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Best performance cars 2026: the thrillers to buy – and one to avoid
The best performance cars combine sports car-rivalling acceleration and engaging handling with impressive everyday usability, but which should you consider – and which are best avoided?
Mark Pearson
Updated: 23 August 2026
Performance cars need to walk a fine line between thrilling with their pace and agility, and being able to seamlessly fit into family life.
It's a tall order by any measure, but these days there are more performance cars to choose from than ever before. Increasingly, too, they're not just petrol-powered machines either, with some electric models now counting among our favourites. Speaking of which, our experienced road test team has spent thousands of hours reviewing every performance car you can buy. They've assessed them in every area that matters, from performance to practicality, and refinement to running costs, to create the top 10 order you see here.
In this story, we'll reveal our picks for the best performance cars, taking in traditional performance saloons as well as hot hatches and sports SUVs, plus we'll name the model we think you should avoid. In each case, we'll show you how to take advantage of the best PCP and leasing deals – just follow the links to find out more. And you can read more about how we test and rate cars in our feature.
Best performance cars to buy now – and how to get the best deal
Make and modelList price fromRatingPCP dealsLeasing dealsBMW M3 Touring£91,4855Best PCP dealsBest leasing dealsMercedes-AMG A45£65,4655Best PCP dealsNAHyundai Ioniq 6 N£65,8005Best PCP dealsBest leasing dealsPorsche Taycan£88,4655Best PCP dealsBest leasing dealsAudi E-tron GT£88,6055Best PCP dealsBest leasing deals
The best performance cars for you
The BMW M3 Touring proves that you really can have your cake and eat it, because not only is it outlandishly fast, but it's also eminently practical, with enough storage space to take seven suitcases with you.
If you'd rather have your performance car in the flavour of a hot hatch, then the Mercedes-AMG A45 is the best in the business. Its evocative petrol engine provides great dollops of power, catapulting you up to motorway speeds faster than some rivals which cost a lot more.
Proving that electric cars deserve their place here too, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N is brilliantly quick, allowing its full 641bhp to deploy for 10-second bursts at a time.
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BMW M3
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Staggering pace and grip
- Surprisingly comfortable ride
- High-quality interior
Weaknesses
- M3 Competition doesn’t sound that special
- Pricey to buy
- As expensive to run as you'd expect
Nothing is perfect, of course, but we'd argue that the BMW M3 Touring is as close to the perfect performance car as it's possible to get. That's because it really is a car for all seasons – part laser-focussed thrill ride, part versatile family car.
The M3 Touring might be a little heavier than the saloon upon which it is based, but its 523bhp 3.0-litre turbocharged engine makes the difference academic. Few will notice that it’s 0.1sec slower than its sibling, because 0-62mpg takes just 3.6sec – making it faster than the closely related Alpina B3 Touring.
The extra 85kg it carries doesn't blunt its handling either, because it provides an agility the Audi RS4 Avant and Mercedes-AMG C 63 Estate can’t match. The four-wheel drive system builds huge confidence, ensuring sure-footedness regardless of whether you’re on the school run or traversing the Stelvio Pass.
And the M3 Touring is equally adept at either, because it’s brilliantly practical. Its 500-litre boot is capable of carrying any number of projects right to the school gates, and should you fancy tackling an Alpine pass, then the versatility of a 40/20/40 folding rear seat makes it easy to carry your skis alongside a pair of back-seat passengers.
Yes, you'll pay a little more to put the M3 Touring on your driveway than for some performance car rivals, but you also get lots of kit as standard. And as with the regular 3 Series, the M3 Touring comes with a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty as standard.
“Like most drivers, I'll adjust a car as much as I can to suit my needs – and in the M3 Touring, the driver has lots of scope for tailoring its behaviour to suit their mood or the road conditions. And given its tremendous abilities, you have to wonder why BMW didn't make this car years ago.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor
Read our in-depth BMW M3 Touring review
New car deals
Best price from £78,999
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £78,999
RRP from: £91,485
Nearly new deals
From £70,000
Leasing deals
From £1,242
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
BMW M3
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £1,242.14 Initial payment £14,905.68
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£15,151 total upfront (£14,906 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
Mercedes-AMG A45
Best buy: 2.0 A45 AMG S Plus 8G-DCT 4MATIC+ Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
0-62 mph: 3.9 sec
MPG/range: 30.7 mpg
C02 emissions: 208 g/km
Seats: 5
Boot: 370 litres
Insurance group: 41E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Savage acceleration
- Agile, rewarding handling
- Quick-shifting automatic gearbox
Weaknesses
- Very expensive
- Audi RS3 is more comfortable
- Interior build quality could be better
There's hot and there's hot, and on the spice scale of hot hatchbacks, the Mercedes-AMG A45 is a carolina reaper.
