Audi A3 saloon is a premium experience at reasonable price

OCCASIONALLY in this gig people will come to you seeking advice — on the basis, presumably, that as an official “motoring correspondent” you might actually have some small clue what you’re waffling about.

This does actually have some small grain of truth about it, as I do actually know a smidgen or two about cars and things car-related. Not much, you understand, but just enough to spoof my way through any inquiries from car buffs/friends/generally interested parties.

Thankfully many queries that come my way are not of a technical nature, which — as long suffering readers will tell you, is not my forte — but more along the lines of: “I’ve got this much money to spend, so what should I buy?”