Drive - Best Performance Car Under $100k?

[Express]

BMW M2 v Audi RS3 Sportback v Mercedes-AMG A45 v HSV Clubsport LSA


Burning rubber with the hottest performance cars under $100,000


David McCowen
27 May, 2016







The performance car landscape is shifting.

Groundbreaking models priced under $100,000 have proved immensely popular for Mercedes-AMG, Audi's RS outfit and BMW's M Division as buyers gain access to performance previously reserved for the wealthiest of drivers.

The BMW M2, Audi RS3 Sportback and Mercedes-AMG A45 combine compact bodies and prestige badges with searing performance to win plenty of fans at home and abroad.

Australians are snapping up record numbers of go-fast models from Europe as the local car making industry slows toward a sad farewell. But Holden's HSV outfit isn't going down without a fight, as the nation's best home-grown performance car continues to get better.


HSV Clubsport LSA







The Holden Special Vehicles Clubsport LSA looks out of place in this quartet, like the last dinosaur fighting off wolves before its extinction.

Based on the family-sized Holden Commodore sedan, its approach to speed follows a simple recipe that replaces key mechanical components with bigger alternatives. There's a 6.2-litre V8 breathing through a honking great supercharger, up-sized 20-inch wheels with wide Continental rubber, immense brake discs with four-piston AP Racing calipers, beefed-up transmissions and a sizeable differential up to the task of transmitting enormous power to the rear tyres.

Priced from $83,490 plus on-road costs in six-speed automatic form, the Clubsport LSA is the cheapest ticket to the 400kW club. Yet it is well-behaved around town, a pleasantly docile machine that burbles along effortlessly.

Take it to the track and the car comes alive, The Clubsport's Bi-Modal exhaust opening under load to reveal a throaty roar along with the tireless thrust 671Nm of torque can provide.

While nothing reels in the horizon quite like a supercharged V8, there is more to the big Aussie than its motor. The HSV offers surprising balance for a car of its size, instilling drivers with the confidence to exploit that engine with impunity.

The Clubsport offers the most consistent braking performance during track testing, refusing to wilt under pressure. It's a weighty beast – and our test venue at the Marulan Driver Training Centre suits slender machinery – but the HSV handles the challenge with ease before transforming into the most comfortable car here for the run home.

A natural cruiser, the Clubbie offers well-bolstered seats in a roomy interior home to an 8-inch colour information screen with a nine-speaker Bose stereo, head-up display, and driver aids including forward collision warning, blind zone alert and lane departure warning systems.

While it misses out on the adjustable suspension, 430kW engine tune, torque-vectoring differential and bigger brakes of HSV's flagship GTS, the Clubsport LSA doesn't leave buyers feeling short changed.

The brand says this sedan must be serviced every nine months or 15,000 kilometres, with maintenance capped at $1316 for the first 60,000 kilometres. That's cheap in this company, though the Clubsport is far from frugal to run as its engine slurps a significant 15L/100km of fuel.

HSV Clubsport R8 LSA pricing and specifications

Price: $83,490 plus on-road costs

Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8 petrol

Power: 400kW at 6150rpm

Torque: 671Nm at 4200rpm

Transmission: Six-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive

Fuel use: 15.0L/100km


Mercedes-AMG A45







It's hard to believe that a $77,900 hatchback could be the value champion of our test. But the Mercedes-AMG A45 is an unbelievable car, arriving as the cheapest model here with standard features such as adaptive suspension and a panoramic sunroof that are either optional or unavailable in rival machines.

Customers also benefit from a digital radio, 8-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay connectivity and 12 Harmon Kardon speakers, LED headlights and more. Our test example cost $84,725 thanks to optional aero and dynamics packs that cost $1990 each, bringing extra spoilers and a locking front differential that increase the car's capabilities.

Mercedes also offers the best fuel economy of this lot (6.9L/100km) and servicing capped at $2880 for the first 60,000 kilometres. But that's not what makes it special.

The original A45 tipped the hot hatch world upside down in 2013, redefining what people thought was possible from a compact performance car. The latest model brings 280kW and 475Nm outputs, 15kW and 25Nm more than its predecessor and the most we've seen from a four-cylinder production car. That 2.0-litre motor is a tightly wound ball of energy, imbuing the hatch with an effervescent urgency matched by few other machines on the road.