Its turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine provides indecent levels of space, developing 416bhp in total and allowing for a scorching 0-62mph sprint time of 3.9 seconds. And while the eight-speed automatic gearbox does a perfectly fine job of managing all that power, you can still take control using the wheel-mounted paddles if you want to.
You'll find that a Honda Civic Type R has even meatier steering feel than the A45, but the Mercedes' always feels well planted through corners, and it's easy to point the nose exactly where you want it, which isn't something you can say about all hot hatches.
What's especially impressive about the A45 is that, being based on the regular Mercedes A-Class, it's every bit as usable as that car. It features the same show-stopping interior, with its impressive infotainment system and high-end materials. And there's room for six carry-on suitcases in the boot, which is two more than we managed to fit in the back of the Audi RS3.
Yes, the A45 is one of the most expensive hot hatchbacks you can buy, but in the context of the wider performance car class it's actually one of the cheaper options. And it shouldn't be ruinous to run, returning 28.5mpg in our real-w0rld testing. In terms of warranty, you get three years of cover with no mileage limit.
“I think it’s a shame the bright yellow paint option is no longer available for the A45, but there are some interesting alternatives, including Mountain Grey with a matte finish.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer
Read our in-depth Mercedes-AMG A45 review
New car deals
Best price from £27,370
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £27,370
RRP from: £31,870
Nearly new deals
From £23,499
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Hyundai Ioniq 6 N
Best buy: 84kWh N Auto AWD 4dr
0-62 mph: 3.2 sec
Range: 290 miles
Seats: 5
Boot: 371 litres
Insurance group: 47E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Explosive straight-line pace
- Sharp, fun handling
- Fast charging
Weaknesses
- So-so range between charges
- Some features only suited to track use
- Tight rear head room
Britain's best electric performance car is the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N, and while you might not have heard of it before, this sleek and sporty EV has a famous sibling – the Ioniq 5 N, which is one of our favourite electric cars. Indeed, the 6 N borrows plenty of technology from that car, including its virtual gearbox which makes it feel as though you're driving a manual car.
In terms of raw power, the Ioniq 6 N serves up 601bhp, but that figure can be increased up to 641bhp for 10-second bursts – perfect if you find yourself in perfect overtaking position. As you might expect, the point-to-point pace of the Ioniq 6 N is truly impressive, but what also impressed us is that despite its weight, this electric car feels remarkably agile. Indeed, it feels even more eager to turn into bends than the far more expensive Audi E-tron GT or Porsche Taycan.
Those rivals have the edge when it comes to ride comfort, though, but that's not to say that the Ioniq 6 N is uncomfortable, it just doesn't have the same sophisticated air suspension as those cars. Like the Ioniq 5 N, you get a lot for your money here, with a long list of standard equipment which includes luxuries such as dual-zone climate control and heated and ventilated front seats.
As is the norm for electric cars, there are two warranties to consider. You get five years of unlimited-mileage cover for the car, with the drive battery covered for eight years or 100,000 miles.
“Our all-black test car looked pretty evil, but personally I’d specify any Hyundai N car in the Performance Blue paint the N sub-brand tends to be associated with.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor
Read our in-depth Hyundai Ioniq 6 N review
New car deals
Best price from £36,990
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £59,990
RRP from: £36,990
Nearly new deals
From £35,000
Leasing deals
From £786
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
Hyundai Ioniq 6 N
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £786.37 Initial payment £9,436.44
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£9,681 total upfront (£9,436 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
Porsche Taycan
Best buy: Performance Plus 105kWh Auto RWD 4dr (11kW Charger)
0-62 mph: 4.8 sec
Range: 434 miles
Seats: 4
Boot: 407 litres
Insurance group: 48E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Staggering performance and engaging handling
- Great potential battery range
- Wonderful interior quality
Weaknesses
- It's very expensive...
- ...and you’ll probably want to add some options
- Reliability has been a concern
If you want the best blend of electric power and driving excitement, then look no further than the Porsche Taycan.
