On the plush side

Small cars with a high-class feel don’t come much better than the Audi A1 Sportback and Mini 5dr. But which one is the better used buy?

is unpleasant, although the A1’s sounds a little louder than the Mini’s. However, the Mini generates more road noise, and overall it’s the A1 that’s more hushed at 70mph.

Meanwhile, the Mini’s tauter suspension will ruffle more feathers, because you get jostled around far more over bumps than you do in the A1. Indeed, the A1 is about as smooth-riding as small cars get, and it’s not just on faster roads where its extra absorbency shows up; it’s especially effective at smothering large bumps around town.

Things are better for the Mini when it’s equipped with optional adaptive suspension, but this was £600 extra when the car was new, so you’ll find that not all that many used examples have it fitted.

With its firmer suspension, you’d expect