Test drive Audi S3 in the test against BMW M135i xDrive

In the Audi family, the A3 has indeed become very dynamic. The recently unveiled S3 with 300 hp. the bike must compete with its Bavarian rival BMW M135i xDrive. Which of the two compact sports cars is more fun to drive?

The spring of 1990 - by the way, a rather warm spring - and in the automotive and sports world - a real heat. Two dream sports cars barely hold back on the test field: the Ferrari 348 tb with a new 8 hp V300 engine, and the Porsche 911 Carrera 2 with a 250 hp boxer engine, which then featured a new power steering. Author Werner Schruff praises the high driving dynamics and extremely high cornering speed of two expensive cars, which together cost 280 marks. Posters with the kings of roads and highways adorned the walls of many children's rooms.

Spring 2013 is cold as hell and car, engine and sports tires are heating up, and two compact sports cars compete for a total cost of around 83 euros (650 marks). In children's rooms, next to posters of our old heroes (if they can still be found), posters of the new Audi S163 and BMW M605i xDrive are hung.

Soberly, it could be a production car. But by their physique, they pull at least 300 hp. in the sprint. Filled with emotions, the pilots expect a real car party, albeit strictly individually.

The four-cylinder Audi S3 is economical

The inline-six remains the in-line six, although talk of incomparably smooth operation thanks to ideal mass balance is more of a fashion expression today than a reality. The 7000-liter in-line turbo engine reaches 3 rpm with magical ease, and the fanfare-like pipes are so tight and deep they can make your knees soften. Despite all this emotional superiority, the turbocharged four-cylinder in the Audi SXNUMX has little to offer, even though it's a superbly made car in and of itself.

The Audi S3 is trying to win some acoustic sympathy with a sound simulator in the rear engine compartment and additional valves in the exhaust system. If you want to travel calmly and without stress, the Audi S3 will like a few decibels less than the BMW, the reaction to gas is also quite spontaneous. Due to its high design complexity (direct fuel injection, variable valve control and a cooled cylinder head integrated into the exhaust manifold) and a maximum turbocharger pressure of 1,2 bar, the Audi S3 engine obligingly responds to pressing the accelerator pedal and flies powerfully, and the consumption is significantly lower: 9,6, 100 liters per 10,8 km versus 100 liters per XNUMX km for BMW.

BMW 135i is dynamic and one idea faster

With all-wheel drive (with an electromechanical plate clutch), the M135i is flexible and easy to drive, yet quite heavy. The arrow on the scale jumps over 1,6 tons, which is 134 kg more than the Audi S3, which is somewhat offset by the power, which is as much as 20 hp. Thank you for a great start to Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen (ZF), whose standard eight-speed automatic transmission with Sport Plus activates the decisive tenth: 100 km / h in 4,9 seconds. Gear changes are quick and easy.

The Audi S3 needs 4 tenths more. Its six-speed gearbox enables gear shifting with ease and, above all, precise. If a dual-clutch transmission (also with Launch Control) was available during the test, there probably wouldn't be those 4 tenths. In almost the same time, the dynamic duo reaches a mass of 200 kilometers.

Both Bavarian race cocks retain their character and save a little. Michelin Super-Sport tires with powerful traction provide safe handling in more dynamic situations as well as extremely fast braking performance. In slalom, the BMW stays neutral and stable, slightly rocking the rear end. On rough roads, passengers receive a light massage from behind.

In terms of comfort, the Audi S3 comes out ahead.

The Haldex Quattro multi-plate clutch will likely keep its extreme for the upcoming high-end RS3, while the S3 swaps with a balanced mix of flexibility and comfort that will appeal to people traveling long distances. The configuration parameters in the standard drive select control menu affect control, motor and sound. In border mode, the Audi S3 slides with all four wheels, and in the event of a sharp change in load, it sways noticeably but controllably at the rear.

Whoever looks at two cars only through the prism of sports glasses will quickly hide around the corner with the M135i. The most balanced all-wheel drive car, however, is the Audi S3: more interior space, better workmanship, and a lower price point in its favor. But sworn pragmatists rarely buy cars of this class. So we conclude by concluding Werner Schruff's 1990 conclusion: "It makes both cars obsessive toys that make the heart beat faster." This was the case in 2013.