Everyone, but everyone has asked me the same question in the last few weeks since we drove the Audi RS4: is it better than the BMW M3? It's a valid question on everyone's lips since the RS4 was announced, but it is also a very difficult one to answer as it is personal and subjective. Different people will offer diverse answers, but I'll try and explain my verdict to you here.

On the outside, both cars are breathed upon versions of the more humble variants they are based on, but it is the Audi that seduces the most. It has bulges and vents in all the right places and unsurprisingly looks much fresher than the soon to be replaced BMW. The RS4 gives fewer hints as to the beast lurking within as well; debadged and in a subtler hue it looks very much like the Sportline specification A4s that are a common sight on our roads. Only the matt-aluminium mirrors, big exhausts, huge wheels and the brakes concealed therein are clear differentiating marks. It's personal taste but I like to hide my light under a bushel.

Open the door and again it is the Audi that impresses most deeply. The M3's interior is well finished in high quality materials and is ergonomically sound and well-equipped, but the RS4 can see each of these bets and raise them all significantly. It is hard to think of many ways to improve on the Audi's interior. From the wheel to the door trims the quality is fantastic and the layout and execution of the equipment and minor controls is great. The integrated screen and satnav pounds I-drive into submission (itself not available on the outgoing M3) and it is a better cabin to be seated in, in terms of space as well as ambience. The RS4's saloon body style is more practical of course, but not everyone needs four doors.

Inside, the seats themselves are great in both cars and both offer excellent driving positions, the Audi earning a small black mark for a brake pedal that is sited just a little too high relative to the throttle. Both cars have lovely steering wheels but it is the BMW's that is nicer to use thanks mainly due to the superior feedback it transmits. Here the RS4 pays the price for the need to isolate the driver from the fact that there are driveshafts connected to the front wheels. It's one of the few drawbacks of the quattro driveline.

The other is weight; the Audi RS4 squirms under heavy braking as that mass is transferred onto the front end. The brakes are undoubtedly powerful but the lightness one can sense in the back end can be slightly unnerving as the car doesn't feel as planted as it could; there are no such woes in the significantly lighter M3. In every other dynamic aspect of driving the RS4 can match the M3.

In a drag race the 343bhp 3.2-litre straight-six M3 has no answer to the 414bhp 4.2-litre V8 RS4. The Audi enjoys the benefits of quattro traction and brute force to pull out about a second in the sprint to 100mph and similar advantages in-gear as well. Here the eerily linear grunt of the RS4's engine (and the extra cubic capacity) means the RS4 pulls harder out of bends and offers more relaxed overtaking. With the Sport buttons pressed in both cars throttle response is equally urgent and the emotive aspect that is the exhaust soundtrack is just as evenly matched with the glorious wail of the six-pot matched note for note by the NASCAR soundtrack of the V8.

In terms of pure ground-covering ability there is very little in it in dry weather conditions. An equally skilled pair of drivers would travel nose to tail down most given stretches of tarmac with the grunt of the Audi cancelled out by the higher cornering speeds of the BMW. Swap the drivers for a novice and it is the Audi's superior traction and outright grunt that would see it pull away. Throw a good old April shower into the equation and the Audi would enjoy the benefits of quattro and eke out time. It is the manner of this coverage of distance that differs most significantly.

At the end of the day there is absolutely no question that the Audi RS4 is a great car, in many ways it is better than the M3. It is safer, more secure and is more capable in wet conditions for the average driver - a significant point in rain soaked Britain. However, for me its competence is also its Achilles' heel. The RS4 is almost too easy to drive; almost anyone could slide behind the wheel and drive it quickly. As nice as this is for many, for us it defeats the object slightly. I'd go so far as to say that it is too capable, too clinical and too accessible. The M3 demands more of the driver. More focus, more smoothness and a higher standard of driving are required to extract its best.

This, for us, is the deciding factor. The £6,000 price difference isn't insignificant either but that aside, ultimately I find the M3 a more rewarding experience. It has better steering, feels lighter on the brakes and offers more feel through the seat of the pants as well as more adjustability and a more playful chassis. Sitting here now, a month on, looking back on driving both cars, it is the BMW M3 CS I want to drive again the most. The RS4 wouldn't be a hardship, but the CS is more of a privilege.

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Summary

Performance: Audi RS4 saloon: BMW M3 CS Coupe:
Both offer huge pace, the Audi has a slight advantage against the clock.

Powertrain: Audi RS4 saloon: BMW M3 CS Coupe:
Audi's fantastic V8 is a match for the legendary M-sport straight-six.

Ride and handling: Audi RS4 saloon: BMW M3 CS Coupe:
Different executions but equally capable. Audi just has the edge on ride quality.

Economy: Audi RS4 saloon: BMW M3 CS Coupe:
Both are surprisingly frugal when driven gently, though drink heavily when pushed.

Tactility: Audi RS4 saloon: BMW M3 CS Coupe:
The BMW enjoys better steering; the RS4 has a slightly slicker gearshift.

Appearance: Audi RS4 saloon: BMW M3 CS Coupe:
We like the looks of both but the Audi is more of a stealth machine and is the freshest design.

Interior: Audi RS4 saloon: BMW M3 CS Coupe:
The RS4's interior is fantastic. The M3's need updating now.

Safety: Audi RS4 saloon: BMW M3 CS Coupe:
The added wet weather security of quattro seals this for the Audi.

Equipment: Audi RS4 saloon: BMW M3 CS Coupe:
Neither wants for anything at this price.

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The models we've tested to date:

- Audi RS4 manual saloon
- BMW M3
- BMW M3 CS
- BMW M3 CSL

Dave Jenkins - 3 May 2006