What’s not?

• £39,955 is a lot to pay for the fastest Audi A3 and it’s very easy to spend more on options – our car listed at over £51,000 – which was eye-watering!
• The RS3 is a great handler, but the quattro four-wheel drive lacks the sensitivity and involvement of rivals, such as the BMW M135i. We found it understeered on the limit too.

Verdict on the Audi RS3

Audi takes the hottest hot hatch crown for the moment with the RS3 and with the five-door Sportback body, it’s a surprisingly practical choice too.

Shame then, that its handling, with quattro four-wheel drive lacks the involvement of rivals such as the BMW M135i. Extras such as Magnetic Ride, the adjustable dampers and RS exhaust add massively to the RS3 experience but they soon add up. Budget accordingly. But in return you’ll get a hugely enjoyable supercar style drive with the ability to do the supermarket shopping too.