Hi all,

We are looking to reward a very hard working Mum with a 4 seater convertable. Lots of 'research' and discussion have narrowed it down to either a SAAB (low on list because of the GM quality) A4 (high on list because of the looks) and the BMW 3 series (my favourite as I have had a few 325s in my time and loved them).

The budget is about 10k with some in reserve to secure an exceptional car.

Since she has had a lease car for the past decade, there is no NCB so we have to keep the insurance group low and sadly (for me) that rules out the big engines. She does not like powerful cars anyway, so no great loss.

I'm not looking for ammo to fuel my obvious bias, but genuine advice on the merits of the 1.8t, 2.0t and 2.4L powered A4 facelift models.

Your views on reliability, cost of maintenance and parts as well as open overall opinion compared to the other 2 manufacturers would be very much appreciated.

Many thanks in advance

Tony