Sunday 7th May 2017

Alpina D3 Bi-Turbo vs Audi S4 Avant

Audi v. Alpina, 4WD v. RWD, petrol v. diesel - fight!

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What a refreshingly traditional take on the fast family car these two represent. So often nowadays a £50K budget for something practical and quick would result in recommendations of four-seat coupe saloons, odd crossovers and super SUVs. In just the Audi range alone, this sort of money could also buy an S5, an S5 Sportback or an SQ5. Even Alpina has the XD3 in its tiny range as an alternative to the D3 here.

So to bring together a couple of fast estates is not only a welcome break from the seemingly endless diversification of ranges, it's a reminder of just how good the formula is. It won't spoil the test to say that both cars here are very good, more than fast enough for most and boasting good practicality too. There are no tricks, no gimmicks, no pretence of being something that these cars aren't; they are two mid-size estates, each with 3.0-litres, six cylinders and around 350hp, tasked with being fast, fun and stylish where required. Which is the best?

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Alpina D3 Touring
Even with Alpina's enviable reputation, the D3 doesn't enter this contest looking all that competitive. It's the more expensive car here despite being the older design - a point we'll come back to - it lacks any particularly fancy way to transmit its power to the road (the Quattro Audi also has a rear Sport Differential) and, well, it is a diesel. Good though the latest diesel engines are, the D3 does seem to be entering this with one hand tied behind its back.

Ride on 20s not far off witchcraft

It takes all of about two hundred metres on the road to realise the Alpina is more than good enough to compete. There's a cohesion across the controls, from the steering to the damping to the throttle response, that feels very sophisticated and as we've come to expect from Alpina. Tweaks like dampers that are softer in compression but stiffer in rebound and recalibrated DSC give the D3 an athleticism and resolve missing from regular BMW products, making it as satisfying to drive on a good bit of road as a 335d could be frustrating.

Moreover, the more languid gait of an Alpina set up against M cars suits the D3 well. In a B3 saloon comparisons are inevitably made to the M3, but here there is no rival. And where that final layer of sharpness could prove frustrating in a petrol saloon, is it that important where diesel estates are concerned? It feels balanced, fluid and composed for the vast majority of the time, though from previous experience the optional limited-slip diff would be a worthwhile option with 516lb ft to contain...

A fun diesel auto estate? You better believe it!

The twin-turbo diesel remains very good here, eager in a way that many wouldn't have credited a diesel with a few years ago. The eight-speed auto is the perfect partner, seemingly always shifting at the opportune moment. It will rev out surprisingly well for a diesel, but the D3 is more comfortable (and very fast) trading on its mid range. Even sounds pretty good out of that Akrapovic exhaust.

That the D3 does all this with the usual 3 Series refinements and a few lovely Alpina touches makes it all the more desirable. The interior may not be as fancy as the Audi's but, as a car to drive and an object to admire, it remains an excellent prospect.

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Audi S4 Avant
You've dismissed the Audi already, haven't you? Too bland, too heavy, too inert to compete with the finely honed Alpina. Well don't be so sure...

Looks sharp; drives nicely too

There's plenty about this S4 that bodes really rather well for the upcoming RS4. No, really. As discussed in the road test, this is a fast Audi with some real quality to its dynamics, with a well sorted ride and a Sport Differential that can be felt proactively distributing power at the back. It's probably the faster car here across the ground, powering out of corners authoritatively where the Alpina can be found falling back a tad clumsily.

Its weight advantage will help too; it isn't huge at 55kg but it means that the Audi is less than 1,800kg with a driver and the Alpina, well, isn't. This feels a better balanced 'S' product than before too, with less nose heaviness to its handling and a pleasing level of agility.

Perhaps it's unfair to make the point here given the Alpina is a diesel - don't forget the B3 is available too - but the Audi's petrol V6 feels especially good here. It picks up swiftly from very few revs, feels strong through its mid range and is more than happy to snarl its way to 7,000rpm. Even against petrol opposition you sense this 3.0-litre would fare well.

The powertrain is where the Audi's weaknesses begin to become exposed though. The automatic gearbox simply isn't as decisive as the Alpina's, with a tendency to offer gears you don't want at a time you don't need them. Of course manual control is available, which improves the situation, but then the Alpina is fine in that regard too...

Cheaper, lighter, more power...

Terribly subjective though this assessment will appear, the Audi is simply a less enjoyable car to be driving. While the Alpina's steering isn't wonderful, it is better than typical BMW efforts and way more confidence inspiring than the Audi's numb system. The Audi's brakes are snatchier, its ride still not quite as assured and the intervention of its assists more intrusive. Against the Alpina the dynamics come across as slightly disjointed; where the D3 feels to have had a small team subtly enhance it in key areas, the S4 gives the impression of different people doing different jobs with little communication - elements of it are very good, but it doesn't quite come together as well.

