Faults:

A small section of the rubber on the rear right tyre began to peal. The fault was on the side wall and may just be the Continental tyre company's fault, not Audi's.

The plastic and rubber on the key/remote wears rather quickly.

General Comments:

This car has the most fabulous brakes I've ever driven in. The 4-channel ABS does its job incredibly well.

Fantastic seats that really glue your backside to the road.

The dials of the cabin's climate control and original car stereo are a bit confusing for those moving up from Japanese cars.

Adapting to using your indicators on the left takes only about 2 corners.

Acceleration off the line is acceptable, but would not recommend for real traffic light rev-heads.

A plethora of seat adjustments to ensure everyone is comfortable. I'm 188cm and there's ample room for me in all areas.

The contoured seating allows rear passengers to be equally comfortable.

A lovely balanced suspension that provides a smooth ride with a sporty feel when cornered hard.

The steering wheel is a bit too heavy for my liking and makes tight cornering around small roundabouts more cumbersome than they need to be.

The red light behind most dash displays adds a real funky look during night drives.

Faults:

Some dashboard bulbs.

Gearbox/engine problems still not diagnosed as they are intermittent, but which result in the car stuttering and not changing up with resultant heavy petrol consumption. Dealer says No Fault Found.

A broken wheel brace was not replaced by the dealer initially.

Three punctures in the last year.

The Service indicator was not reset despite three trips to the garage, it still said Service Due.

General Comments:

The car has nippy performance, and until the last six months it has been very reliable as a new car should be.

The seats are quite hard on long journeys with resulting backache.

The red instrument panel is not easy to see during night driving.

The radio and secondary controls are small, fiddly and cannot safely be used when driving.

Also for the package I feel it is overpriced against the competition.

Faults:

Both front tires wore down to the canvas after 26,000 miles because the steering was out of alignment.

The air mass meter was replaced after 27,000 miles, under warranty, due to poor engine performance when the engine was cold.

The driver's seat has developed an irritating rattle which cannot be traced.

General Comments:

The car handles extremely well on any road surface.

It was supplied with climate control at the time of purchase. This has proved to be an important addition to the smooth running and comfort of the car, regardless of the weather conditions outside.

Faults:

Paint work scratches easily. (Dealer says Balck is a soft colour)

Head lamps filled with condensation. (Replaced under warranty)

Indicators filled with condensation.

(Dealer says "its normal and would not cause any damage")

Blue smoke blows from the exhaust when cold, oil levels were measured and checked and the car uses 1 litre of oil every 4000 miles. (Dealer says "its within "Audi" guidelines". Told us to check the oil every week and gave us a "free" can of oil).

Alloy wheels tarnished after 1000 miles. (Replaced under warranty)

Trip meter and clock reset themselves intermittently. (Dealer say they can't find a fault)

Electric motor for drivers window has fallen of it mounting. (fixed under warranty, but it fell of, again fixed under warranty)

General Comments:

The car looks good (from a distance).

Feels very solid and comfortable.

Some nice touches inside.

17 visits in two years to the dealer seems a bit much, getting rid of the "Audi" and trying a "Lexus". Hopefully I will not be on first name terms with "Lexus" service staff.

Faults:

Driver's seat squeaking.

Passenger seat didn't latch.

Rattle from a seat belt.

Ticking noise from the engine.

Squeaking cooling fan.

Fuel starvation when cold.

Badly fitted instrument binacle.

Rattle from a passenger seat.

General Comments:

Overall a nice car, with some build quality issues.

Performance isn't lightning.

The vehicle dynamics can not match the confidence of the Ford Focus which is in a different league.