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2017 Audi A3 Crowned the Best Premium German Hatchback in UK Review

The world is obsessed with Tesla and what EVs mean for our not-to-distant future. However, compact hatchbacks are still the most popular cars in Europe. Bean counters say SUVs sell more, but they bundle everything from the G-Wagon to the Dacia Duster in one very unfair category.
2017 Audi A3 Crowned King of Premium German Hatchbacks in UK Review 7 photos
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2017 Audi A3 Crowned the Best Premium German Hatchback in UK Review2017 Audi A3 Crowned the Best Premium German Hatchback in UK Review2017 Audi A3 Crowned the Best Premium German Hatchback in UK Review2017 Audi A3 Crowned the Best Premium German Hatchback in UK Review2017 Audi A3 Crowned the Best Premium German Hatchback in UK Review2017 Audi A3 Crowned the Best Premium German Hatchback in UK Review
Anyway, premium hatchbacks are about as cool as it gets if you're a hip urbanite. But which should you choose from the myriad of models on offer? The Mercedes A-Class, BMW 1 Series, and Audi A3 were all launched about four years ago, so all three received facelifts roughly at the same time. The Volvo V40 also got a facelift, but people don't seem to care about that one.

A 3-way battle between the latest German hatchbacks was inevitable. Our adjudicator is Mat Watson from Carwow, who describes the trio as "cars that I can actually afford and want."

To start off, he talks about the starting price of each of them, which is totally irrelevant because the basic A3 has a rigid rear axle; the basic A-Class has steel wheels and the basic 1 Series is... pointless. The ones most Brits want usually have 2-liter diesel engines and optional body kits.

In our opinion, the A-Class is the big loser of this test. Mercedes had many things to overcome when it introduced it in 2012, like the fact that it had never made a FWD compact before. So even back then, it had the worst trunk space and headroom. Despite this, their facelift brings the fewest changes of all and the 2.1-liter diesel engine is frankly unacceptable when you compare it to what the other two offer.

The elephant in the room is that this is the last RWD hatchback BMW will ever make, so if you've ever wanted one, now is the time to buy. The latest model features the same kinds of engines you see in the G30 5 Series, which are a little bit smoother and more powerful. However, there's no getting away from the fact that knee room is tight at the back and the trunk is not up to compact standard.

Stepping into the A3 facelift is like "stepping into the future," thanks to the digital dashboard and the latest MMI. We think this and all the polishing Audi did is what won the test because the pre-facelift A3 wasn't fantastic.

Dynamically, it all depends on what you want. The BMW is more fun, but mainly when pushed to the limit, which is something very few drivers try. In our opinion, it's got the best auto gearbox of this review. However, run-flat tires always make Bimmers noisy.

So why then do people buy the A-Class in bulk when the BMW and Audi are so good? Well, it all has to do with styling. Even 1 Series fans will admit that it has the nose of a pig, while the Merc is sexy and feature vibrant colors. And then there's the badge, which is still the most prestigious one in all of Germany.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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