The 150TDI, which is the least costly Touareg, has 18-inch alloy wheels and conventional coil-sprung suspension. 2000 worth of extra features including electric tailgate, heated steering wheel with paddle shifters, extra dark tinted privacy windows and cargo cover. A smart key lets you unlock and start the car with the key still in your pocket or bag. In November 2017 Volkswagen introduced another 150TDI model, called the Monochrome, with additional extras over the Element including 19-inch alloy wheels and ventilated seats. Spending more for the Touareg V6 TDI gets you fancier looking 20-inch alloy wheels, and suspension with height-adjustable air springs (these let you raise the car when driving off road, for more ground clearance). The front seats, mirrors and steering wheel remember your adjustments, so that you can return to them quickly after a companion has driven the car. You also get a better class of leather trim, and a power-opening tailgate. And the fuel tank is bigger. The most expensive Touareg, the V8 TDI R-Line, has even fancier 21-inch wheels, two-tone leather, heated rear seats, and separately adjustable climate-control for the rear-seat passengers. The sound system is better. It also has additional safety systems that warn you if a vehicle is in your blind spot when changing lanes, and if you drift out of your lane.
Headroom is still a bit tight, but it’s broadly on par with the Volkswagen and Honda for legroom. The Mercedes features a large central cubby, and with no gearlever on the centre console, there’s a big set of cup-holders for extra storage, which is easier to access than the VW’s cubby below its screen. In the makers’ chart of our Driver Power 2018 owner satisfaction survey, Mercedes finished behind both Volkswagen and Honda, in a relatively poor 20th place out of 26 brands. Honda performed well in third, while Volkswagen ranked in fifth position overall. The A-Class gets a full five-star Euro NCAP rating. Autonomous braking and lane-keep assist are standard on all three cars, but blind spot assist and parking sensors are both missing from the A 35; they’re part of the costly £1,695 Driving Assistance and £1,395 Executive option packages. One example of pricey options on the AMG is heated seats, which are part of the £1,395 Executive Package (they’re included as standard on the Golf R).
But this also adds worthwhile extras, such as the larger infotainment screen. The A 35 returned a solid 34.4mpg during our test. “The A 35’s dual-clutch gearbox is occasionally jerky in auto mode when it gets caught in two minds. It also sometimes selects an inappropriate gear in town. Honda offers the Civic Type R in two forms: standard and GT. Here we’re testing the £33,525 GT, which matches these rivals for kit but works out cheaper to buy. It’s our current favourite hot hatch, so it’s the model to beat. The Honda Civic Type R is already a legendary hot hatch. While the current 2.0-litre turbo isn’t an all-time great (especially next to the high-revving motors in previous Type Rs), it produces 316bhp and 400Nm of torque, so it’s the most powerful car here. As with its rivals, the Honda features struts at the front and a multi-link rear, but unlike the A 35 and Golf R, the Honda is front-wheel drive only, and there’s no automatic transmission option.
The interior is plain, and features materials that, while hard-wearing, look and feel cheaper than those in the Mercedes and VW. The seven-inch touchscreen display is poor (see Infotainment, Page 44), so the Honda’s cabin is a weak point in this test. However, the Civic’s bright red sports seats go some way to make up for that. The driving position is close to perfect, while the bolsters provide loads of support and they add a sense of occasion to the cabin that’s somewhat missing from its rivals’. The Type R GT version has plenty of standard kit, including sat-nav, climate control, parking sensors and wireless smartphone charging. Also fitted is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, plus blind spot monitoring. Adaptive dampers and a limited-slip differential are standard, too, the former being optional on both rivals. R mode is best saved for the track and is a little too firm for everyday use. Sport mode is still taut, but only the worst potholes will cause serious discomfort. Comfort will allow plenty of fun, too, although it softens the dampers for everyday driving and offers a surprising level of compliance.
