AUDI'S RANGE-TOPPING RS6 AVANT VS BMW'S M3 TOURING - WHICH WOULD YOU SPEND YOUR TAX RETURNS ON?
In this world where everyone wants to buy an SUV, a crossover, an SAV or an EV, the knock-on effect is that some much-loved automotive segments have dwindled in popularity and in many cases struck from the production roll altogether. One of these is that of the estate, also known as a station wagon, wagon, avant or even the more colloquial and descriptive term of longroof. There have been some pretty special ones over the years, one that’s since disappeared that had fans around the world was the Volvo 850 R, famed for having the aerodynamics of a brick but the coolest body lines ever. Sure there have been a few other wagon styles from Volvo, but they lost their edge and as a result, sales. Audi has had the Avant range for many years now, and the automaker has managed to garner enough sales to keep them in production. The German automaker offers up the Audi RS4 Avant and the bigger brother, the RS6 Avant. They’ve always been as fast as they have been expensive, and the latest generation RS6 is more supercar than commuter. Powering the RS6 Avant is a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 that sends a very healthy 463kW of power with 850Nm of torque through to all four wheels via Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive system. It’s good for a 0-100 km/h sprint in just 3.4 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 280 km/h. If you throw a bit more money at the option list it can reportedly cross the 300 km/h mark. It’s fast.
The new kid on the block is a car that we didn’t think would ever see the light of day, the new BMW M3 Touring. There has never been a legit M Performance-built version of one of these, only some fan-made things. There was an E39 M5 Touring a while back though. The M3 Touring was something M fanatics have imagined for many years, and it looks like it was built to appease the masses. The M3 Touring features that well-used and much-revered twin-turbocharged inline-6-cylinder powerplant that’s rated to produce 375 kW and a high 650 Nm of torque. This is mated to a lightning-fast 8-speed M Steptronic transmission with Drivelogic and the associated M xDrive all-wheel drive system with the Active M differential. BMW claims the car can reach 100 km/h in just 3.6 seconds and also has a top speed of 280 km/h if the M Driver’s Package is optioned. The car comes in at a lower price than the RS6, but besides that, they’re pretty close on paper. The crew from What Car? takes a close look at both cars though, directly comparing the interior, space, features, comfort and performance. Both cars are amazing in their own right, and we’d usually choose the Audi over the BMW because we’re thoroughbred VAG fans, but there’s just something about the M3 Touring that does things to our man bits. We’ll be seeing them on our shores in 2024 in limited numbers, so this is worth a watch to those who may be interested in adding one to the garage.
Take a look at the YouTube video from the chaps at What Car? as they do a direct comparison between the Audi RS6 Avant and the BMW M3 Touring. It would make more sense to pair the Beemer up against Audi's RS4 Avant, but we like all kinds of review comparisons: NEW Audi RS6 vs BMW M3 Touring review – what's the best super estate? | What Car?
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