Looking for a compact middle class car for 6,000 euros

Audi A3 1.6 Attraction Business Edition

• 2008
• 99,999 km
• €6.450

They still exist: cars that have been carefully driven and maintained by their owners. Take this Audi A3: admittedly thirteen years old and therefore the oldest occasion of our three, but in all those years the first and only owner has not even gone around the clock with it. And you can see that: the German is really spotless from all sides. We wonder if anyone has ever taken the back seat. We would not be surprised if this was not the case, due to the fairly limited living space there and the somewhat difficult entry into these three-doors. Furthermore, the luggage compartment never seems to have seen a suitcase. An honest car and still of the old stamp, because under the hood no blown downsize block, but an atmospheric 1.6. This makes the premium Golf modestly motorized. The 102 hp help the 1,185 kilo heavy carriage ahead adequately, but without it over. The confidence-inspiring chassis therefore has no problem with this power source. Good-naturedly, the A3 does its thing, but at speed you notice that the block is not very modern: at 100 km/h it runs smoothly at 3,000 rpm and you can hear it. It does not quite fit with the peace that is normally evoked on board, in the sense that the dashboard is made of beautiful, sturdy materials and that the operation of this does not raise any question marks. Everything is where you expect it. Now we have to say that despite the impressive name Attraction Business Edition, this is a fairly simple car that, as said, is not the newest. Compared to the Hyundai and Seat that are discussed in this way, the Audi is the only brake assistant and ESP on board, with the Seat it shares a differential lock and at the time four stars from the Euro NCAP test (the i30 has five). That’s not too bad, but cruise control is missing, for example, just like heated door mirrors and front fog lamps. Seat heating at the front is there again. Nevertheless, we don’t feel that we are missing much, because quality and condition of the car make up for a lot. Remarkable: exactly the same power source as the Seat, but the maintenance interval here is 30,000 kilometers against 15,000 for the Spaniard. We say: this Audi deserves a boss who handles it just as carefully as the previous one. Then, given his calm nature, he will last a very long time.

Seat Leon 1.6 25 Edition I

• 2009
• 138,896
• €5.995

This second generation of the Seat Leon has a very different character than the A3. To start with, the appearance: it completely broke with that of the muscular-looking predecessor. In terms of appearance, we find this generation Leon the least sporty appearance, some nice details – ‘hidden’ rear doors, wipers that know a vertical rest position – despite. Fortunately, there are the well-supporting sports seats, sporty dashboard meters with needles that also hang straight down in rest position and the very sturdy sports suspension. What’s called: manhole covers are passed around mercilessly. Active drivers seem to get their money’s worth in the Leon than in his more business-like relative from Ingolstadt. It is not the wheel suspension: it is independent in combination with McPhersons and rear multilink (four wishbones), and with coil springs all around, the Leon has exactly the same layout as the A3 and the i30. It will be because no stabilizer bar is mounted behind, so that the Seat behaves just a bit more playfully.

The Seat is a bit younger than its brother we just drove. He has seen more of the world and had more owners (three to one), so the price is slightly lower. From a motor point of view, it is also an unblown 1.6 with its relatively modest 102 hp, but here too the Leon has a clearly sportier slant: it steers much more directly, and thanks to the exhaust hum you have the idea that things go much smoother than in the A3, but on paper the performance hardly differs. That is also not possible, because the weights are about the same. However, the body is completely different in cut, which results in a lot of interior space in the front, while rear passengers only have to give in to the i30 in terms of livability. Anyone looking for space is therefore much better off with the Leon than with the A3.

The equipment of the Leon is also slightly more generous. The audio system with steering wheel controls is just a bit more extensive, while the alloy wheels once again reflect the Leon’s ambitions. Yet the Leon with its equipment can not compete with the Hyundai and with its use of materials can not compete with the A3. The plastics used are slightly less, the center console looks remarkably empty and – of course because of its experience – we come across a little more wear and tear. Nevertheless, we also think this Leon is worth its money, especially for those who aspire to sporty traits and share them with their family.

Hyundai i30 1.6i i-Motion

• 2011
• 108,242
• €6,500

If it doesn’t have to be very chic or sporty, but if you just want as much car for your money as possible, a no-nonsense type like the Hyundai i30 could just be something for you. In any case, the specifications speak in favor: two years younger than the more characteristic competition. This means that there is even a bodywork warranty until 2023. In terms of price and mileage, the South Korean comes close to the Audi. It has had just as many previous owners as the Seat. You notice that the i30 is younger in the equipment and the safety level. We already mentioned the maximum score in the Euro NCAP crash test, but with electric rear door windows, rear parking sensors, electrically folding door mirrors, the most extensive audio system, adjustable lumbar support in the front and center armrests in the front and rear, the i30 again shows its relatively youthful age and origin.

The power source is also a naturally aspirated 1.6, but equipped with four valves per cylinder instead of two. It clearly makes him the most powerful, without actually playing this out in practice. However, the Hyundai is a lot more economical; the start-stop system may contribute to that. Furthermore, the car is the largest; rear passengers benefit more than the people in the front. The luggage space is in line with the market.

So a lot of car for your money, but what’s the downside? It is difficult to put your finger on the sensitive spot, but in general we find the i30 slightly less refined than the Audi and the Seat. Furniture, the materials used, the structure of the dashboard … everything is neat, but not really pronounced. On the road it is also middle of the road: the chassis is well balanced and offers a pleasant mix of firmness and comfort and the steering also does what the average driver wants from him, but as sporty as the Seat or good-natured as the He is not Audi. Is that bad? Certainly not for the average Dutchman who lets his or her heart speak less than the bank account.

And speaking of that: when we turned the i30 back into the yard at Spijker & Vergunst, a family was already ready to take the keys from us to test drive the i30. Soberly, you don’t need more to get from A to B safely and dry. But if you want to go via C or, if necessary, D, the choice would be best on chic or sporty.

There is much more

Besides these three portrayed cars, the offer is almost unlimited, whichever way you want to go. Chic? Then the Mercedes-Benz A-class is an obvious option. Sporty? How about the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, the BMW 1-series, a Ford Focus or a Mazda 3? More sober and preferably as much car as possible in front of the door? The Kia Cee’d is then a model that comes to the surface with us, just like various Japanese.