When BMW first announced the all-wheel drive M3, it was clear what its main target was—the Audi RS4 Avant. And in this new video from Joe Achilles, we finally get to see which car is better, in a head-to-head comparison test.
For decades, the RS4 Avant has been the go-to sports car for customers who had families to haul around and needed all-weather capability. Which is why it was the most popular sports wagon (and sedan) in areas like the American northeast and Scandinavian countries. BMW M3s, on the other hand, were never popular in areas like that because of their rear-wheel drive, snappy behavior. That made then useless in winter months and who wants to buy a car they can only use for half the year?
Now, though, the BMW M3 Competition xDrive offers all-wheel drive (and there will soon even be a wagon version), so it can finally take on Audi at its own game. The question is, does the again RS4’s greater experience in this world still give it the edge, despite its age?
In the video, Achilles tests the new Audi RS4 Avant Carbon Black Edition against his own BMW M3 Competition xDrive. Although, it must be said, in the name of fairness, that his M3 is modified a bit. It has a very good alignment done, so it handles with more precision than the stock car, it has a Milltek exhaust, an Eventuri air intake, and an upgraded strut bar. So his car really isn’t the fairest of competitors.
From the factory, the Audi RS4 Avant makes 444 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque, from its 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6, while the M3 Comp makes 503 horsepower from its 3.0-liter twin-turbo I6. Both cars have ZF eight-speed automatic transmissions and b0th are all-wheel drive.
In a straight line, the Audi RS4 Avant dominated its factory claimed times, doing the sprint in the 3.3 second range, despite Audi’s claimed 4.1 second time. However, the BMW M3 Competition xDrive recorded a mind-melting 2.99 seconds to 60 mph, which is just absurd. Although, his upgraded exhaust and freer flowing exhaust likely shave a few tenths off of the stock car’s time.
If you want to know how well each car handles,…
