It feels like a daft thing to say when assessing the merits of two hatchbacks with a combined 821hp, but there’s every chance you might have forgotten about the Audi RS3 and Mercedes-AMG A45 S. Or at least not considered them of late. Time moves fast, and if the headlines aren’t about hot hatches ending production then it’s about new electric ones - with up to 650hp - right at this price point. As cars for which precious little has changed in recent years - the Mercedes got a new interior last year, the Audi was withdrawn from sale but is now back - there’s a danger they might already feel like yesterday’s news.
Or perhaps that says more about the modern attention span. Because while this tends to be said about every other car right now, these two are to be enjoyed and celebrated for as long as possible. The future for a five-cylinder Audi looks about as optimistic as the one for a 210hp-per-litre Mercedes that isn’t a mad hybrid V8. Even the most glass-half-full optimist wouldn't bet on either model being around for very much longer. And yet good things really have come to those who’ve waited: after two fairly uninteresting generations of RS3, the third has been brought to life with a torque vectoring rear diff, and the A45 is also more of a rounded entertainer in its second generation. Both are fast as hell. Despite punchy pricing even in the current climate, hot hatches this capable and characterful deserve to be venerated for as long as possible.
‘Charming’ probably isn’t the c-word usually associated with the Audi RS3, but there’s immediately a lot to like. Partly there’s just the size: in a seemingly gargantuan car world, this is just an A3, able to squeeze through gaps and enjoy space in a lane. But it’s an A3 driven by a fabulous five-cylinder engine, which is still a bit like finding your kettle is so powered by a Rolls-Royce nuclear reactor. No journey is made to seem mundane. Though frustratingly muted by particulate filters now (the sound is like a Group B video heard through rubbish headphones) the 2.5-litre unit remains a compelling USP. Likewise, it's easy to overlook an interior that ought to be more special for that menacing, musclebound exterior aesthetic. Even in a more subdued paint than usually seen, the RS3’s thickset arches and chunky exhaust catch the eye. Shame the grille remains OTT.
The Audi is an excellent Milton Keynes car. The way it locks onto the ideal line into roundabouts and romps out of them is very entertaining. The fact that this is noticeable about a nanosecond after collecting the car speaks volumes, too. It still seems novel to drive a five-door Audi Sport car without needlessly leaden steering and with a rear axle desperate to overspeed the outside wheel. The RS Torque Splitter mode might be a tad overwrought - cranking up suspension and powertrain to their angriest, as well as hurling torque where it isn't strictly required - although who wouldn't choose slightly synthetic fun over authentic boredom? To grab a couple of melodic downchanges, point that angry snout into a turn and feel it scurry out beneath you, the rear dictating attitude rather than the front, isn’t necessarily big or clever - but it is entertaining. You know, like a hot hatch ought to be.
Away from the MK madness (and RS Torque Splitter mode), the RS3 manages to be a likeable fast road car, too. Even in dynamic the suspension retains some pliancy, there’s some nuance to the brake pedal and the balance feels good despite such a big lump at the front. For a car that perhaps has a slightly rowdy reputation, the latest RS3 is surprisingly subdued. It can be an A3, perhaps to a fault - yet always with the engine and the rear diff up its sleeve. It's a shame that such an uninspiring drive select switch is the gateway to all the fun, especially next to the A45's bells and whistles. But more often than not, the default auto and RS Torque Splitter cover all bases.
Having never driven Mercedes and Audi back to back, the differences in two ostensibly similar mega hatches are stark. Where the RS3 can almost do mellow and unassuming, the A45 is keen to remind you that you're only a gnat's whisker from 11 the whole time. It is taut and urgent where the Audi is circumspect. Even at middling commitment levels, the experience is so much more intense: sharper, keener, louder, faster, angrier. On paper, little separates the turbocharged inline-five from the 2.0-litre four-pot, but the AMG’s throttle response is crisper, its ratios shorter and its shifts swifter, so it always feels like the noticeably quicker car (even if the numbers are near enough identical). This, of course, means it's capable of going absolutely berserk. The M139 is totally unabating in its demand for revs and gears and distant horizons. What a shame this state of tune didn't make it into the Lotus Emira - that, surely, would've been stellar.
In terms of easily locatable fun, the Audi is the more straightforward car to get to grips with thanks to its eager-to-please torque splitter introducing oversteer at almost every application of throttle and lock. The A45’s drift mode is much less accessible and not as silly. In fact, it is unflinchingly focused, and in those moments where the RS3's more broadminded damping fumbles at hard work - or its steering feels imprecise or its gearbox flounders - the AMG just keeps on digging in, delivering the kind of confidence that makes you push harder still. This doesn't prevent the RS3 from being undeniably good fun in its comfort zone, but the A45 shows its real genius when the Audi doesn’t have much left to give. It's the sort of car that always seems to have something in reserve.
