Atrocious winter weather is the wrong time for a drop. Or is it, wonders Al Suttie?
1 – We all know cabrios are for summer and warm weather, but that doesn’t mean you have to park them up the other 360 days of the year.
2 – This means winter is the best time to check out the A3 Cabrio’s roof and insulation, which work very well.
3 – Yup, there’s more road noise audible through the canvas, but no draughts or drops of rain entered the cabin.
4 – Much more impressive is you can still carry on a conversation at motorways speeds without hollering.
5 – Electrically warmed seats and a furnace to heat the cabin meant I was always toasty. Had it not been for the incessant rain, I’d have lowered the roof.
6 – The 150hp 2.0-litre turbodiesel is an ideal match for this cruiser, roof up or down. Refined and pokey enough for fun.
7 – There is a tendency to spin the inside wheel when pulling out of wet junctions, but otherwise the A3 drives sweetly.
8 – You can also take the family as the rear seats are big enough for child seats or small kids. Adults will struggle, mind.
9 – On our test car’s 19-inch rims, economy dips to 61.4mpg and emissions go up to 117g/km, but still decent figures.
10 – One figure we’re wincing over is the £10,000 of extras fitted to this car. Nice to have but for £31,000 the A3 Cabrio is even more attractive – roof up or down.
