Insurance Group: 42
MPG: 31.0
CO2: 212
0-62 Mph: 4.6 secs
BHP: 335 BHP
Range: 409 miles
PROS: The RS3 delivers absolutely blistering performance thanks to its 2.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine. Audi's legendary Quattro AWD system delivers unbelievable grip and, despite the car's sporty stance, the ride is surprisingly comfortable. It's practical too.
CONS: £40,000 for an A3 (even if it is an unbelievably fast A3) is a lot of money. High CO2 emissions, poor fuel economy and steep insurance will also push the running costs into the stratosphere.
The 2.5-litre nuclear missile under the bonnet churns out 335bhp, which makes for a 0-62mph time of 4.6 seconds and a (limited) top speed of 155mph. This means that this £40k hatchback is every bit as fast as a BMW M3.
It's surprisingly composed too. AWD cars have a tendency towards understeer; however, the RS3 grips and grips and grips. You can chuck it into bends at suicidal speeds and it'll never bite back.
Audi has had to beef up the A3's suspension to help it cope with the mountain of power under the bonnet but, despite this, the RS3 is remarkably composed on rough roads.
At first glance, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the RS3 is a standard A3 Sportback; however, the big exhausts, the lowered ride height and the muscular haunches give the game away. However, depsite the alterations, the RS3 remains a paragon of discretion and good taste.
It's the same story on the inside. Audi make arguably the best car interiors on the mainstream market and the RS3 is no exception. Superbly built and tastefully appointed.
You get a decent amount of kit in the RS3. Alloys, climate control, leccy windows, leather seats, parking sensors, sat-nav, Bluetooth and a CD player which plays MP3s all come as standard; however, Audi will charge you an extra £220 for cruise contol, which seems a bit mean on a £40k car.
The RS3 is as practical as a standard A3. You get a decent boot (302-litres seats up, 1,032-litres seats down) and a good amount of space in the back.
Safety, however, is one area in which the RS3 is lacking. Sure, you get plenty of airbags and ISOFIX child mounting points; however, the A3 is getting a bit long in the tooth and only scored four stars in the Euro NCAP tests when five has become the norm. Plus, the RS3 doesn't exactly coax you into driving safely.
Reliability shouldn't be an issue. Audis are phenomenally well screwed together and the RS3 should be no exception.
At £39,950, the RS3 is not cheap. However, when you take the car's M3-rivalling performance into consideration, it could be considered the bargain of the century.
The official combined economy figure for the RS3 is 31mpg; however, you'll have to drive like an undertaker to get anywhere near this and we feel that this sort of defeats the point of the car.
Group 42 insurance will be expensive and CO2 emissions of 212g/km means VED band K road tax.
However, this is a performance car, and high running costs come with the territory. It would be churlish to mark the RS3 down for poor fuel economy, and when it comes to bang-for-your-buck performance, the RS3 is actually quite a tempting deal.
If it's practical performance you're looking for, they really don't come better than this. Okay, so the RS3 is stupidly expensive and you'll bankrupt yourself every time you fill it with petrol, bu...
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