Audi A3 Problems

The Suzuki is the best bet, by far. Avoid the older Audi, it's likely to be too costly in terms of service and repairs, the Impreza is a good car, so too is the Liberty, but the best is the Suzuki.

There is nothing wrong with the car. What you are experiencing is called "turbo lag" and it happens as it takes time for the exhaust gases to spin the turbocharger that boosts power in the engine. The best way to adjust is to push the accelerator a little earlier than you might normally think but ease into it instead of stomping it to the floor.

It's not my favourite but most important is that you like it and used examples have a good reputation.

The Golf is great but questionable beyond the warranty, which rules it out for you. The A3 is a Golf under the skin, so that makes the Mazda3 the safe choice but you should also crunch the numbers on an A-Class and test drive to see if it makes you feel more special than the Mazda for your retirement.

Your choices both get The Tick, but the Benz A250 might be too sporty for a retirement car and the A3 is an upscale Volkswagen Golf. A good mate has just bought an Accord Euro and, even though it goes out of production soon, he loves it. You should test-drive all three.

Historically you are correct but the current situation is that Audi mostly uses “tool boxes" of platforms and parts developed by parent company Volkswagen. It dresses them up nicely and adds quality but it's still a fact that an Audi A1 is a VW Polo under the skin and that an A3 is a Golf.

An Alfa always looks good but the Volkswagen is the one that will get The Tick from me. The A3 is the same under the skin as the Golf but only go that way if you like the look and want the badge.