If this sounds harsh, that's probably because it is. Both of these cars are talented and likeable estates, proof that there is still life in the old dog carrier yet. They can't even be separated on practicality grounds, the Audi boasting 505 or 1,510 litres of boot space against the D3's 495 and 1,500 litres. See, it's not all powerslides and tyre smoke around here...

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Verdict
If the latest in technology, style and equipment matters to you and your family, the S4 comes highly recommended. Typically we don't focus on those attributes of a car much on PH, but the Audi is a clear step ahead of the Alpina inside. Given how much time we all seem to spend in cars, that has to be a consideration.

On that basis though how the car drives should matter too and, while the Audi is good, the Alpina is better. Yes, even as a diesel. In areas where a regular BMW disappoints the Alpina impresses, delivering a level of quality and finesse to the way it drives that often escapes non-M products. That it does this without attracting the unwanted attention of an M car and returning 60mpg in the right circumstances only strengthens its case.

You will have noticed the Alpina is significantly more expensive here though, even without the £1,890 limited-slip differential. There are simple ways to save money on our test car though - see the £1,180 panoramic sunroof, £945 electric seats and £825 head-up display - which will begin to return the price difference to somewhere near the £5,535 gap that separates them as standard. The Alpina feels the more expensive product, entirely justifying its £50K start price and not feeling terrible value at £58,000 either. Petrol or diesel, saloon or Touring, there simply isn't a bad Alpina 3 Series - if you can get into an Alpina somehow, you'll love it.

Read more:

Audi S4 Avant 2017 Review

Alpina D3 Bi-Turbo Review

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ALPINA D3 BITURBO TOURING
Engine: 2,993cc, straight-six twin turbocharged diesel
Transmission: 8-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 350@4,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 516@1,500rpm
0-62mph: 4.6sec
Top speed: 170mph
Weight: 1,730kg (unladen)
MPG: 52.3
CO2: 142g/km
Price: £49,950 (As tested £58,115 comprising Alpina classic 20-inch for £860, Alpina piano black with insigna for £340, electrally folding with anti-dazzle exterior mirrors for £300, Matt aluminium exterior trim for £155, £825 for Head up display, £215 for Anthracite headlining, £675 for Harman Kardon loudspeaker system, £265 for electrically adjustable lumbar support for driver and passenger, £1,500 for BMW professional media package, £1,180 for panoramic glass sunroof, £330 for reversing assist camera, £945 for seat adjustment, £220 for speed limit display, £90 steering wheel panel in black leather and £265 for sun protection glass)

AUDI S4 AVANT
Engine: 2,995cc, V6 TFSI
Transmission: 8-speed tiptronic, Quattro all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 354@5,400-6,400rpm
Torque (lb ft): 368@1,370-4,500rpm
0-62mph: 4.9 secs
Top speed: 155mph
Weight: 1,750kg (EU with 75kg driver)
MPG: 37.7 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 171g/km
Price: £44,415 (As tested £49,770 comprising Misano Red paint for £645, Quattro sport with Sport Differential for £1,200, 19-inch diamond cut wheels for £550, Light and Vision pack for £750, Adaptive S Sport suspension with damping control for £900, Audi phonebox with wireless charging for £325 and on the road costs of £985) 

[tjlees]

D3 for me.

But wow, these are expensive for what they are! So it would be a secondhand one (if that ever exists with Alphina)

Matt, some inside Pics ???

[tjlees]

ajmcampbell said:

Lovely though the Alpina is, it's a hard sell when you can get a standard 335d for £33k these days...

Yep - even less if you opt for non-LCI one with individual leather for the quality feel.

Get a 389bhp tune for £500, dual exhaust for £300 and ACS suspension for around £600 and maybe some extra suspension tuning if you are that fussy ... and you end up with a real Q car.



(but I really do like the Alpina)

[tjlees]

HoraceM said:

Had an early D3 - great car - superb feel on the road.
However, I had thought it would be a car that wouldn't lose too much money - How wrong was I...... First off after two years the lady who sold it to me (at Sytner Sheffield) wouldn't even discuss a trade-in price unless I was in the office - I'm in Northampton - then when I eventually did get someone to talk money, I found that after two years of my three year deal, the car was now worth less that my final residual payment - £16,000 and £18,000 still to pay - and I still would be having to pay £5400 in the final year...........
Hence, they came and took it away the next month.
As I said great car but a standard 320d would have saved me an absolute stack. Shame.
Sytner weren't all that good either - great when you were in front of them with a bundle of cash in your hand, a bit quite two years down the line.
HoraceM

Yep - they all lose money faster than a fat man falling out a plane

At least on a 335d you usually get between 24%-25% off with drive the deal or coast2coast before taking finance - even so I think mine's only worth around £15k final payment after three years