Turbo and Turbo S trim levels deliver on power and performance, forsaking range for a 0-62mph time of as low as 2.7sec. However, our preferred 4S trim strikes a much better balance between performance and range – it can cover the same sprint in a still-rapid 3.7sec, yet can officially travel 367 miles between charges. Upgrade to the larger optional 105kWh battery, and that figure increases to a staggering 421 miles.
The Taycan is a practical choice, too, with decent room in its rear seats – for two people, at least. Unlike some performance car rivals, there's no middle seat, so you can't squeeze five people in at a push. Meanwhile, the boot is large enough for a baby buggy or a set of golf clubs.
Inside, the Taycan's curved 16.8in digital instrument cluster does a good job of putting all the information you might want right in front of you, plus it's fully customisable, meaning you can prioritise the information you want, such as remaining range or directions from the sat-nav.
“The Taycan's high-quality interior can seat four adults in comfort, with a relatively practical boot for their luggage. I like that you get some underfloor storage for your charging cables, too.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor
Read our in-depth Porsche Taycan review
New car deals
Best price from £85,545
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £85,545
RRP from: £88,465
Nearly new deals
From £76,500
Leasing deals
From £1,125
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
Porsche Taycan
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £1,124.51 Initial payment £13,494.12
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£13,739 total upfront (£13,494 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
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Audi E-tron GT
Best buy: 105kWh Auto quattro 4dr
0-62 mph: 4 sec
Range: 384 miles
Seats: 5
Boot: 405 litres
Insurance group: 50E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Comfortable ride and great handling
- A good range and ultra-rapid charging
- Space for four adults
Weaknesses
- Expensive to buy
- Interior doesn’t feel as special as a Taycan’s
- Rear access could be better
The Audi E-tron GT is a 583bhp four-door coupé that can sprint from 0-60mph in 3.4sec. It’s not as sharp to drive as the closely related Porsche Taycan, but strikes a good balance between all-out speed and ride comfort.
It's the entry-level S model which we recommend. It has two electric motors and four-wheel drive, and feels exceedingly fast in a straight line. Of course, if you really want to show off, then the RS E-tron GT offers 671 bhp and can reach 62mph in just 2.8 seconds.
As you'd expect of such a pricey car, the E-tron GT is well equipped inside and features a crystal-clear infotainment and driver display, albeit with the exception of some fiddly touch-sensitive buttons.
The saloon boot is a little tight to squeeze luggage into, but it’s deep enough to swallow a few cases. And despite the E-tron GT’s sleek silhouette, there is enough room in the back for two six-footers to travel in comfort.
“You might think that an electric car built around performance wouldn't be able to go very far, but when we tested the E-tron GT's real-world range, we determined it to be around 230 miles, and that's enough for most drivers.” – Darren Moss, Deputy Editor
Read our in-depth Audi E-tron GT review
New car deals
Best price from £75,699
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £75,699
RRP from: £88,605
Nearly new deals
From £66,450
Leasing deals
From £1,039
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
Audi E-tron GT
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £1,038.53 Initial payment £12,462.36
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£12,707 total upfront (£12,462 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
Porsche Cayenne Coupé
Best buy: 4.0T V8 S TiptronicS 4WD Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
0-62 mph: 4.7 sec
MPG/range: 23.5 mpg
C02 emissions: 273 g/km
Seats: 4
Boot: 592 litres
Insurance group: 49E
Reliability
Safety
Costs
Quality
Performance
Strengths
- Powerful engines
- Fantastic handling for a big SUV
- Classy interior
Weaknesses
- Expensive to run
- Stingy kit list
- Air suspension costs extra on some versions
There's no getting away from the fact that putting any version of the Porsche Cayenne Coupé on your driveway is going to be an expensive proposition, but at least you don't need to splash out on the range-topping versions to experience it at its brilliant best. Instead, it's the second-rung S version which we think most buyers will love, thanks to its storming 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine. With 482bhp available, it feels ferociously fast, and can get you up to 62mph in a quick 4.7 seconds. And you'll enjoy getting there, because the sound of the V8 engine when it's doing its best work is, quite simply, sublime.
Elsewhere, the Cayenne Coupé impressed us with its ride quality, at least on the models fitted with air suspension that we've tried so far. A Range Rover Sport is even more supple, but the Cayenne never crashes or jars when it hits lumps and bumps in the road. Plus, the body control at higher speeds is exceptional.