Obviously the problem with exploring all this depth of talent is that you tend to find yourself at warp speed most of the time. But there’s genuine satisfaction to glean from the just-so response of the steering, the brake pedal feel and the ruthless authority of the damping. Even at normal speeds the Audi feels a bit looser and disconnected by comparison, as though it were just an A3 with a great engine up front. It isn’t, of course, but such is the baked-in awesomeness of all the A45's nuance that its bonafide AMG-ness is never in any doubt. Where its lesser sibling, the A35, could often feel like an Affalterbach product in name (and badge) only, the ‘45 has the sort of star quality you can see from space.
This does tend to throw up another issue. If you're not in the mood (perish the thought, obviously) then it is difficult to separate yourself from the innate tension of the ride quality or the huge tyre noise or even the firmness of the seats. Many if not most of the senior AMGs have access to a more accomplished sense of duality these days, and it's in these moments where the RS3's softer edge inevitably comes into its own. It would be overstating the difference to call the A45 unrelenting - it isn't - but nor would you need to spend long thinking about which one you'd rather drive to the other end of the M1 either.
This more accommodating attitude even extends to their engines, too. The Audi’s mid range feels more generous (just look at where their respective torque peaks are made) and so there’s less obligation to chase every rev - particularly with the strangled sound. The Mercedes, on the other hand, thrives on its journey to 7,000rpm; ignore the daft sound and it’s all too easy to chase that rush again and again and again. You get a lot of the five-cylinder experience at less than 5,000rpm. If you've not gone beyond that point in the A45, you feel like you've missed the point. There’s torque there, no doubt - same 369lb ft as the Audi, in fact, and a little less lag - though what it really wants is every last rev possible. Every time.
Consequently, it's easy to imagine many mellifluous (if muted) miles in the RS3, its combination of idiosyncrasy and usability being very persuasive indeed. But some details for a car of this billing and price are hard to overlook; the shift paddles, seat and general interior ambience aren’t really befitting. Especially in an Audi RS: there’s under the radar, then just not trying very hard. The Mercedes won’t be to all tastes, though it seems more thoroughly considered, from your relationship with the steering wheel and its backlit mode shortcuts to the click of the paddles. Both, however, struggle to justify newly inflated prices inside; a little over £50k felt far more appropriate for these environments than nudging £65,000.
Just as was the case when earlier versions of these two were pitched together, the RS3 and A45 are hard to separate. Which is brilliant when you think about it because the world is absolutely a better place for still having a pair of 400hp hot hatches in it. What would be even nicer is if we had an RS3 that drove like this but looked and sounded like a 2018 car. Similarly, the recent improvements to the A-Class interior have come with the obligation to have the aero pack. Which, if we're being honest, makes you look like a berk. The A45 was cooler on silver wheels without flics and spoilers because it went a bit under the radar; this one will never be, even in matt grey. Although you've only got to look at how many secondhand cars are for sale with the extra bits tacked on to know why Mercedes made it standard fit...
So neither is without flaws or things we'd put on a wishlist. But at the same time, both Mercedes-AMG and Audi Sport deserve credit for producing flagship models that do so much more than go fast in a straight line (though they still do this pretty well, too). Back when Dan P oversaw this test in 2021, his preference was for the Audi and its more laid-back, GT-like attitude. Totally get that - there’s a lot to be said for its ability to pootle one moment and powerslide the next, and if most of your miles are mundane then it’s probably the one to have. But the A45 experience is the one that lingers longer (and fonder) in the memory - it’s riveting in a way that the RS3 never manages to be. Which makes it harder work at times, yes, but with both manufacturers now asking so much money for the pleasure - and the end surely in sight for this kind of hyper-hatch - we're inclined to favour intermittent exhilaration over agreeable compromise before the curtain comes down for good.
SPECIFICATION | 2024 MERCEDES-AMG A45 4MATIC+ S
Engine: 1,991cc, four-cyl turbo
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 421@6,750rpm
Torque (lb ft): 369@5,000-5,250rpm
0-62mph: 3.9 seconds
Top speed: 168mph
Weight: 1,680kg
MPG: 30.7
CO2: from 207g/km
Price: £63,370 (OTR as standard; price as tested £65,195 comprising Manufaktur Magno Grey Paint)
SPECIFICATION | 2024 AUDI RS3 SPORTBACK
Engine: 2,490cc, five-cylinder turbo
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 400@5,600-7,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 369@2,250-5,600rpm
0-62mph: 3.8 seconds
Top speed: 174mph
Weight: 1,570kg (DIN unladen)
MPG: 31.4
CO2: 205g/km
Price: £63,265 (OTR as standard; price as tested £63,840, comprising Daytona Grey paint for £575)
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