German Small High Performance Models Face Off

Here’s a question: does anyone actually stage a pedal-to-the-metal 0-100km/h run? It’s a figure quoted all the time, and taken very seriously in certain circles. If you regard it as the hot-hatch holy grail, then here’s the spoiler: Audi claims a sprint time of 3.8sec for the RS3, the Mercedes-AMG A45 S can do the job in supposedly 3.9sec, while the BMW M240i is another four-tenths behind at 4.3sec. Half a second between first and last.

But that dragstrip exercise is, in reality, only a fragment of the bigger picture. Neither the RS3 nor the A45 feels as quick off the mark as a PDK-equipped Cayman GT4, for instance, which claims a time identical to the Merc. And when it comes to seat-of-the-pants feel, the M240i xDrive really doesn’t seem half a second slower.

There’s a good reason behind all this. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder AMG engine needs 5000rpm to muster its maximum torque of 500Nm. The Audi 2.5-litre five-cylinder’s identical 500Nm peak is at 2250rpm, while the 3.0-litre straight-six in the BMW requires only 1900rpm to produce its 500Nm.

It’s not the number of cylinders that matters here. What really counts is the combination of displacement, calibration and gearing. The result is that the BMW can, on public roads, keep up with its rivals – and that’s without even pulling out all the stops.

With this trio of compact all-wheel drive performance cars – you might want to call them hyper hatches, except the BMW’s not a hatch – you soon realise that there’s a significant gap between on-paper form and real-life observations. It’s not the engine in isolation, nor the chassis, or those in-dash bits of tech that tip the scales. More than ever, this threesome is all about the sum of each player’s parts.

You soon realise there’s a significant gap between on-paper form and real-life observations

These cars all have significant differences, beyond the number of cylinders. In character, content and composition, they are quite distinct. But there’s enough overlap for it to be very clear that they’re aimed at the same type of customer.
Let’s begin by comparing the three drivetrains, and for a change start with the transmissions.

BMW used to be an avid supporter of the dual-clutch design, but the latest M3/M4 has ruefully returned to the eight-speed M Steptronic Sport also fitted to the M240i. Ever since Mercedes launched the CLK AMG DTM way back when, it dawned on the sports-car community that a super-stiff and fast-acting torque converter delivered most the pros and none of the cons of the DCT.

Having said that, both the staccato eight-speed dual-clutch unit of the Mercedes-AMG and the seven-speed ’box fitted to the RS3 turn every single full-throttle upshift into a more physical and emotional exclamation mark. In the sportiest drive mode, up-shift action is whiplash brutal while the equally sudden hardcore downshifts are liable to make the entire drivetrain shrug and judder from front to rear before calm is re-established for a brief breather.

Select Dynamic or Race, and the mechanical stress will be augmented by sky-high revs, a distinct unwillingness to step up to a taller ratio and an urge to change down super early. Yes, it’s as easy to hate this pre-programmed hyper-agility as it is to question the synthetic, extra-loud exhaust, the artificial throttle blipping and the fake lift-off blat-blat.

But the children of the AMG revolution beg to differ. Always inspired, here you’re rewarded with an even more aggressive launch control sequence which increases the engine speed and opens all exhaust flaps before igniting the crackling take-off fireworks.

Audi’s answer to the Merc’s decibel attack is a somewhat more pronounced rear-bias torque split, a fraction more standing start wheel slip, and a slightly shorter first and second gear. Although the RS3 is 65 kilos heavier than the A45, the shorter-legged transmission and the hungrier AWD calibration secure that token one-tenth advantage in the 0-100km/h shootout.

The iconic single-turbo five-cylinder is a proper powerhouse. It was test-benched by Audi Sport at up to 350kW when the old world order was still intact, but even this 294kW version ticks all the right boxes – as long as the revs are kept on the busy side of 2500rpm.

Max power arrives at a comparatively relaxed 5600rpm. Whereas the ceiling of the BMW in-line six sits between 5500 to 6500rpm, the AMG unit needs a roaring 6750rpm to muster its full force.

The M240i is not a hot hatch but a coupe. As such, it has no rear doors and token rear seats but an adequate 390 litres of boot space. Part of what makes the 2 Series unique in this company is the sportier driving position. It’s not so much the vehicle height but the lower H-point which creates that coveted road-hugging feeling of being in full control at all times.

The BMW cockpit layout is relatively user-friendly; in contrast, the A45 S warrants a total immersion course in advanced ergonomics. Its flat-bottom helm is studded with 15 different thumb challenges; the main monitor is happy to display and memorise special drills like drift angle, steering angle, g-force and throttle depression rate; the choice of go-faster modes includes M for manual, Race with Race-Timer, Track Pace, Advanced, Sport Plus, Sport Handling and Powerful (exhaust note only).

What’s missing are a couple of buttons to access your two preferred settings, BMW M1- and M2-style.

The RS3 wins the Golden Eiderdown Trophy for the best ride in Comfort mode

While the cabin of the AMG is gaudy and garish as well as loaded with features and five stylish eyeball vents, the dashboard of the Audi looks more e-Tron than RS3, despite a handful of fire-red accents. The driver environment is a sombre mix of matte and polished surfaces which attract fingerprints like moths to a flame.

A few direct-consequence buttons lurk low down in the centre stack, but the main interfaces are a large touchscreen and the excellent voice-control system. The on-demand, full waltzing step compendium requires the RS Dynamic Pack Plus which includes desirable carbon-ceramic brakes, adjustable dampers and a mildly lowered ride height.

