NEW BMW M240i Coupé
xDrive
List price £45,795 Target Price £44,585 Range-topping version of the latest 2 Series Coupé packs almost as much power as the RS3 and yet costs thousands less to buy
Audi RS3 Sportback
Carbon Black
List price £58,400 Target Price £57,775 One of our favourite hot hatches, because it combines fun with everyday liveability better than almost anything else on the road
Yes, we know: one's a hatchback and the other's a coupé. But aside from their different body styles, the Audi RS3 Sportback and BMW M240i (the current pinnacle of the 2 Series Coupé line-up) have an awful lot in common.
Both hail from Germany. Both have four-wheel drive. Both have almost 400bhp. Yet unlike more hardcore alternatives with this much firepower, including the Mercedes-AMG A45, both promise more than a small dose of civility.
On the face of it, the M240i would seem to be a relative performance car bargain. True, £46,000 is an awful lot of money, but it's some £8000 less than the starting price of the RS3. And if you go for the latter car in our preferred Carbon Black form, that gap grows to more than £12,000.
Brochure prices only count for so much, though. Is the M240i such great value in the long run and for the many buyers who plan to take out a finance agreement? And even if it is, does the RS3 justify its price premium?
DRIVING
Performance, ride, handling, refinement
Esta historia es de la edición May 2022 de What Car? UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición May 2022 de What Car? UK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Lexus RZ 450e+ Takumi Bi-tone
Greater stamina and a lower price would have enhanced our opinion of this upmarket electric SUV
Audi A6 Avant 45 TFSI quattro Sport
Our new posh estate has to deal with a mega-miles commute and an older sibling. How will it get on?
Renault Clio 1.0 TCe 90 Evolution
It's our reigning Small Car of the Year, but will the latest Clio continue to impress in daily use? We're finding out
ALL POSHED UP
Looking to buy an upmarket SUV? For around £35,000, you could have a new Lexus LBX or a used BMW X1. Let's see where your money should go
JOINING UP THE TOTS
Small, cheap cars bring numerous benefits, especially if most of your driving is around town. We take three leading examples on a road trip to see which of them paints the most complete picture
GRIPPING STUFF
Tyre choice can make a huge difference to how your car behaves in changeable weather. We search for the best
Audi A6 e-tron
BMW i5 rival uses the same tech as the Q6 e-tron SUV for serious pace and range On sale Late 2024 Price from £62,000 (est)
Renault Symbioz
Slightly smaller than Renault's existing Austral, this new hybrid family SUV has its sights set firmly on the popular Nissan Qashqai On sale Now Price from £29,295
Volkswagen Golf
Family car celebrates its 50th birthday with an update, including much-improved infotainment On sale Now Price from £27,035
Hyundai Tucson
Update for Hyundai's family SUV includes a redesigned interior and a revised engine line-up On sale Now Price from £32,000