Despite its plunging roofline, there's still enough room for a couple of six-footers to sit comfortably in the back of the Cayenne Coupé, and there's plenty of room in the boot for a couple of suitcases.
You get a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty with every Cayenne Coupé, which is pretty par for the course among sports SUVs.
“When the rear seats of the Porsche Cayenne Coupé are folded down, they lie at a slight angle instead of completely flat, but I reckon you'd still find it easy enough to slide in flatpack furniture.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor
Read our in-depth Porsche Cayenne Coupé review
New car deals
Best price from £87,605
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £95,542
RRP from: £87,605
Nearly new deals
From £79,500
Leasing deals
From £1,029
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
Porsche Cayenne Coupé
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £1,029.22 Initial payment £12,350.64
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£12,596 total upfront (£12,351 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
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Porsche Macan Electric
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- In GTS-spec it’s rapid and thrilling to drive
- Top-notch interior quality
- Excellent electric range
Weaknesses
- Cheaper versions aren’t that fast
- Without air suspension the ride is iffy
- Porsche reliability is a concern
We've already seen on this list that Porsche knows how to make a thrilling electric car, and that it knows how to make an exciting SUV – so, naturally, the Macan Electric aims to mix those two worlds together.
And the result is very fast indeed. The range-topping Macan Electric Turbo can hit 62mph from a standing start in just 3.3 seconds, while even our recommended GTS models can do the same job in 3.8 seconds. But that turn of speed is only one of the reasons why the GTS is our pick: it also comes with air suspension as standard, but also gets a limited-slip differential to increase your traction through corners. Plus, its rear motor is repositioned to better balance weight, and it has a system to vary the power going to each wheel individually. For all that sportiness, though, the Macan Electric can be very relaxing to drive if all you want to do is get home.
Every Macan Electric comes with a 95kWh (usable capacity) battery, which provides an official range of up to 398 miles between charges in entry-level form. In the GTS, that figure falls to 362 miles, which should still be more than enough for the needs of most drivers.
The Macan Electric is a bit roomier than the petrol-engined Porsche Macan, but even so, a BMW iX3 is a better bet if you'll regularly be taking long journeys with taller passengers in the rear. The boot offers 540 litres of luggage space, which is about the same as you'll find in the Audi Q6 e-tron and iX3.
“I’m glad to see the Macan Electric has two boots, and the rear boot is a good size and shape, but it’s a shame there aren’t more handy features: I like a divider to stop items sliding about, which they will if you’re having fun on a twisty road” – John Howell, Deputy Reviews Editor
Read our in-depth Porsche Macan Electric review
New car deals
Best price from £69,865
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £78,645
RRP from: £69,865
Nearly new deals
From £57,640
Leasing deals
From £881
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
Porsche Macan Electric
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 48 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £880.89 Initial payment £10,570.68
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£10,816 total upfront (£10,571 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 48 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
Aston Martin DBX
Best buy: 4.0 V8 707 Auto 4WD Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
0-62 mph: 3.3 sec
MPG/range: 19.9 mpg
C02 emissions: 323 g/km
Seats: 5
Boot: 0 litres
Insurance group: 50E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Amazing acceleration and engine noise
- Great to drive yet mostly comfortable
- Roomy inside, with a big boot
Weaknesses
- As expensive to buy as you’d expect
- Very thirsty
- Not as solidly built as a Bentayga
In many ways, the Aston Martin DBX is a sports SUV that's all about pure excess. After all, what happens when you put a 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine which, even in its most basic form, produces 697bhp, into an SUV can only be described as excessive. Or intoxicating, which is how you'll feel when that engine is doing its best to get you up to 62mph, which takes just 3.3 seconds. Or, to put it another way, faster than a Porsche Cayenne, Ferrari Purosangue or Lamborghini Urus.
Of course, a great performance car is about more than just point-to-point pace, and the DBX feels both agile through corners and impressively comfortable on the motorway. In short, when you don't need it to be a rip-snorting SUV, it doesn't have to be.
Inside, the DBX treats you to the kind of high-set driving position which SUV buyers will love, and surrounds you with the kind of materials and technology you'd expect to see at this price point – and that's especially true since the car's mid-life facelift, which replaced the previous Mercedes-sourced infotainment system with a more modern one.
Like many of the other cars on this list, putting a DBX on your driveway is an expensive prospect, and you'll need to make sure you can afford to keep one running too – even according to official figures, just 19.9mpg is possible.
