Audi

To some it’s an affordable Audi. To others, it’s an expensive Polo.

Audi’s evolved its brand mission away from compact city car like A1, but if you want a sophisticated German city car that’s not a VW Polo, a low-mileage A1 is a thing.

Can look great in the correct colour, wheel and trim spec. Cabin design not quite up to the class standard Audi set in the early 2000s, but still good.

The A1 option list is extensive. And its price balloons when you start ticking the nice-to-haves you think would be standard but aren’t…

The performance-to-cost ratio is a bit lopsided when buying new, paying lots of money for a 1-litre, 3-cylinder engine that makes 85kW. Like the Polo it's based on, the high-speed driving experience is excellent for a small car and better than almost any rival.

Potentially a great pre-owned deal, offering real value after some depreciation has done its thing. If you must have a compact German luxury car, A1 ownership comes with much lower theft and hijacking risk than its mechanical twin, the VW Polo.

Is it a station wagon? Or a hatchback? What matters is that A3 Sportback is one of Audi’s better designs, without any awkward angles or faux styling finishes.

The 1.5-litre turbopetrol engines aren’t fantastically powerful for the price, but the 7-speed DCT transmissions make the 35 TFSI models feel a lot more responsive than their power figures would suggest. Still a lot of money to pay for a 110kW engine, though…

Cabin architecture and digital interfaces are true to Audi’s legacy of exceptional cabin design from the early 2000s. Some cheap plastic finishes, though. And the UX design still lags behind the best Chinese digital vehicle interfaces.

RS3 Sportback has no rivals and is a more lovable compact high-performance car than the OTT A45-series AMGs. Its unique 294kW 5-cylinder engine guarantees collectable status and future residual values, with a distinct sound signature and terrific performance.

Audi’s renamed A4. The B10 A5 has a stunning design, true to Audi’s compact sedan heritage. There are simply no unattractive angles, surfaces or proportions to this German luxury sedan.

The cabin materials aren’t amazing for the money you pay, but the interior architecture is gorgeous, and there’s all the tech you’d want. A5’s infotainment is powered by an Android Automotive operating system, so if you are a legacy Android user, you’ll love it.

The 2026 model-year A5 has two 2.0 turbo petrol engine options. The 146kW/340Nm version is entirely adequate. But if you want a more immersive driving experience, there’s the more powerful 2.0 turbopetrol, with 200kW/400Nm, which also features Quattro all-wheel drive.

Both A5 powertrain options use Audi’s very slick, responsive, and excellently calibrated 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. But that transmission does have additional clutches, computations, and moving parts. And those can become a maintenance consideration at higher mileages, compared to a traditional torque-converter automatic transmission.

Debits? Boot space is smaller than in the 3 Series, options are incredibly expensive (like any German luxury car), and there’s no super-economical diesel engine option, unlike the Mercedes-Benz C220d and BMW 320d.   

The more stylish version of VW’s Tiguan, with Audi’s approach to exterior styling and cabin design.

Not everything you touch inside feels Audi-special anymore, but you can see where the cabin equipment and materials budget has been spent: on digitisation. And Q3’s infotainment and instrumentation fonts and graphic elements feel premium. Even if the UX interfacing isn’t always as good as you’d experience on some of the more advanced Chinese cars.

Three engine options, but the 35 TDI badge is best, blending the ultra-economical 2-litre turbodiesel engine with a rapid-shifting 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.

These diesels are much more expensive than the 35TFSI turbopetrol engine. Both engine options produce the same power (110kW), but the diesels offer 110Nm more torque. And much better fuel consumption.

A pity there’s no Quattro all-wheel-drive option for the 35 TDI versions, with only the range-topping 40 TFSI offering Quattro. Which is strange, because the 2.0 TDi engine and all-wheel drive are such a great power- and drivetrain combination for South African road conditions, especially if you want to use a Q3 in its gravel travel SUV role.

Most successful model in Audi history, with huge conquest sales in South Africa. Q5 effectively sustained the brand’s presence in the luxury market as everyone decided they wanted an SUV.

Phenomenally economic long-distance cruiser when equipped with the 2.0 turbodiesel. Pity the 3-litre V6 TDI is no longer offered locally.

Q5 2-litre turbodiesels are badged 40 TDI and are the ones to have. SQ5 high-performance SUVs are a bit pointless, considering you can get the faster, more stylish sloping-roofline S7 for not much more money.

Audi’s Q5 offers something its rivals don’t: adaptive air suspension. Which isn’t available on BMW’s X3 or Mercedes-Benz’s GLC.

Still the best-looking mid-sized German luxury SUV with a cabin that balances digital needs with traditional Audi design. Lots of options and none of them come cheaply. The Q5 Sportback has 60 litres less luggage space. And you’ll only notice that being an issue on a Friday afternoon, when packaging for a weekend away.

Audi’s pre-selected ‘packages’ bundle popular options, and save you some money. Always choose the 19-inch wheels over 20s.

Best cabin design of the German large luxury SUVs, as you’d expect from Audi.

These Q7s are excellent long-distance touring vehicles when equipped with air suspension and sensible (smaller) wheel sizes.

No diesel V6 engine option for now, which is a pity. Especially because Q7’s twin, the Q8, is available with the 3.0 TDI V6 locally. The SQ7 V8 high-performance versions are not really worth the money when you can have an RS6 instead.

Spec that matters? All-wheel steering makes the Q7 wildly easy to park and reduces rear-wheel tyre wear. Air suspension is a must, too, for outstanding comfort across South Africa’s increasingly rough road surfaces. Avoid any wheel size larger than 21-inches.  

Always worth upgrading to Audi’s Freeway service plan, which is one of the best in the business. Especially when you are running a vehicle with an advanced German high-performance engine on South African fuel…                                    

More popular than Q7, despite offering a lot less luggage space.

Sloping roofline design enhances its appeal as a status car, but Q8 has 175 litres less luggage space than a Q7, so it’s not quite the vacation family touring car its size suggests.

Like the Q7, the V8 high-performance Q8s can’t compete with the RS6 Avant as a truly spacious family supercar.

What Q8 offers that no other Audis in the South African portfolio do is the legendary 3-litre V6 turbodiesel engine option. Which offer a near-perfect blend of overtaking performance and long-distance driving economy in the Q8 45 TDI.

As with all ultra-luxury Audis, make sure you upgrade to the most comprehensive version of Audi’s Freeway plan.

RS6 Avant version is legitimately the best vehicle Audi makes. And the only true family-friendly supercar.

This hand-built Audi offers an unrivalled combination of purposeful design, excellent luggage space and phenomenal performance. It is the best family supercar you can buy and proves what Audi’s engineers are capable of.

Makes so much more sense than any high-performance SUV or crossover. RS6 Avant’s lower centre of gravity gives it tremendous high-speed stability through fast corners. Making it a more rewarding vehicle for the enthusiast driver.

Cabin is a testament to everything great about Audi design. Luggage space is 1680 litres with the rear seats folded, which is enormous. RS6 Avant the ultimate vehicle to journey from Gauteng to Ballito or Knysna, if you love driving instead of flying domestic.

Always best on 21-inch wheels rather than 22s for local road conditions.

A brilliantly executed high-performance vehicle that is versatile, has immense presence, and attracts no social stigma. The current RS6 Avant, like its predecessors, is destined for classic status.