Category: Convertibles 
Price Range: £19,935 to £26,850
Quality interior, fast-acting roof, stylish-looking, practical.
Slightly uninvolving drive, not cheap, diesel still lacks refinement.
An ideal open-top cruiser for the style-conscious metropolitan car buyer.
As we've come to expect from Audis, finding a good, comfortable driving position is easy, with multi-adjustable seats and a steering wheel with reach- and rake-adjustment.
The A3 Cabrio will no doubt find a large and appreciative audience, but it's not exactly what you'd call a keen driver's car. In common with many recent Audis, it does the job on the road - it grips and holds the road well, the steering is accurate and the gear changes are precise (and, with the excellent S-Tronic automatic transmission, instantaneous) - but it's all a bit removed, a bit uninvolving. There's certainly no hint of the sporting pedigree Audi is working hard on with cars such as the R8 and the RS models.
However, that won't matter to prospective owners. The A3 Cabrio's solid on-road nature will please most, as will the range of engines, where there's something for almost everyone.
If you're looking for economy, the two diesels should suit you fine. They're still not as refined as some others on the market, a fact made apparent on start-up with the roof down by the tell-tale clatter. However, both the 1.9 TDI (103bhp and 184lb-ft) and the 2.0 TDI (138bhp and 236lb-ft) pull well and offer plenty of torque once you get over the lag, reaching 62mph from a standing start in 12.3 secs and 9.7 secs (9.4 with the S-Tronic auto 'box) respectively.
If, on the other hand, you're looking for something a little more refined, opt for the two TFSI petrol engines. The more powerful 2.0 TFSI generates 197bhp and 206lb-ft of torque, which propels the car to 62mph in 7.4 secs (7.3 with S-Tronic).
However, as the car isn't meant to be a sporty little number, we feel the 1.8 TFSI offers the best compromise of fun and good sense: 157bhp, 184lb-ft and 0-62mph in 8.2secs (8 dead with the S-Tronic auto 'box) makes for an enjoyable open-top cruise.
