Should I buy a Mercedes-Benz A-Class or BMW 1 Series?

I need to buy a car and looking at the BMW 1 series or the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. I do a lot of driving, approx 80 miles round trip to work daily. Budget is £18,000 max. Which one and which particular...

Does the Audi A3 1.4 petrol use a cam belt or timing chain?

Does the 2009 Audi A3 1.4 petrol use a cam belt or timing chain? If a belt, when does it need to be changed?

Should I buy a used Mercedes-Benz A-Class as my first car?

Would a Mercedes-Benz A-Class from circa 2005 make sense for a new driver on a budget?

Audi A3 (2008 - 2012)

Good choice of engines. Some petrol engines now chain cam. Comfortable and well built interior. cheap to run 1.6 TDI. Feels very refined especially on the motorway.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class (2005 - 2012)

Much better execution of original A-Class concept. Feels far higher quality, especially inside. Easy to park.

BMW 1 Series (2011 - 2019)

A very entertaining car to drive, efficient yet powerful engines, superb infotainment.