Here comes the sun

Above: Audi A3 Cabriolet outside Leeds Castle, Kent (Kent Life Magazine)

Above: Audi A3 Cabriolet interior (Kent Life Magazine)

Above: Audi A3 Cabriolet tested in Kent (Kent Life Magazine)

Above: Audi A3 Cabriolet outisde Leeds Castle, Kent (Kent Life Magazine)

There is no doubt that Great Britain does not have a climate conducive to convertible ownership. The days it’s not raining are few and far between and of those, the ones it’s warm enough to actually have the roof down without requiring medical treatment are even rarer.

However, we are a nation that thrives on hardship. Despite the fact that we love to moan about the weather, we rarely let it spoil our fun. Glastonbury – dry this year, but usually wet and always glorious. When it rains at Wimbledon, Cliff Richard comes on to entertain us, and when it’s cold and drizzly, we’ll don a big jacket, a scarf, a look of grim determination and put the roof down. Because that’s what we do – we’re British. Well done, chaps.

In this country more convertibles are sold that almost any other nation in Europe. We are in fact, beaten only by the Germans in this respect, so this month we’re taking a look at one of that nation’s cars – the new Audi A3 Cabriolet.

The third drop-top in Audi’s line-up, the A3 Cabriolet follows hot on the heels of BMWs new 1-Series convertible and, the company hopes, will bring owning a convertible Audi to a new audience.

First impressions are certainly good. It’s stylish, doesn’t have a huge rear overhang (thanks to its canvas roof), and slots in neatly below the A4 and TT convertibles.

Retrieving anything from the boot is an experience not unlike a potholing holiday

With some smart detailing, like the rear indicators and the forward-leaning rollbars, it’s a well thought-out design, and the A3 makes the transition to a convertible really quite well.

There is, from the rear wheel arches back, a faint whiff of Aston Martin at the back (no, I’m not joking), and overall, Audi has struck a fine balance between the mean-and-moody looks chaps like, and the sense of charm and style the better half want to see. Obviously, it doesn’t look as good with the roof up but you’re British – you won’t see it very often. In short it’s smart, stylish and more than respectable.

So what of the interior? Well, Audi is normally pretty good at this sort of thing, and doesn’t disappoint here. Soft-touch plastics, aluminium trim and smooth leather create an extremely pleasant environment, and with 11 choices of colours for your seats, you can make it pretty unique as well.

A quality build
Build quality is very high – everything is extremely solid and well screwed together, and there is also a pretty good level of basic trim, too. If you opt for the sport trim, you’ll get an MP3-compatible cd player, sports seats, electronic climate control, a wind deflector, trip computer and a fully automatic roof which opens in just nine seconds.

Outside, you’ll be riding on 17in alloys and sports suspension. If you’re feeling flush, there is always the options list which includes two types of sat nav, an iPod connector, various options for heated seats and more stereo upgrades than you can shake a remote at.

So comfort levels are high – perfect for relaxed cruising – but how do the rear passengers fare?

From the outside, the A3 Cabrio really doesn’t look big enough to have rear seats. With a shorter wheelbase than its main rival, the BMW 1-series convertible, it also shouldn’t have enough room, but the result is surprising.

It’s not palatial, you understand, but it’s comfortable enough for an average adult, and more than ample for the kids. This is partly made possible by the Audi’s Z-shaped fabric folding roof, which takes up very little boot space and leaves extra room for people.

And talking of boot space, with 260 litres it’s really not bad either, expanding to 674 litres if you drop the rear seats. The boot lid may be comically small, making retrieving anything from the back an experience not unlike going on a Welsh potholing holiday, but with enough room for golf clubs, skis, large cases and other holiday/sporting paraphernalia, it’s really not a bad effort from Audi.

With some smart detailing, there’s a faint whiff of Aston Martin at the rear

So what’s it like to drive? Current Audi owners won’t be in for too much of a shock – it’s very much in the same vein as the rest of the line up - but the A3 Cabrio is unlikely to tempt BMW drivers away from their machines.

Which is difficult to fathom, really. The A3 cabriolet does everything right. It grips well, holds the road nicely and the positive steering allows you to place it exactly where you want it on the black stuff.

It just doesn’t quite cut it for an enthusiastic drive. There’s a lack of feel, a lack of involvement that leaves you with the impression that the car is just getting on with it. It’s like having an extremely competent but boring co-worker. Yes the job will get done, and probably to a very high standard, but there’s little fun or enjoyment in the process.

We know Audi can build cars with some proper sporting pedigree – the R8 and RS models are proof of that, but it has yet to filter through to the cheaper cars.

All of which probably doesn’t matter very much. The A3 wasn’t designed to be thrashed around a track or driven sideways through a forest, so prospective owners aren’t going to be particularly fussed at its lack of enthusiasm for fervent driving. There are four engines to choose from – two diesels and two petrols – ranging from 103bhp to 197bhp, so there is an option to suit everyone, whatever the criteria,

An economic choice
The diesels offer better economy, but you’ll pay for it in the performance department. The quickest diesel, the 2.0 TDI, will hit 62mph in a reasonably respectable 9.7 seconds, while the performance option from the petrol engines will do the same in 7.4 seconds.

Clearly the larger diesel will be the biggest seller, and returning 53mpg it’s hard to argue with the reasoning, although for the best compromise between economy and entertainment, put your deposit down on the 1.8 TFSI. With 157bhp, it’ll do the 0-62 dash in 8.2 seconds and still return around 40mpg, while being more refined than its diesel counterparts.

Starting from £20,000 for the small diesel it’s not badly priced, although by the time you’ve thrown some options at it the cost can easily spiral to nearer the £30,000 mark. Ideally, just option the Sport trim and buy a good map – you really don’t need satellite navigation.

A four-star NCAP safety rating means the Audi is as solidly built as it feels, although its not graduating top of its class here – the Volkswagen EOS and Renault Megane CC both take home five stars.

There’s a wide range of electronic trickery to keep you out of the undergrowth too, with electronic stability control, electronic brakeforce distribution, ABS, four airbags, tyre pressure monitors, adaptive front lights and those smart daytime running lights which are reasonably unnecessary but look great.

So, should you buy one? The A3 cabriolet is an extremely competent car, but if you want a machine that encourages you to hustle it along country lanes, this isn’t the one for you. However, if you’re after a well-built, economical and smart-looking cruiser you can thrown the roof down on, then the A3 cabriolet will suit you down to the ground.