Audi A1 S1 (2014 - 2018) S1 TFSI Quattro 5d Owner Review

Audi have always managed to have my heart somehow. I am not a die hard German car fan, but I do appreciate a car with a bit of heritage. In fact, I have mostly owned small, cheap cars that get me from A to B and return Decent MPG with the ability to get shopping in the boot, until one day i decided I will get something a little different... *Enter S1!* The S1 certainly is different. A lot of people know of the original S3 8L in which the S1 is almost seen as a predecessor. The car can come with a handful of extra's, from additional spoilers to interior trim to suit your personal taste. I opted for Sepang Blue with the Quattro Exterior pack. People have asked, is it the 1.4?, 1.6?... and when you tell them it shares the same 2.0 TFSI unit as the S3 only with a different turbo that spits out 230 BHP and arrives from a standstill to 60 in 5.5 seconds, they are quite surprised! The car is a Jekyll and Hyde, you can choose from three modes 'Dynamic, Auto and Efficiency' Auto - A good all round selection for day to day driving. I have noticed a little body roll in this setting. Efficiency - Softens Dampers, limits performance to maximise economy (*Note the small switch under the accelerator? Press this when flooring it to release all the ponies in efficiency mode if required!) Dynamic - It gets very interesting here. Once selected, the car hunkers slightly and turns into a rocket. Instantly, the throttle response is maximised, Flaps in the exhaust open to release a lovely note when climbing into the rev range, Artificial weight is added to the steering wheel and the dampers are at their hardest. Ride can be compromised and can be a little bumpy in this selection so make sure the road is nice! The boot space in all honestly, is not great. This is due to the Quattro gubbins being under the boot. You will have 270 litres to play with and 900 odd with the seats folded down. People will tell you, "you can get an S3 for that money!", "why didnt you buy a Fiesta ST?" and my answer, its completely different, its not just a hot hatch back, its owning a little piece of refined madness.