Watch: The RS3 Takes on RS4 Avant, Does Surprisingly Well

A quick look at the cars, and a long look back at the automotive industry will lead you to one conclusion when considering which between the RS3 and the RS4 Avant will be faster: The RS4 has a bigger number, a bigger engine, and a bigger price tag, and must therefore have bigger speed.

Things aren’t always that simple, though. While the RS4 Avant has a V6, where the RS3 only has an I5, it’s also a bigger car. Worse still, it’s a wagon, meaning that its 450 hp and 445 lb-ft of torque have an extra 200 kg to lug around that the 400 hp, 350 lb-ft RS3 doesn’t.

That means that the RS3 actually has a better 0-60 time (3.5 to 4.1) on paper. But Audi’s an inveterate lowballer when it comes to quoted figures, so what becomes of these crazy Audis when they’re pitted against one another on track? CarWow decided to find out.

Well, it turns out that these two are remarkable similar. The RS4 Avant completes the quarter mile in just 12.1 seconds, just barely pipping the RS3, which did it in 12.2 seconds.

In the rolling race, the RS4 has the RS3’s number, beating it a little more soundly, but as the host admits, that could be down to the RS4’s more responsive transmission.

Finally, in braking, the cars are remarkably similar again, with the lighter RS3 just barely beating the RS4 Avant.

The conclusion here could be that Audi charges you considerably more for a car that’s not noticeably faster, but we prefer to think of it as Audi Sport trying its hardest regardless of product. They show an utter contempt for price-point performance. Instead, they try their hardest regardless of product. And isn’t that the kind of car you really want?

The post Watch: The RS3 Takes on RS4 Avant, Does Surprisingly Well appeared first on VWVortex.

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