A Nearly Half-Price Audi RS3 Saloon Is A £32,500 Way To Play It Cool

Cars have gone really rather expensive this last 10 or 15 years. As a case in point, it doesn’t seem that long ago that Subaru Impreza WRX STIs were under £30,000, and you could get an M3 for not much more. Now that a new Audi RS3 is on the way – a size class down from the M3, remember, we’ve remembered how bloody pricey it is.

We ran an RS3 long-termer and really loved a lot about it, but one thing we definitely didn’t enjoy was reading the post-options price. It was £59,475. That’s as close to £60,000 as makes no difference. Sixty gees for a compact saloon with an admittedly awesome engine. Six-zero thousand pounds. We still haven’t quite adjusted to that reality.

Still, there’s always depreciation. Let’s wander into the wide and unrestricted realms of fancy for a moment, especially as it’s about the only place we’re allowed to wander right now, and take a look at the cheapest current-generation RS3 saloon. Because saloons are better. We found a high-miler, having covered 70,000 British-standard good old-fashioned miles in just 2.5 years. Admirably someone seems to have used this 25mpg (or less) hooligan as a motorway car; a fabulous waste of petrol, really, but a great way to travel nonetheless.

It must be in good condition despite the mileage because it’s at an Audi main dealer in west London. It definitely has options spend, too: the top speed increase to 174mph is there (make sure you buy premium tyres if you plan to go near that), Navigation Plus with touch compatibility, front RS calipers painted black to match the bodywork, heated front seats and much more.

This unassuming steed, riding on surprisingly un-flashy wheels, was registered in November 2017 and floats at the very base of the market right now, probably due to a combination of the mileage and the impact of coronavirus in London. Frankly, any car dealer around the Capital must be desperate to shift a car or two. Tough at the minute, though, seeing as they’re all on lockdown.

Still, a deal could be done for this dinky little £32,500 brute in a suit entirely by phone and email. They could even deliver it to you; no personal contact required. For somewhere between half and three-fifths of its original price, we can see the appeal.