Audi RS3

THE £50,000 hot hatch is not a concept that will sit comfortably with many fans of the breed, but the RS3 Sportback is something of a freak among its peers. With all its various options, the latest addition to our fleet costs a whisker under £60,000 – but it does have 395bhp from its five-cylinder turbocharged engine, alongside one of the best-equipped interiors of any car, at almost any price point.

Special contributor Steve Sutcliffe will be running the Sportback version because of its extra space and flexibility, and so far that’s proving to be a fine choice. He took the car to France recently on a pre-christmas stock-up, and found the extra luggage area in the back to be just the right size for that kind of trip.

But it’s on the road where the RS3 excels. Performance is borderline supercar quick, and in the mid range especially it’s outrageous. There’s almost no lag from the turbo and, with an optional sports exhaust fitted, a delicious sound from the five-cylinder motor. After three weeks and 820 miles, we’re already smitten.