" wheels. And this is where there could be a difference. There was very little road noise from the Leon and while the Audi is acceptably quiet and in fact more so on smooth tarmac - once it changes to the rougher type or concrete surfaces it is definitely louder. I wished the Sport came with a 16" wheel option. I like the tech and love the big wheel control and menu options as I hate touch screens although I suspect we will end up with them across the board eventually. Definitely much safer to use than my Leon and the sat nav is better. I like the Audi Connect as well which I have on trial so may well get a SIM for it when it runs out. The sports seats are slightly more comfortable than the standard Leon ones. The colour, Cosmos Blue is interesting. It was the only one I really liked and what i've noticed is it changes from almost black to navy blue, to a sparkling bluey green depending on the angle and brightness of the sun. Three colours for the price of one!
All in all I am extremely happy with the purchase and on a PCP plan it is very similar in cost to the excellent Leon I had before and I think it just has the edge with that all round quality feel and refinement
Hope this is of some help to someone thinking of this model or similar.
Dave
All in all I am extremely happy with the purchase and on a PCP plan it is very similar in cost to the excellent Leon I had before and I think it just has the edge with that all round quality feel and refinement
Hope this is of some help to someone thinking of this model or similar.
Dave