This is a matchup fans have been waiting to see for ages and it’s finally possible. Ever since the Audi RS4 Avant first launched in the ’90s, with the B5 generation, it’s been impossible to make a true apple-to-apples comparison with BMW, as BMW never made an M3 wagon. Fast forward a couple of decades and BMW finally does make one but, when it came out, the then-current B9-gen RS4 Avant was too old to be competitive. Now, Audi’s back with an all-new go-fast wagon, the gorgeous RS5 Avant, and Top Gear put it up against the BMW M3 CS Touring to finally see who makes the best small performance wagon.
OK, so the test isn’t exactly fair. The M3 CS Touring is the ultra high-performance version and is significantly more expensive. However, the test’s lopsidedness isn’t Top Gear’s fault. They asked for an M3 Touring and BMW sent a CS. Audi doesn’t have a higher-performance version of the RS5 Avant just yet, as it’s still too new. So in terms of speed and handling, the Audi is a little outgunned.
In its normal spec, the Audi RS5 Avant should be able to hang with the M3 CS Touring in a straight line. With its 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 and electric motor sandwiched between it and the eight-speed auto, the Audi makes a combined 630 horsepower and 609 lb-ft of torque. That’s quite a bit beyond the Bimmer’s 543 horsepower and 479 lb-ft. Both have all-wheel drive, but the Audi’s hybrid battery makes it heavier. Much heavier. The RS5 tips the scales at a shocking 5,192 pounds, almost 1,000 pounds more than the M3 CS Touring. If BMW engineers knew they’d be going up against a hefty hybrid, they may have given the CS its arm rest back.
The test is broken down into several categories, like looks, interior, practicality, engine sound, and driving dynamics, and some of the results are surprising. For example, I didn’t expect Audi to lose the practicality section, as it’s just been doing go-fast wagons for longer than BMW. But BMW worked its magic with this new M3 Touring and, to exacerbate things for the Audi, its battery eats up too much luggage space. The RS5 Avant looks miles better to most of the sighted world, though, and it’s far more fun to drive than you might think. Audi worked some techno-magic to trick physics into thinking it’s a much lighter car.
Do we Americans get to drive either of these? No, but we get the sedan versions, plus it’s fun to watch our forbidden fruit from a distance.
