The New Audi RS Q3 Versus Merc A45 AMG And BMW 330d xDrive (Part 3)

Back in the BMW, and when faced with the genuinely low grip, it feels finessed and clever. Switch the various stability and traction control systems off, and it gently oversteers at first, seamless transfer then pulling the front axle back into line, no matter what the speed. It’s supremely safe, but not joyless, and if you were learning how to drive on snow or ice, I reckon a 330d xDrive on winter tires would be gently epic and genuinely unstoppable. It’s also extremely confidence-inspiring – even with the big drops giving a certain nervousness at the controls, the BMW does the same thing every time, helps, makes you look good. And it makes you question – should you want a 4x4 BMW – the need for the X3 or X5. A 3- or 5-Series Touring with xDrive makes a hell of a lot of sense: better efficiency, handling and looks, none of the traction deficit unless you need to haul over big lumps. There’s just one problem: BMW only offers xDrive in 1-Series five-door and 3-Series (as well as the SUV variants). So that larger niche is protected. For now.

Audi calls the RS Q3 the RS brand’s ‘all-rounder’, but it’s more jack of all trades and master of none

The Merc is more of a surprise. Yes, the lazy gearbox is an itch you can’t quite scratch, and it annoys more than it should, but bung it into a corner and the shorter wheelbase and – relatively – lightweight mean that the A45 actually gets quite frisky. The rear wheels come into play quite aggressively if you’re being hard with the throttle and can punt the little car sideways in quite a satisfying manner. But you have to stay on top of the A45 and work hard. It’s a bit like one of the quick Evos or Subarus used to be, except with a much better cabin... and less turbo lag. But after a slightly unconvincing start, it’s very hard not to warm to the A45. On the road, in the wet, this would be a proper little supercar-baiter, and it sounds brilliant chewing up through the greens and browns of a Welsh hillside, popping and farting on upchanges. The more you drive it in varying conditions, the more you like it.

The RS Q3 is the opposite. The more I drive this car, the less it makes sense. It’s got four-wheel drive, but on a properly low-mu surface will basically understeer like a bent shopping trolley unless you bung it so hard it feels like it’s in danger of tipping over. The road-biased performance tires don’t grip convincingly unless on tarmac, and it rides like a skateboard on granite speed bumps through potholes. It’s also got an interior that feels little different to a standard high-spec Q3. But more than that, it’s just no fun. It feels cynical and more than a bit pointless. After all, Audi itself makes better cars. An S3 Sportback makes just under 300bhp, hits 62mph in 4.9, does over 40mpg and costs £32,740 – ten grand less. You can get a better-riding, more comprehensible 211bhp TFSI S line Q3 for similar money. Which means the RS Q3 comes last in this group, and by some margin. Audi calls the RS Q3 the RS brand’s ‘all-rounder’, but it’s more jack of all trades and master of none.

I reckon a 330d xDrive on winter tires would be gently epic and genuinely unstoppable

Which leaves the BMW and the Mercedes-Benz. The xDrive system on a car like the 330d Touring is, for me, a bit of a no-brainer. Extra security, at a reasonable cost, an addition that makes an already beautifully capable and rounded car even better. If you need space, pace and distance-munching ability to cruise to a ski chalet, then there are few cars to beat it – especially as it is still reasonable fun when you get to the mountain passes.

It’s not a walkover for the A45, mind. A decision between two such different cars has never been closer. The Mercedes is expensive, and the gearbox is annoying. But in the right conditions, on the right day, it’s a proper joy of a thing. Which leads me to a rather specific conclusion: if you chug lots of motorway miles with kids in tow, then go for the BMW. If you want something a bit feisty for shorter blasts, then the A45 is for you. As long as neither is the RS Q3, you’ll be happy.

If you want something a bit feisty for shorter blasts, then the A45 is for you.

Technical specs