Audi S3

That’s £27k basic for a hot hatch. The Audi S3 is good, but is it that much better than the equivalent Golf R32?

• Comfort

  Relatively spacious cabin and decent quality make this a comfy car, though the suspension definitely feels of a more sporting bent than lesser A3s, so if you need to do distance, steer clear of bumpy roads (ie, drive in another country).

  

• Performance

  The S3 provides a 261bhp shove courtesy of a highly-tuned TFSI four-cylinder motor with the same basic bits as the Golf GTI, instead of a more traditional V6. You get 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds and a limited 155mph, which are respectable figures, but the S3 loses the noise of a V6 and can suffer from turbo lag because of the state of tune.

  

• Cool

  Neither cool nor uncool. It just is.

  

• Quality

  Well built in a very anonymous fashion.

  

• Handling

  Quattro security and some fine fettling by the Audi boffins mean the S3 is one of the best country lane attack weapons for the UK, even if it does get a bit woolly when you really start to go quickly. Rides pretty well, but the trade off is a lack of absolute precision. The steering could have more feel if we're being picky.

  

• Practicality

  The boot's average for this sector at 350 litres (a Focus ST comes in at 385), and it'll seat four in relative comfort, five for short distances. It is a hatch though, and the seats fold, so day-to-day it's a practical bit of kit.

  

• Running costs

  Expensive to buy at £27k, but residuals are solid. High Group 18 insurance means that it's not bought by boy racers, but even though it's a fast hatch, think premium saloon running costs.