While the RS Performance Mode invites you to precondition the car for the next drift session, the newly introduced Runway instrument graphics boast gimmicks like g-meter, power and torque meter, digital speedo and two parallel bar graph rev counters. What a contrast with the first no-handbook-required RS3 launched in 2011…

The latest RS3 is shod with 265 tyres up front and 245 rubber at the back – but not primarily for more front-end grip and a more energetic turn-in. Instead, it was the higher axle load which demanded the upgrade complemented by fatter anti-roll bars, reinforced pivot bearings and a dash more negative camber.

These measures result in an absolutely unerring directional stability. The Audi also wins the Golden Eiderdown Trophy for the best ride in Comfort mode. The BMW is a relatively close second, the Mercedes a predictably distant third. Those of you who agree that compliance equals control would find the car from Ingolstadt the perfect 24/7 Jack of all trades.

But since Comfort permits a little too much roll, pitch and yaw over uneven bitumen, one could argue that this chassis would actually be better suited for a theoretical ‘S3 Plus’ than for the uncompromising RS range-topper.

With their respective suspension set-ups locked in the meanest domina position, the Audi and the Merc plot their paths like four-wheel, high-speed staplers, wildly determined to mash coil springs and clobber shock absorbers.

The A45 AMG, in particular, can feel locked in battle with C-roads where it keeps coming close to losing the red guiding thread under hard braking, hard acceleration and hard cornering. This inherent nervousness remains, albeit to a lesser extent, on fast, winding Autobahn sections.

The AMG engineers could have mitigated the prevailing restlessness by opting for a slightly more relaxed steering set-up, but no, it had to be every bit as razor-sharp and prompt as the suspension and the drivetrain. As a result, the car from Affalterbach is an impulsive, hyper-active apex wrestler.

Audi chose a different set of parameters for the RS3. Its steering feels even lighter than the two-finger Benz, the questionable variation in effort and rate is more subdued, the self-centring effect is well contained, and the feedback around the straight-ahead position is reassuringly firm.

But as soon as you wind on lock, the wheel cuts back on poise and rigour, and that underlying nose-heaviness on winding roads relies on the driver’s right foot almost as much as on the palms of both hands.

What happened to the BMW while the Audi and Mercedes were busy kicking each other’s heads in? Over the course of this comparo, it got promoted, step by step, driver by driver, from known quantity to maybe the new reference. And it did so because the two alleged superstars lost a few feathers en route from brochure promises to reality.

After all, the M240i wins the two disciplines than matter most for any daily driver; namely ride and handling. The steering, for starters, operates in a realm of its own, blending a fluent meatiness with total clarity and exactly the right measure of response.

There is a linearity and honesty to this direction-finder the other two more heavily chip-loaded systems simply cannot match: gearing, weight, accuracy, number of turns from lock-to-lock, speed of response, even the turning circle.

The BMW sports the longest wheelbase which eclipses the RS3 by an important 110mm. No surprise, then, that the 2 Series rides better than its two rivals here and, thanks to the optional adaptive M suspension you can choose between a marginally cushier or firmer set-up.

Although over 900kg of the kerb weight rests on the BMW’s nose, the chassis has homogeneity written all over it. A congenial support act, the xDrive system was taught to push or pull, with tapering fingers or a bargepole, depending on driving style, speed, radius, steering angle and distance to apex.

Especially with DSC off, this sweet handling balance stems from the genetic code and is not the result of a chip-induced afterthought. It makes a difference because when opportunity knocks around the very next bend, there is no need for the BMW driver to stop and edge the tool.

So, is there a winner, or do we have a tie at the top?

As an all-rounder, the Audi almost matches the BMW. It costs more, but it also is quantifiably quicker and is thoroughly practical. But the potent yet gruff engine doesn’t always make all the right noises, the drift mode is nice to have but not a game-changer, and the sensational brakes are no compensation for the split-personality suspension set-up and the underwhelming steering.

In some ways, the A45 S is even more of an achievement than the RS3, simply because it is such a huge leap from the base A-Class. The highly tuned four-cylinder engine lives on a razor’s edge, audibly, physically and emotionally. Steering and brakes come out of the same war chest, as does the bespoilered body.

If one had to choose a car for crazy pre-dawn blasts, this is it. Equally, the Mercedes is not at its best for rush-hour crawls and speed-limited travel through frustrationland.

So the BMW wins, by merit, common sense and respectable balance in all departments that matter. True, it’s less lavishly appointed than its opponents, but on aggregate, the M240i xDrive makes the most compelling compromise between a broad smile on your face and a not totally depleted bank account.

It is neither the fastest nor the flashiest choice here, but as a totally honest driving machine with a rich pedigree, it needs zero artificial preservatives to deliver the full authentic flavour.

Advance from the rear

Which does the fun stuff best?

In the Audi, the most extreme option labelled Torque Rear turns the RS3 into a three-wheel driving machine. Both RS3 and A45 S achieve oversteer by channelling an extra-large portion of grunt to the outer rear wheel. This enables everything from subtle and brief tail-slides to full circles of varying diameter.

But while the Audi and the Merc had to develop fancy rear multi-plate clutches to conceal their front-drive roots, the BMW was born with a tail-happy torque distribution.

Even in xDrive form, the system’s preferred torque recipient is always the rear axle, and this demeanour can of course be further emboldened by selecting M Sport or DSC Off.

The FWD fuel saver

RS3: quattro, but not always

Constant all-wheel drive is excellent for traction, but the mechanical drag is less great for lowering consumption and emissions.

Because of this, the RS3’s newly calibrated Efficiency mode sees the hottest Audi hatch operate exclusively as a front-driver, making it the logical drive mode for steady, undemanding highway driving, and helping the RS3 to a 8.3L/100km rating on the WLTP test cycle.

SCORING

BMW M240i: 8.5/10

Audi RS3 Sportback: 8.0/10

Mercedes-AMG A45 S: 8.0/10