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Why I chose my car – Interior designer Alev Barker on her Audi business car choice

Interior designer Alev Barker on her business car choice
WHEN interior designer Alev Barker was looking to buy a new car to complement her business, she was going to stay with the VW brand. Until a conversation put her on the path of a brand new Audi A1. Here’s why.
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Alev Barker: ditched Golf idea for Audi A1

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3 January 2012

Interior designer Alev Barker with her Audi A1 1.6 Diesel S line
Alev Barker: ditched Golf idea for Audi A1

ALEV is now at the wheel of a car from the VW Group (the major brands of which are Audi, SEAT, Skoda and, of course, Volkswagen). But it’s not the car she thought she was going to drive from the VW Group.

Alev is a freelance interior designer with an extensive list of clients, both major and minor. But she was feeling the need for a new car as her previous car – a 2.0-litre Passat – was beginning to feel in need of replacement.

At this point she was destined to buy a VW Golf for private and business use. But that’s when Business Car Manager became involved in her story.

Alev was working on a project with Alison, a co-director of the BCM website, who also runs her own interior design business – Alison Morton Interiors.

“I was explaining to Alison that I was going to buy the Golf,” says Alev, “when she said had I considered the Audi? I hadn’t. In fact, I didn’t think I could afford an Audi. But Alison explained that the car had just won the What Car? Car of the Year 2011 at the time I was looking and according to Business Car Manager was extremely good.

“Fortunately I hadn’t put down a deposit on the Golf, so at the weekend I went to my local Audi dealer – S G Smith at Wimbledon – and gave the car a test drive. It was fantastic. I was hooked. And it was affordable – I just didn’t realise that Audi made a car that size.”

Alev decided to choose the 1.6 diesel Sport version because it was the perfect combination of style and economy and came really well equipped. “It was also very spacious for a three-door car, ” adds Alev, who chose an Almalfi White version.

The current Audi A1 1.6 Diesel features 74.3mpg economy and CO2 emissions of just 99g/km following a few tweaks in the summer of 2011, although Alev’s version will feature the previous engine (70.6mpg and 105g/km CO2).

There are three versions – SE, Sport and S line. Alev’s is the Sport spec which includes attractive 16 inch alloy wheels, sports steering wheel, sports seating and fog lights as well as polished exhaust trims.

“So far I’ve been delighted with the Audi A1,” says Alev. “We purchased it on Audi finance from Wimbledon Audi because it was a convenient way to spread the payments and the residual value was great.

“I use the car for work and the economical engine is really useful at keeping running costs down considering the price of fuel. With its economical engine that’s proving quite useful!

“And just to think, I could have been driving around in a Golf instead…”

Read our car review of the Audi A1

Click on the link Audi A1 – Small car with a big feel

 

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Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton is an award-winning journalist and the founder of Business Car Manager (now renamed Business Motoring). Ralph writes extensively about the car and van leasing industry as well as wider fleet and company car issues. A former editor of What Car?, Ralph is a vastly experienced writer and editor and has been writing about the automotive sector for over 35 years.

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