[cozza]

I checked one out today and took it for a test drive. The quality of finishes is fantastic, and there's so many little storage areas. Standard features were impressive, although their "connect" system with the bolt-on screen that juts out from the dash doesn't look quite right. I really like the design of the car in person, especially its interior, which is a cut above BMW's. It felt a lot more sporty in the driver's seat than the F20, but I wasn't overly impressed with the 7 speed auto gearbox - it struggled to find the correct gear in city traffic, particularly over a series of speedhumps. Nice and torquey though, and it sounded pretty good. The A45 will be a weapon, and a real contender in the hot hatch segment.