“Given how fast and heavy the DBX is, I think the fact that it has fade-resistant carbon-ceramic brakes is very welcome.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer
Read our in-depth Aston Martin DBX review
New car deals
Best price from £210,745
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
RRP from: £210,745
Nearly new deals
From £189,950
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Audi RS3
Best buy: 2.5 TFSI Carbon Black Sportback S Tronic quattro Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
0-62 mph: 3.8 sec
MPG/range: 30.4 mpg
C02 emissions: 212 g/km
Seats: 5
Boot: 282 litres
Insurance group: 37E
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Bonkers acceleration
- Sounds fantastic
- Remarkably comfortable on adaptive suspension
Weaknesses
- Expensive to buy
- The Mercedes AMG A45 has sharper steering
- Adaptive suspension is only available on the top trim
Like the best products, the Audi RS3 has a unique selling point to help it stand out from the automotive crowd. In this case, it's quite a good one, too – a 2.5-litre, five-cylinder petrol engine. And if the significance of that isn't readily apparent to you, consider this: it's bonkers fast, wonderfully enjoyable and emits the kind of soundtrack which will have you taking the long route home every time.
When you want it to be, the RS3 can attack lap times with the very best hot hatches, with sharp steering, and an innovative torque splitter which allows drive to be sent to each rear wheel completely independently. Yet when all you want to do is get home, the RS3 can be comfortable and relaxing, just like the regular Audi A3.
In most respects, the RS3 is every bit as practical as the regular A3, with one exception. That's because its four-wheel drive system raises the boot floor, making the load bay very shallow, and meaning we could fit just four carry-0n suitcases into it, compared with five in the Mercedes-AMG A45. That said, if you do need to carry more, then 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats come as standard.
"The interior of the latest RS3 has just enough touches to make it feel bespoke compared with a regular Audi A3. It’s just a shame the quality doesn’t quite match the car’s high price." – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor
Read our in-depth Audi RS3 Sportback review
New car deals
Best price from £58,925
What is What Car? best price?
The What Car? best price shows you the cheapest way to buy your new car, whether it's by choosing an in-stock car through our partner Autotrader or placing a factory order.
Available now from: £58,925
RRP from: £61,975
Nearly new deals
From £58,200
Leasing deals
From £648
About our price indicator
What Car? indicative Personal lease example (subject to status)
Audi RS3
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £647.92 Initial payment £7,775.04
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£8,020 total upfront (£7,775 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
Audi RS5
Driving
Interior
Practicality
Buying & Owning
Strengths
- Hugely fast
- Good electric range
- More fun to drive than Mercedes C63
Weaknesses
- Not as agile as the BMW M3
- Top-level Vorsprung is really expensive
- A BMW M3 is slightly more practical
Audi has a strong history of producing fast yet practical estate cars, and the RS5 Avant is the latest example of the breed. It's the first RS-model from Audi to be a plug-in hybrid, and combines a 2.9-litre V6 petrol engine with an electric motor. Together, the two produce a combined 630bhp – making the RS5 more powerful than the BMW M3 Touring, but packing less of a punch than the 671bhp Mercedes-AMG C63.
With an official electric-only range of 50 miles, the RS5 Avant could handle your weekday commute without using a drop of fuel, but we suspect most drivers won't be able to resist putting their feet down every so often. And when you do, the sound of the engine is intoxicating. Top-spec Vorsprung models get an even rortier exhaust.
Inside, the RS5 Avant has supportive front seats and a mostly pleasing mix of materials, but you'll still find some cheap and scratchy plastics lower down inside the car. A couple of six-footers will have no trouble sitting behind front occupants of similar height, but you can stretch out your legs a little more in the BMW M3 Touring.
The RS5 Avant offers 361 litres of storage space in its boot, but because of the hybrid battery there's no additional storage under the boot floor. Still, that figure is more than you'll find in the Mercedes-AMG C63 S Estate, but you can get even more into the M3 Touring.
"The RS5 Avant is pretty practical but it misses out on the BMW M3 Touring’s rear window that can be opened independently of the tailgate." – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor
Read our in-depth Audi RS5 Avant review
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Available now from: £91,890
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Audi RS5
Expected annual mileage 5000 Term months 60 Deposit months 12 Monthly payment £1,194.35 Initial payment £14,332.20
Step-by-step
Leasing works a bit like a long-term rental. You drive it, but you don’t own it.
