Car choice: Alfa or Audi?

Simon Scott does a lot of commuting, and he wants something upmarket, comfy, economical and distinctive. His budget is up to £20,000

(Audi)

A car for the head

This is a difficult position for Simon to be in, as he wants proper executive image credibility – combined with frugality. In that case an Audi A4 diesel becomes an optimal choice. When it comes to style, build quality and feel-good factor the A4 still has it, though there are some critics who do not rate the Audi’s ride, considering it harsh and uncomfortable. Simon should drive a 2.0 TDi which I belive he will find refined and relaxing. Certainly an overall fuel consumption that just nudges 50mpg would be a financial bonus. A 2015 2.0TDI S Line model with 13,500 miles is £19,495.

(Alfa Romeo (Alfa Romeo)

A car for the heart

Simon hasn’t considered an Alfa 159. In a world of “me too” executive cars that usually come from Germany, the Alfa is different. It’s Italian. That means it looks good and so very different from the crowd, one very good reason for having one. It is also quite spacious inside and the diesel engine that Simon wants is not that noisy. The 2.4 model will return just over 40 mpg while the smaller 1.9 diesel will get within a whisker of 50mpg, officially anyway. A 2010 Q Tronic with 50,000 miles is just £10,000.

If you would like James Ruppert to help with your car choice, email james@freecarmag.com. For more motoring views visit freecarmag.com