Audi RS3 or BMW 435D Coupe as a fast all-rounder for £25K?

[Grindle]

Our local doctor has narrowed a 30-car choice down to these 2 cars for reasons of high power but reasonable or good mpg, enough room for 2 and 2 kids, both fast enough and both 4WD for the British winter. Both very well made as well.
Which of the two would you go for? The Audi will be about a year older for the same price.

[CS Garth]

Grindle said:

Our local doctor has narrowed a 30-car choice down to these 2 cars for reasons of high power but reasonable or good mpg, enough room for 2 and 2 kids, both fast enough and both 4WD for the British winter. Both very well made as well.
Which of the two would you go for? The Audi will be about a year older for the same price.

Golf R estate

[DaveH23]

Is there no 435i rather than 435d?

[daveco]

CS Garth said:

Grindle said:

Our local doctor has narrowed a 30-car choice down to these 2 cars for reasons of high power but reasonable or good mpg, enough room for 2 and 2 kids, both fast enough and both 4WD for the British winter. Both very well made as well.
Which of the two would you go for? The Audi will be about a year older for the same price.

Golf R estate

Seat Leon Cupra R estate

Pretty sure a new on in estate body and 4WD is about £28k

[Gad-Westy]

daveco said:

Seat Leon Cupra R estate

Pretty sure a new on in estate body and 4WD is about £28k

£34-35k without options but maybe there are discounts to be had.

[DoubleD]

Grindle said:

Our local doctor has narrowed a 30-car choice down to these 2 cars for reasons of high power but reasonable or good mpg, enough room for 2 and 2 kids, both fast enough and both 4WD for the British winter. Both very well made as well.
Which of the two would you go for? The Audi will be about a year older for the same price.

Where in Britain are you that you need 4 wheel drive?

[cerb4.5lee]

Big difference in mpg I would have thought, the 435d will do at least 40 mpg and I would expect low 20's mpg in the RS3, both good engines I reckon, RS3 would pip it for me purely for it's 5 cylinder petrol loveliness.

[Ructions]

RS3 for me all day, every day. Though you may want to have a look at your home security, but I am sure the 435 would also be a target.

[Dave Hedgehog]

i avgd 18mpg in my RS3, watch out for the monumental cost of the front disc and pads (only lasted me 10k miles) and general RS tax on everything audi do to it, ride is rock hard as well

[andy101093]

Dave Hedgehog said:

i avgd 18mpg in my RS3, watch out for the monumental cost of the front disc and pads (only lasted me 10k miles)

Or practise engine braking - very easy with a DSG.

[Terminator X]

Dave Hedgehog said:

i avgd 18mpg in my RS3, watch out for the monumental cost of the front disc and pads (only lasted me 10k miles) and general RS tax on everything audi do to it, ride is rock hard as well

26mpg for me over 36k miles.

TX.

[Grindle]

CS Garth said:

Grindle said:

Our local doctor has narrowed a 30-car choice down to these 2 cars for reasons of high power but reasonable or good mpg, enough room for 2 and 2 kids, both fast enough and both 4WD for the British winter. Both very well made as well.
Which of the two would you go for? The Audi will be about a year older for the same price.

Golf R estate

The 4 series coupe would be my choice, the Golf R estate is just so boring to look at. The engine's boring too, even if quick. The 4 series coupe is a great looking car and the 435D has a stonking engine. But i like the Audi also, who wouldn't like a car with that engine? Spoiled for choice really.

[ZX10R NIN]

I'd go for the RS3 it's a great allrounder.

[jonah35]

DoubleD said:

Grindle said:

Our local doctor has narrowed a 30-car choice down to these 2 cars for reasons of high power but reasonable or good mpg, enough room for 2 and 2 kids, both fast enough and both 4WD for the British winter. Both very well made as well.
Which of the two would you go for? The Audi will be about a year older for the same price.

Where in Britain are you that you need 4 wheel drive?

Doctors get paid more for having a 4x4

RS3 for me by a long shot. However I would also consider the theft element of it as they are very hot right now and it depends if you want to chance it being taken - I know it's insured but waking up to a gun to your head is a consideration!!

[ZX10R NIN]

A bit sensationalist, I know of 5 people who live around london with RS3's parked on the street & not one theft among them, every car can get stolen.

[steve-5snwi]

If there is a genuine need for 4wd then it would have to be the RS3, however if its not so important then i would go for the 4 series, although the 430d is nice than the 435d which sounds quite rough. The 435i is the one to have.

[caterham_lad]

I have a 435d it average39.6 mpg over about 20k miles This is an 80\20 split on town\ long distance. Unusually for a Bmw the ride is not stiff as a board. You can fit 4 adults in on a long journey with no discomfort, which was a surprise.

It is very smooth and rapid, but does it in an effortless way. Mine has the head up didplay and adaptive head lights. And the Harmon kardon sounds system. All of which are awesome.

Sadly i need to sell and get an suv now,.

[Grindle]

Youtube has a 0-100 kms and 0-150 kms stand off with all the major 4 series models. The performance results are quite interesting.

420D old version. 8.6 seconds and 18.3 420D new version . 7.0 and 14.0
430D 258 bhp. 6.3 and 12.7. (Rain affected the times).
428i 2.0 turbo. 5.5 and 11.6.
435i. 4.7 and 9.4
435D 313 bhp. 4.5 and 9.3.

Apart from the 430D suffering from the wet weather, those figures tell me that 435D has one hell of an engine and also that even a humble 2.0 diesel is nobody's fool these days. For me it also shows how weak the 335i/435i has been since it appeared. The 335i came out with two turbos and 3 litres of petrol power and made the same weak 306 bhp the 435i makes 10 years later. Why is that engine so strangled in the 35i models i wonder? Peak torque from just over tick over? So what?

[Grindle]

Original question. I'd have the RS3 if performance mattered more than everything else (but then i am biased) but the 435D if doc wants the best all-rounder.

[cerb4.5lee]

I had the same engine in a 640d and although I do prefer a petrol for noise I thought it was a belting engine, the fact it hid it's 1800kg weight so well was impressive, and it also returned 40mpg was a great bonus too, it even sounds pretty decent inside in sport mode pumped through the speakers.

I'd love to try that 5 pot in the RS3 though, and I'm sure I'd fall in love with that engine if not the driving experience, the TTS I had was lacking dynamically to drive although even the 4 pot engine in that was pretty good in terms of performance, I bet the TTRS is a giggle.