I like to consider myself a sensible person, even if those around me think otherwise. I've found a sensible job writing about one of the few things I'm passionate about in life, and now that I'm into my early 30s, thoughts about both starting a family and purchasing a sensible car have started to float about in my imagination.
And this is precisely that car: The Audi A3. Now available with a 1.0-litre engine, the A3 has it all.
With more than enough space for two growing children, this compact Audi is a sensible choice for anyone
The solution for two different expectations
To start, it comes in as a Cat A COE car, which is perfect for me, as I rather like the idea of driving about in something with a premium badge, and yet I'm not really willing to dole out too much on transportation (there are upcoming mortgage payments to brace for after all).
And when it comes to starting a family, the Audi A3 is no slouch either. There's generous space at the rear for another two passengers to start, so that's accommodation for the next generation already catered for, and the car even comes with a total of 425 litres of boot space further aft still.
That's more than enough for any bachelor, sure, but all this space will surely come in handy once marketing trips become less about getting chips and drinks, and more about getting baby formula and diapers.
With the right dose of imagination, it can also transform into a mighty powerful machine And yes, that 1.0-litre unit may seem a bit small for a premium vehicle, but with 109bhp and 200Nm of torque to deploy, this A3 hardly feels weak. Not for Singapore's traffic light-riddled roads anyway.
Capable in both heavy traffic and empty roads
Which is exactly the sort of driving I must put up with in order to get to work every day. You see, it's precisely this sort of situation that calls for a car that will get you from point to point - hold on - somebody's trying to cut me off.
I swerve and narrowly miss the corner of the offending vehicle, but it is already too late. A frown digs itself across my forehead. I can feel it happening again. I'm suddenly no longer quite myself. My eyes go red. A bead of sweat trickles down my temple. There's a slight smirk that stretches across my face.
Direct steering and reliable all-wheel drive also mean you're always in control, all the better for gunning it through heavy traffic And my car suddenly has the heart to match its crazed driver as well, swelling into a growly, rumbly, and angry total of 2.5-litres of swept capacity, and pushing out a total of 394bhp, all the better to charge right through traffic. It even now sports badging the spells out the letters 'RS3'.
Two looks, for two different situations
It dons a mask like some long-forgotten antihero played by Jim Carrey, but this one here is finished in high gloss black instead of green, stretched across its face as if it's all ready to swallow up anything that's less than a supercar. And fittingly, it also loses its sensible Navarra Blue exterior for a flamboyantly bright Python Yellow.
It even seems to have lost that boot at its rear, all the better to make it look wide and squat, ready to take on any twisty road. Speaking of which, I execute just one quick downshift and all that engine growl turns into a sharp snarl, launching us far and away from the offending vehicle.
Which will you make your pick? And this turn of speed is not too frightening either, with the direct steering and excellent ride that my little Audi offers ensuring that I am always in control - vital, when you're driving without full rein over your emotions.
Which face will you wear?
Needless to say, the drive to the workplace office is completed in no time whatsoever, as usual. I park my little beast, and take one quick breath in - and out - and everything around me seems to slow right back down to normal. As I step out of the car, I notice it has lost all its carbon fibre pieces and returned to its demure shade of blue. Perhaps I imagined it all in my head?
But there's no time to think about just what happened, for a long workday awaits, and tomorrow will be yet another opportunity for the both of us to face this silly traffic once again.
Me together with my perfect dual-faced little Audi.
And this is precisely that car: The Audi A3. Now available with a 1.0-litre engine, the A3 has it all.
The solution for two different expectations
To start, it comes in as a Cat A COE car, which is perfect for me, as I rather like the idea of driving about in something with a premium badge, and yet I'm not really willing to dole out too much on transportation (there are upcoming mortgage payments to brace for after all).
And when it comes to starting a family, the Audi A3 is no slouch either. There's generous space at the rear for another two passengers to start, so that's accommodation for the next generation already catered for, and the car even comes with a total of 425 litres of boot space further aft still.
That's more than enough for any bachelor, sure, but all this space will surely come in handy once marketing trips become less about getting chips and drinks, and more about getting baby formula and diapers.
Capable in both heavy traffic and empty roads
Which is exactly the sort of driving I must put up with in order to get to work every day. You see, it's precisely this sort of situation that calls for a car that will get you from point to point - hold on - somebody's trying to cut me off.
I swerve and narrowly miss the corner of the offending vehicle, but it is already too late. A frown digs itself across my forehead. I can feel it happening again. I'm suddenly no longer quite myself. My eyes go red. A bead of sweat trickles down my temple. There's a slight smirk that stretches across my face.
Two looks, for two different situations
It dons a mask like some long-forgotten antihero played by Jim Carrey, but this one here is finished in high gloss black instead of green, stretched across its face as if it's all ready to swallow up anything that's less than a supercar. And fittingly, it also loses its sensible Navarra Blue exterior for a flamboyantly bright Python Yellow.
It even seems to have lost that boot at its rear, all the better to make it look wide and squat, ready to take on any twisty road. Speaking of which, I execute just one quick downshift and all that engine growl turns into a sharp snarl, launching us far and away from the offending vehicle.
Which face will you wear?
Needless to say, the drive to the workplace office is completed in no time whatsoever, as usual. I park my little beast, and take one quick breath in - and out - and everything around me seems to slow right back down to normal. As I step out of the car, I notice it has lost all its carbon fibre pieces and returned to its demure shade of blue. Perhaps I imagined it all in my head?
But there's no time to think about just what happened, for a long workday awaits, and tomorrow will be yet another opportunity for the both of us to face this silly traffic once again.
Me together with my perfect dual-faced little Audi.
