Repair-It

Will it be worth the money? With pricing and packaging still being determined as we write, Audi PR’s best estimate is that the RS 3 will be priced at between $55,000 and $60,000, or about $5,000 to $10,000 more than a comparably equipped S3. This price is right on top of a similarly focused 365-hp 2017 BMW M2 ($55,595) when equipped with a double-clutch automated manual transmission and two fewer doors. The RS 3 will be a bit more expensive than a 375-hp Mercedes-AMG CLA45 4Matic. Even adding adaptive suspension brings that car’s price up to $51,725.

The RS 3 is at least as engaging to drive as an M2, if not more so, and it offers more confidence with all-wheel drive. On a racetrack, the BMW might have a slight edge. On a sketchy mountain road, our money is on the Audi. In terms of everyday practicality and livability, the RS 3 makes the CLA45 look and feel like a project car. Where that Mercedes-AMG feels like a peaky, harsh front-driver with the rear wheels driven as a bolt-on addition, this Audi feels like a powerful rear-drive car with front wheels gnawing at the pavement only to save your bacon.

There’s an overall coherence and competence baked into the entirety of the RS 3 that’s hard to put into words.