Premium Small Cars under $50K: Gold Star Value Awards 2015

Style and substance meet in the premium hatch showdown.

Audi A1 Sportback

AUDI appeal is just as potent in concentrated form. The A1’s classy cabin might be shrunken compared with, say, an A4, but it’s just as slick.

You don’t even need to spend beyond the base model thanks to a likeable new 1.0-litre turbo triple, which teams brilliantly with the five-speed manual. The little donk helps the A1 sip just 4.2L/100km, which is better than most, though it does prefer more expensive
95-octane PULP.

However, the 60 percent three-year retained value is solid in this company, the three-year warranty as good as all bar the Citroen DS3 (fourth), and the 12-month service interval is unbeaten.

Mini One 3dr

THE Mini might be classless, but it’s also classy enough to take the silver thanks, once again, to a turbo triple engine that’s equal parts likeable and economical, at 4.9L/100km (on 95 RON).

Peugeot 308 Allure HDi

A TURBO-diesel taking category honours used to be typical, and Peugeot’s 308 Allure shows that a 2.0-litre oil-burner can still mix it with the new wave of tiny petrol triples.