There aren't many cars that can match the intensity of the Mercedes-AMG A45, a car with a boisterous personality that always feels on the verge of a fight. There's elasticity to the AMG's performance, which pauses for a beat before unleashing an almighty sting whenever called upon. Mercedes boasts of the fastest 0-100 time in the group, claiming just 4.2 frantic seconds to reach the benchmark even if it wasn't fastest on the day.

Undoubtedly impressive in a straight line, the A45 is a little less so in the bends. Track testing reveals a strong tendency to push its nose wide during brisk cornering, and its front-biased all-wheel-drive system seemed slow to engage its rear axle to help it drive through bends.

Though the A45's exhaust crackles like wet wood on an open fire, its throaty blare lacks the sophistication of key rivals. AMG's seven-speed transmission also doesn't feel quite as crisp as dual-clutch rivals from BMW and Audi, and the car's always-on character can grow tiresome.

Mercedes-AMG A45 pricing and specifications

Price: $77,900 plus on-road costs

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol

Power: 280kW at 6000rpm

Torque: 475Nm at 2250rpm

Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic; all-wheel drive

Fuel use: 6.9L/100km


Audi RS3 Sportback







If the A45's chosen band is Rage Against the Machine, Audi's RS3 grooves to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Flexible in its ability to chill out or rock your world, the Audi's oddball five-cylinder engine brings a funky off-beat soundtrack similar to the percussive plucking of Flea, RHCP bassist.

Audi's 2.5-litre motor is an utterly charming creature with a voice unlike anyth ing else on the motoring landscape, lending the hatch real character that defies its church-going looks.

Pumping 270kW and 465Nm to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the RS3 tears up the tarmac on a full-bore launch, proving a tenth faster to 100km/h in testing than its Mercedes-AMG rival.

As the first brand to sell a dual-clutch transmission in Australia, it's no surprise that the Audi's gearbox is a slightly more cohesive unit than its rivals, feeling crisper and more engaged with driver inputs. A slightly softer suspension tune with fixed dampers allows a little more roll than the A45, helping the RS3 make the most of fat Pirellis to offer astounding traction out of bends.

This car also feels more willing to bring its rear axle into play, using all-wheel-drive purchase to sniff out apices as it adopts a more neutral stance on the track. It's a beautiful car to drive, better at two-tenths and ten-tenths commitment than its four-wheel-drive foe and easier to live with than the BMW.

Easily the most luxurious of the three prestige models here, this RS3 looks sharp with deeply sculpted seats trimmed with red perforations and hexagonal stitching that join crimson highlights throughout the cabin and a flat-bottomed steering wheel to match the Mercedes. It feels solid, quiet at speed and better suited for a broader variety of duties thanks to a larger and more accessible rear seat space than its German rivals.

Normally priced from $78,900 plus on-road costs, our $84,725 test example was equipped with a $1600 assistance package with adaptive cruise control, active lane assistance and automatic high beams as well as a $1950 RS design package that bring red highlights throughout the cabin. Audi doesn't offer capped price servicing. It says buyers should budget on spending around $4000 on maintenance during the first four years or 60,000 kilometres of ownership – easily the most of this quartet.

Audi RS3 Sportback pricing and specifications

Price: $78,900 plus on-road costs

Engine: 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo petrol

Power: 270kW at 5550-6800rpm

Torque: 465Nm at 1625-5550rpm

Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, all-wheel drive

Fuel use: 8.3L/100km


BMW M2







The BMW M2 wouldn't have a hope of winning a comparison test judged under normal criteria. It's the most expensive and least practical machine in our group, the only one with just two doors and the lone model that creeps above $100,000 as tested.

But these aren't regular cars, and this isn't a regular test.

Priced from $89,900 in its basic "Pure" form with a manual gearbox, the seven-speed dual-clutch auto BMW M2 tested here is priced from $98,900 before options – in this case $1485 in metallic black paint and $2600 for a sunroof that take its total to $102,985 plus on-road costs.

While it is the dearest car here by a decent margin, the BMW could prove cheaper to own than the competition.

Resale estimates provided by Glass's Guide suggest that the M2 will be something of a modern classic, retaining over than 70 per cent of its resale value –20 per cent more than the Mercedes-AMG - after three years and 60,000 kilometres of ownership. Only the Audi comes close.

