Yesterday I had a chance to drive in Audi’s new car, the A1. Here are some pictures of the exterior, the dash and the boot.

See the full gallery on Posterous

I got to drive it for about 25 minutes with an Audi representative next to me. I drove an “Attraction” A1 powered by a 1.4 liter petrol engine, 122 bph and a 7-speed automatic geabox. This is my review of the car, but first, I want to talk about shoes.

One thing I noticed was that all the Audi reps were wearing the same suit and the same white sneakers. Apparently, their attire was sponsored by Hugo Boss. I asked one of them whether the shoes were comfortable. They weren’t, even after a couple of days. I asked him whether anyone else asked them about their shoes and suits. I was the first. This felt a bit awkward on multiple levels. Back to the car then…

Audi’s been touting the A1 as its “next big thing”, but the first thing you’ll notice is that the car is small. If you sit in the front, it’s alright, but there’s hardly any room for passengers in the back. The boot is average for this size car, so you could amputate your passengers’ legs and put their legs in the boot.

I have to admit that this was the first Audi I had ever driven. I’ve never been a fan of German cars. Mostly because they’re very…German. The seats are hard, the dash is boring, the trim is unspectacular, et cetera… Well, none of that here. Even the standard seats are comfortable, the ride position is good, the dash is very contemporary and the trim doesn’t appear cheap or flimsy. There’s even a big 3.5″ display on the dash and the built-in media player can play music and videos from an SD card. Of course, that’s all optional stuff that will set you back a staggering €5,300! Fifty-three-hundred euros?! Just to play some music and have a lady tell me where to go? Anyway, I’ll get back to the issue of price later on, because there’s something else that bothered me as well…

I chose the 7-speed automatic because I wanted to see what that was about. Actually, I know what it’s about, it’s about RPM manipulation so Audi can get a better emissions rating. It did ruin the ride quality a bit for me when trying to accelerate. An automatic will always be reactive and if it has to choose between two more gears than usual, it becomes trickier and–frankly–a bit annoying.

Other than that, however, it’s a really good car. The handling is a bit heavier than on a Ford but the steering is crisp and precise. The controls around the steering wheel are easy to operate and aren’t in the way.

In terms of driving experience, it’s an excellent car, but is it the best compact car?

No. The thing that stands in the way is the price. The starting price for the most basic model is already a whopping €17,500. The model I drove costs around €29,000. That’s massive. That’s Ford Focus money. In terms of the “next big thing”, the price tag is more deserving of that title than the car.

So, what should you do? If you have short friends, get the Audi A1. If you have a brain, get a Ford Focus. And if you have eyes, get an Alfa Romeo Giulietta.