Budget Ballin': Premium Small Hatches

Have you just bagged yourself a great job and now have a healthy budget for your next car? Well if you're the kind of guy or gal that wants something practical and reasonably frugal yet you want to show the world just how well you're doing now by having a posh badge on the grille, then I may have two perfect candidates for you. The Audi A3 and the BMW 1 Series.

A budget of six to ten thousand pounds might be able to cover new cars such as a Nissan Pixo or a Hyundai i10 "fresh outta the factory" but if you want something bigger for a similar price and you feel superior to all your mates then you should take a look at the classifieds. Both the A3 and the 1 Series have been around since the late 90s (although the baby Bimmer was called the 3 Series Compact until 2004) but this budget could allow you a good 5 year old example. The question is though, which one is best? Whilst they may share the premium badges they are in fact very different.

Let's start with the BMW. If you're a keen driver then this probably is the one for you. It's the only car in its class with rear-wheel drive and is also as fun to drive as a sports car thanks to a low slung driving position and super sharp steering. Whilst it's perfect for the driver, it's not so perfect for the passengers as the head and leg room in the back is extremely tight. Also, not everyone will like the way it looks. A huge range of examples can be found by looking at bmw 1 series for sale.

The Audi A3 is the complete opposite. In the 5-door 'Sportback' version, passengers will be more comfortable in the back since there's more space and better quality materials and the 3-door version looks super smart like a man on a night out, especially the S-Line version. If the new job involves cruising up and down the motorway then the A3 will look after you but the numb steering means it won't be as satisfying as the 1 Series when you fancy taking the fun B-Road detour. However, front-wheel drive (or Quattro four-wheel drive if you look hard enough) means you're less likely to get stuck in a bad winter, unlike the Bimmer drivers.

Choosing between these two is tricky but it depends on the type of person you are. If you're the selfless type that regularly taxis many friends or plans to start a family in the future then you're much better off with a 5-door A3. If you are the selfish type of lad or ladette, that wants the most fun for their money and couldn't care less if your friends are comfortable in the back or what everyone else thinks of your car's looks, then the 1 Series is right up your street.