While BMW doesn't offer capped price servicing for the M2, the manufacturer says maintenance for the first 60,000 kilometres should cost around $1705, significantly less than more complicated all-wheel-drive rivals.

BMW's spec list looks good, with an 8.8-inch infotainment system 12 Harmon Kardon speakers and 20 gigabytes of music storage joining adaptive headlights, 19-inch wheels and driver aids such as lane departure warning and autonomous emergency braking as standard kit. Audi charges drivers at least $6500 to match that.

The M2 is powered by a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine that makes 272kW and 465Nm – or 500Nm during brief periods of overboost.

The BMW is the only European model here available with a manual gearbox, a member of an increasingly small club that also eschews cheaper front-wheel-drive-based layouts in favour of a rear-wheel-drive structure preferred by enthusiasts and racers alike.

We're glad they persist.

The M2 is an intoxicating car at speed, able to effortlessly take in the countryside or leave long, dark marks on the tarmac at a driver's whim. It's like a big Toyota 86, encouraging you to rediscover rear-wheel-drive handling traits as its tail swings out under heavy throttle applications.

While our tight and twisty track favoured the all-wheel-drive models in outright cornering speed, the M2's playful attitude and prodigious grunt was a magnet to the team at Marulan. From the outside, the coupe's howling exhaust note and the moan of its sticky Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber were a siren's call enticing testers to go out for one more lap.

Roll onto the throttle, feel its tyres smear across the tarmac and draw breath as the BMW shimmies briefly when you pluck a gearshift paddle and line up the next corner. It's heady stuff.

But the BMW is not a perfect driving machine. It can feel a bit digital - thanks in part to obviously fake interior engine sounds - and we were concerned by inconsistent braking performance at the track, as well as a tendency to push into understeer sooner than expected. Driving to address that is a bit like chipping onto a putting green – the rewards are immense if you relax to get it right, but pushing too hard will leave you red-faced and frustrated.

BMW M2 pricing and specifications

Price: from $98,900 plus on-road costs

Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo petrol

Power: 272kW at 6500rpm

Torque: 500Nm on overboost at 1400-5560rpm

Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, rear-wheel drive

Fuel use: 7.9L/100km


Verdict

There are no losers here.

Each model offers a distinct take on how to thrill buyers with a generous budget, whether it's the HSV's monster engine, Mercedes' sheer-minded focus, Audi's complete package or the BMW's rewarding dynamics.

The latter pair offer the most compelling arguments – Audi appealing to tech-minded pragmatism while BMW's contender draws in the inner hooligan. Both cars are brilliant, and each is likely to appeal to a slightly different subset of the performance car segment. Flip a coin, listen to your heart or take a test drive for yourself.

But we'll go with Glass's on this one – BMW's M2 is already a modern classic.


Testing times

We put claimed acceleration times to the test as part of our evaluation of this quartet.

Our drag strip for the day was the uphill front straight at the Marulan Driver Training Centre south of Sydney, which naturally saps a tenth or two from acceleration times as gravity takes hold. Take these times as a back-to-back indication of potential performance, rather than the definitive 0-100km/h results for these machines.

Traction was at a premium too, as the rear-wheel-drive HSV Clubsport and BMW M2 struggled for purchase before recording identical 4.9 second runs to 100km/h – well short their respective 4.6 and 4.3 second claims.

The Mercedes-AMG A45 was closer to its 4.2 second claim, recording runs up the hill just 0.2s shy of that mark.

Audi's RS3 Sportback stunned the field by matching its advertised 4.3 second 0-100km/h dash in less-than-ideal conditions. That adds up with what we've seen from this model in the past, as the RS3 reeled off a scorching 4.1 second run during Drive Car of the Year testing in 2015.

See Link Below For Video & More Detailed Reviews

http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/b...25-gp35td.html

[sprintman1]

M2 is the best BMW for many years. Better in most respects than current M3 according to the many press articles.

[Yellow_Festiva]

That RS3 is the bees knees.... Would be great to drive that and describe it as a 'family wagon'.

[malazn mafia]

Fake engine sounds in the M2? Some kind of noise cancelling technology? All the new BMW high tech boosted sixes sound quite terrible, farty to the point of sounding like a bad diahrea session in the dunny when the driver gets up it.

[Sabantien]

If I was offered one of these four, i'd be tossing up between the RS3 and the M2. The only give away that the RS3 is sporty is the badges, but that M2 looks the goods.