- Choose your car, pick your terms and apply for lease credit online
- Pay monthly rental payments for your chosen term length
- Drive it, enjoy it, then give it back at the end
What you get
When you lease with Autotrader you get all of this:
- Full manufacturer’s warranty
- Road tax and roadside assistance included
- Free returns within 30 days*
Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply. Subject to availability and credit status. 18+ T&Cs apply.
In partnership with
£14,577 total upfront (£14,332 initial rental plus £245 processing fee) | 5000 miles | 60 months
- Lower total monthly cost than PCP/HP
- No balloon payments
- Road tax included
And the performance car to avoid...
Mercedes-AMG EQE 53
It may be quick, but the hottest version of the EQE electric saloon is nowhere near as good to drive as the Porsche Taycan. Nor is it as classy, comfortable or well finished inside. Its range is nothing special in this guise, either.
Read our review
How to choose the best performance car
Performance cars do what they say on the tin: deliver thrilling performance. That’s a given, but you might also be looking for a performance car that’s easy to live with every day, and has enough space to ferry your family and all its belongings around in comfort.
Nowadays, there are so many options on the market, and some perform better than others in certain areas. That’s why it’s so important to know what to look out for when you’re buying a new one.
What sort of fuel would suit you?
Traditionally, performance cars were petrol-powered machines, but now they come in all different forms, with electric models now among some of the best options on the market. But deciding which one is best for you will depend heavily on your daily driving habits.
If the biggest draw of a performance car for you is being immersed in the driving experience, then you might prefer a traditional combustion engine. Not only will you be accompanied by the roar of a high-powered V8 as you’re winding down a country road, but these cars also often come with the option of a more engaging manual gearbox – and there’s little more satisfying than shifting through the gears as you pick up speed.
That being said, electric performance cars are known for delivering instant acceleration – so much so that you could replicate the feeling of riding a launch coaster if you so desired. Indeed, these models are some of the fastest-accelerating cars on the market, so if pure adrenaline is what you’re chasing, it’s worth trying out electric power.
EVs will also be a better option if you prefer a smoother, quieter drive. All electric cars come with automatic gearboxes, so you don’t have to worry about switching gears manually, and the lack of roaring petrol engine means you’ll be travelling in near silence – which, depending on your preferences, could add or take away from the driving experience.
However, given their huge pace, electric performance cars usually come fitted with a heavy battery, which can sometimes make for less agile handling, especially when you’re navigating tight corners. This isn’t the case for every sporty EV, but it’s true that they’re not always as sharp as their petrol counterparts.
How much do you want to spend?
Given their huge power and luxury positioning, you might already be at peace with the fact that buying a new performance car isn’t going to be easy on your wallet. However, nobody wants a car that’s going to be ruinous to run, so it’s worth taking into account what you can do to keep your running costs as low as possible.
If you have the ability to charge up at home or at work, then an electric car can be really cost-effective. Not only can you charge overnight, when rates are much cheaper, but you’ll also pay a lot less in annual VED road tax, which is based on your car’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
In the past, having a lot of power usually meant you would need to compromise on how far your electric car will go – but times have changed, and some of the best ones now officially offer more than 400 miles of range, which should be more than enough for most drivers.
However, if you don’t have the option to charge up at home or at work for cheap, then you might be better off looking at a combustion-engined vehicle. Public chargers can be expensive, and it can be quite time-consuming to top your big battery up to a decent level. While some cars have official maximum charging rates upwards of 150kW, it’s rare you’ll find UK public chargers that can facilitate speeds faster than that.
On the other hand, petrol engines allow for instantaneous refills which can be much handier if you don’t have access to cheap home charging, but due to their higher CO2 emissions, they might be costlier to tax.
Insuring any performance car will likely cost you a fair bit per year, purely based on the amount of power you have at your fingertips and the fact that they can be costly to repair. It doesn’t help that insurance continues to get more expensive as time goes on – so it’s worth considering if all that power is worth the added cost. Of course, there are other factors that determine how expensive – or cheap – your car insurance will be, so it’s important to research and shop around for quotes, as you would with any other car.
How much space do you need?
Performance cars can vary greatly in practicality, with some models offering boots big enough to rival estate cars, while others can barely fit three passengers in the back without their elbows knocking together.
If you regularly fill your car with five occupants, it’s best to look for one without a steep sloping roofline, which compromises headroom, but which has plenty of space for three in the rear. Coupé-style performance cars are best avoided in this case; they’re often cramped in the back, and some of them only come in a 2+2 seating configuration.
