The Audi A1 is arguably the poshest supermini on sale, offering a handy city-friendly driving experience with a touch of class.
We've always been a big fan of the way the Audi A1 feels posh for such a small car. If you're in the market for a supermini but don't want a naff interior, scratchy plastics or weedy engines, you could do a lot worse than buying an Audi A1. However, the A1's poshness does make it more expensive to buy and insure than its rivals, and it's not the most practical car in its class. With that in mind, here are 10 of the best Audi A1 alternatives – including one or two curveballs.
1. Volkswagen Polo
Read our Volkswagen Polo review
The Volkswagen Polo is the closest thing to the Audi A1 on this list, given that it shares the A1's underpinnings, nearly all of its engine choices and it's still a reasonably posh-feeling small car. Sure, the Polo loses out simply by dint of not having that desirable Audi badge on its snout, but it's a lovely small car that drives well, is refined at motorway speeds and in many ways feels just as nice as its bigger brother – the Volkswagen Golf. A lower list price means you'll pick up a nicer, newer Polo for the same money as an older, higher-mileage A1.
2. Audi Q2
Read our Audi Q2 review
If you're after a small Audi but are open to the idea of an SUV rather than a traditional small hatchback, then the Audi Q2 should be on your shopping list. It's a bigger car altogether – the Q2 measures 4.2m long over the A1's 4.0-metre length, but that means you get more rear-seat space, more room in the boot as well as that higher driving position. As a result, the Q2 feels a little more grown up and it'll cost more than an A1, but you are getting a reasonable amount more car for your money.
3. Toyota Yaris
Read our Toyota Yaris review
The Toyota Yaris gives you something the Audi A1 simply can't – hybrid power. As well as being one of the most popular small cars, the Yaris' 1.5-litre hybrid engine gives you the ability to drive on electric power alone for short distances, with a decent slug of extra acceleration from the electric motor. Sure, its cabin isn't as premium-feeling as the A1's, and the Toyota's infotainment system is underwhelming by comparison – but the Yaris' low fuel bills are mighty tempting.
4. Mini Hatchback
Read our Mini hatchback review
Part of the Audi A1's enduring popularity is its sheer sense of premium style, and few of its rivals can really compete – with the exception of the Mini. Available as either a three-door or slightly more practical five-door car, the Mini drips with feelgood quirkiness in the cabin, and it has an excellent range of powerful engines and enjoyably direct handling. Get a Mini on a twisty British back-road and it'll put a bigger smile on your face than the A1 could ever dream of… at the expense of ride comfort. The Mini will jiggle your wobbly bits more than the A1, but you might find that a small price to pay for owning a car as cute as this.
Browse used Mini Hatchback cars for sale
5. Skoda Fabia
If you want a small car that's actually practical, has useful rear seats and a 380-litre boot space that can do a big shop, then look no further than the Skoda Fabia. Built from most of the same parts as the Audi A1, the Fabia majors on practicality. That said, the cabin's not lacking technology, and the interior is well-built if not as stylish as the one in the Audi. You get most of the same engines as the Audi A1, including the brilliant 110hp 1.0-litre petrol, which can be had with a fast-shifting dual-clutch gearbox. It might not be as stylish as the Audi, but it'll fit into your life like a faithful labrador that can carry really big slippers.
6. Suzuki Swift Sport
The Suzuki Swift Sport is a much more affordable alternative to the Audi A1, but it's still one that can put a smile on your face. The Swift Sport's 1.4-litre engine only puts out about 130hp, and a 9.1-second 0-62mph time feels brisk rather than quick, but it has an old-school hot-hatch feel to its driving experience that you don't really get in the A1. Factor in that affordability and Suzuki's reputation for reliability and you have a fun little hatchback that does things a little bit differently – just prepare yourself for an interior that feels a decade or so older than the Audi's.
7. Renault Clio
Read our Renault Clio review
For years the Renault Clio has traded on its sense of French style to draw in buyers, but the most recent version of the hatchback is a genuinely brilliant supermini. Take, for example, the Clio's interior. Find a 2023-onward facelift model and you'll be treated to soft cloth on the dashboard, a large portrait-orientation infotainment screen and a generally brilliant sense of sophistication that's more beef bourguignon than crusty baguette. Sure, the back seats aren't the most spacious (nor are they in the Audi), but there's a decent hybrid version and it drives very nicely. We'd argue it looks a bit more interesting than the A1 as well.
8. SEAT Ibiza
Read our SEAT Ibiza review
The fourth car in Volkswagen Group's supermini family, the SEAT Ibiza shares most of its oily bits with the Skoda Fabia, Volkswagen Polo and Audi A1. But it's actually one of the better superminis to drive, and the sharp looks set it apart from the crowd. It'll cost less to buy than an equivalent A1, though you're getting essentially the same engine choice as in the Audi. Where the SEAT can't touch the German is (surprise!) in interior quality – the SEAT's cabin is a sea of grey, which is a bit of shame because it's a practical car with a decent boot and reasonably spacious rear seats.
9. Peugeot 208
Read our Peugeot 208 review
Like Skoda, Peugeot is a brand desperately trying to push itself upmarket, and the Peugeot 208 is a very good supermini – it's one of our favourites. Why should you pick it as an Audi A1 alternative? Consider the Peugeot's sharp looks, bright colour palette (hello electric blue and bright yellow), as well as the fact it's available as a pure EV. In fact, the poor residual values of electric cars mean you can pick up a second-hand e-208 for the same price as one powered by the 1.2-litre petrol engine. Regardless of how your 208's powered, it gets a plush-feeling cabin with some quirky touches like a tiny steering wheel and chunky toggle switches on the dashboard. What's not to like?
10. Audi A3
Read our Audi A3 review
Bit of a curveball, this one, but look at the used market and you can pick up a pre-loved Audi A3 for the same price as a used A1. Sure, it'll be older and higher mileage, but the A3 does things the A1 can't. It has a bigger boot, much roomier back seats, a few more powerful engine choices and a more grown-up feel out on the road. We'd argue it also looks sharper, and you have the option of a saloon in addition to the regular five-door A3 Sportback. Like the Q2, the A3 is longer than the A1 – the A3 is 4.34m long vs 4.0 metres for the A1, but will 30cm make a huge difference? If not, consider stepping up to the A3.
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