Category: Hot Hatchbacks 
Price Range: £27,480 to £28,020
Quick, holds the road well, high level of comfort.
Pricey, not as involving a drive as it should be.
A very good hot hatch, but not quite as good as the high price suggests.
Along with German rivals BMW, Audi is certainly working hard to improve the efficiency of its engines, with improvements to CO2 levels in the new S3: the 261bhp 2.0-litre TFSI now emits 18g/km less carbon dioxide, taking its figure down to 199g/km. This will be especially good news when the number of road tax bands increases in 2009, when just a few fewer g/km could save you a few quid, especially in the year of purchase.
The engine tweaks also mean that fuel consumption has also improved, with the S3 now using 33.2mpg on the combined cycle. However, this figure is likely to be considerably lower the real world when driven in the manner it's been designed for.