While they look sleek, those pesky sloping rooflines can also have a detrimental effect on boot space, with some models only having room for a weekly shop or singular baby buggy. However, there are some performance cars out there that offer estate car levels of roominess, which is great if you need extra space for some golf clubs, several carry-on suitcases or a furry friend.
If you don’t regularly carry around lots of luggage, or if you have another car that acts as the workhouse for your household, you might find that a performance car in any form will be enough for your needs.
It’s worth remembering that you might have to sacrifice a bit of boot capacity if you opt for an electric performance car, since the battery often takes up some of that space.
Where do you tend to drive?
It goes without saying that you won’t be able to use your performance car to its full potential if you’re always driving at low speeds in the city, or sitting in stop-start traffic on the motorway during rush hour. After all, these models are costly purchases, so you want to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth.
Performance cars can really be worth it if you live close to open, quiet roads, where you have enough space to maintain those high speeds. They’re especially worth it if you have access to a test track where you can unleash the car’s full potential.
Should I buy a performance car?
Buy one if:
- You want exhilarating thrills and an engaging driving experience
- You want something more practical than a sports car
- You’re looking for a car with both petrol and electric options
Don’t buy one if:
- You don’t want to spend a lot of money buying a new car
- You need lots of luggage and passenger space (you might be better off with an estate car or SUV)
- You drive a lot in the city and won’t be able to use the car to its full potential
How we choose the best performance cars
While we put every performance car on the market through its paces on the test track, we’ll spend as much time measuring the boot, interior space and taking down the fuel economy. That’s because performance cars are often used daily – something our testing reflects.
We do all of this through the lens of a performance car buyer, of course. And to determine the key areas that matter most to sports-car buyers, we use data from more than 20,000 people who completed our annual reader survey. These are:
Performance – an important factor for 95% of performance car buyers
Power, acceleration and speed are of utmost importance in a performance car. As such, we conduct 0-60mph testing on our closed course to see if a car lags behind, matches or even betters its official time. We also test how quickly a car can go from 50-70mph, so you can see how capable it’ll be at overtaking and getting up to motorway speeds.
To make sure it’s got the stopping power to match its straight-line performance, we also perform emergency brake tests from 30mph and 70mph to measure how far it takes the car to come to a complete stop.
Handling – an important factor for 76% of performance car buyers
Our handling tests are conducted on track and on the road, where our experienced road testers analyse the driving dynamics. The steering must be well weighted, precise and confidence inspiring. The suspension must be able to deal with undulating roads and control body movements well through sweeping and tight bends.
Interior quality – an important factor for 73% of performance car buyers
Performance cars are often expensive items, which is why our experts spend time going over every inch of a car’s interior, analysing where a car maker has spent money and where it might’ve cheapened out. This way we can tell you which performance cars have the most premium-feeling interiors and which ones are style over substance.
Our tests don’t end there. Regardless of the type of car, we put every model through an unrivalled test regime to deliver our definitive verdict. This is outlined in our how we test cars feature.
FAQs
What is the best performance car under £100k
The BMW M3 Touring is the best performance car available for less than £100,000. It blends all that’s brilliant about the M3 saloon – huge performance, agile chassis, surprising comfort and a brilliant interior – with the added practicality afforded by its estate car body. If you want one performance car that can do it all, then the BMW M3 Touring is the one we’d recommend.
What is the best performance car brand?
This is not an easy question to answer, because Audi, BMW and Porsche all have two entries in our list of the best performance cars.
Of the brands that make multiple appearances in our list, BMW finished highest in our list of the most reliable car brands. Its eighth place result was streets ahead of Audi’s 24th place finish. By comparison, Mercedes finished 22nd and Porsche 21st out of 31 car brands.
What is the fastest accelerating car?
While the American Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 recorded a 1.66sec 0-60mph time, and the electric Aspark Owl can accelerate from 0-62mph in 1.72sec, you’ll rarely – if ever – see either in the UK. You may, however, see the occasional Tesla Model S Plaid (0-60mph in 2.3sec) and Porsche Taycan Turbo GT (0-62mph in 2.3sec).
What is the fastest car in the world?
The Bugatti Chiron Supersport is currently the world’s fastest car with a 304mph top speed that would’ve been barely believable just a decade ago. However, the record hasn’t been officially ratified because it didn’t make the two runs that are required for it to get into the record books.
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