IT seems Audi can do little wrong these days.

The car maker is up there with the best, at the high end of the market with dozens of models, vying for position as the first among equals of prestige German brands.

All are pricey but that doesn't seem to deter car buyers with the brand going from success to success in both private and fleet market, even when you add on extra bits and pieces found as standard with other brands.

The upside of course are the residual values and Audis hold their price so when it comes to sell, so the initial outlay won't have seemed so painful.

It's difficult to say that any one particular model is responsible for its success, but the A3 must be a contender.

Recently revamped, the car oozes quality and the cabriolet is a desirable bit of kit especially with its cool and efficient folding fabric roof, which proved a hot topic of conversation as slid away in seconds.

It is typically efficient, folding away into place and away into place above the boot in just 12 seconds. It can even be folded away while on the move.

While boot space is not compromised by having the roof stored in there, the downside is that rear space is restricted so anyone in the rear seats is in for an uncomfortable ride.

An uncomfortable anything is unusual in an Audi which is engineered to the highest quality. Yes, expensive but the car has a luxurious feel with high class fit and trim including classy soft touch materials throughout the cabin. Doors close with a reassuring thud and controls and dials are neatly and logically laid out.

The two front seats are comfortable and supportive and multi-adjustable, as is the steering column.

The quality of the sound proofing also comes into play to muffle exterior noise which can sometimes be magnificed with a fabric roof. Road and wind noised are muted with the top up, and you really don't care too much with the roof down. Even then, apart from perhaps on motorways where noise can be deafening, sound intrusion is minimal.

The model I drove featured a powerful but frugal two-litre diesel engine. Pumping out 150ps, it offers rapid acceleration and excellent pulling power throughout the six gear range.

It races to 60mph in 8.7 seconds, hot hatch territory, but not at the cost of fuel economy. Average fuel consumption is a claimed, astonishing, 67.3mpg while CO2 emissions of 108g/km put it in the 16 per cent benefit in kind taxation bracket for business users. It is also cheap to tax.

On the road, the car handles well despite not having a permanent roof, with agile handling and direct, weighted steering. It grips well on corners and feels generally composed except on rougher roads where bumps  and potholes can cause a lumpy ride.

Despite it being a soft top, it is still fairly practical with a decent sized 260 litre boot capable of accommodating plenty of shopping or luggage. The rear seats also fold to more than double stowage space to 674 litres. There are various other pockets and containers available in the compartment.