THE RIVALS

From in-line fours to V10s, there are plenty of alternatives

SADLY, THERE’S NEVER BEEN AN official M3 Touring, so the RS4 Avant’s closest rival comes from Mercedes-amg. The Affalterbach boys have released a steady stream of fast, small estates, and for the same £25k as a tidy B7 RS4 you can get a slightly newer S204 C63 that’s covered around 40,000 miles. The 451bhp 6.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 is even more characterful than the Audi unit, although it doesn’t rev with quite the same verve and abandon.

For similar money there’s another Audi option, one blessed with more space and even more power: the 572bhp all-wheeldrive C6 RS6, with its twin-turbo V10. A 2008 car with 70,000 miles is worth around £23,000. The equivalent BMW, this time available as a wagon, is the E61 M5. It matches the RS6 on cylinder count but is 72bhp down. It also isn’t the most reliable of second-hand purchases, and that’s putting it kindly.

Going a little older, with less space, fewer cylinders and less power, there’s the 375bhp B5 RS4 (the first, twin-turbo V6powered one of 2000-2002). It’s starting to gain classic status and now commands similar money to the newer B7.

If you’re drawn to the newness of the Skoda, but want a little more purpose and a premium badge, then consider a 2016 BMW 340i Touring. Its six-cylinder turbocharged motor isn’t as appealing as the RS4’S V8, but it conjures up more character than the Skoda’s four-pot. A two-year-old Golf R on 20,000 miles is also a similar price, has some of the Audi’s rampant, all-weather pace and a better version of the engine in the Skoda.