We've brought 2 very interesting cars with us.

The Audi S3, the powerful version of the popular and coveted A3.

It's a 300hp hatchback which looks a bit like an estate car but its performance could overshadow many so-called sports cars.

0-100 km/h in 4.9s, top speed of 250km/h - that speaks volumes.

In the basic version it costs PLN 160,300.

And here we have the VW Golf R for PLN 147,500.

A bit cheaper but equally powerful and fast as the Audi because they share the same engine,

transmission, suspension and 4WD.

Ever since the Audi A3 entered the market, the Golf has been treated as a poor relation,

which, in our opinion, is not fair, especially since the introduction of the 7th generation of the Golf.

So which one is better?

We've come to our favourite winding roads to check it out.

The rainy weather has been nothing but helpful. See for yourselves.

I'm a bit speechless today.

It's not only due to my inflamed larynx but also to the capabilities of these compact cars.

A few years ago nobody expected that in one compact body you could combine 300hp

in just a 2L turbocharged petrol engine with a 4-wheel drive and a gearbox which can make shifts

faster than the fastest and best driver in the world.

And yet such cars already exist.

Today, we've taken the Audi S3 and the VW Golf R to see which one's the best value for quite a lot of money.

The Audi is approx. 10% more expensive than the VW.

You could say it's only 10% because this extra money gives you access to the premium class.

But if you take into consideration that underneath both cars are the same,

they have the same engines, suspensions, transmissions and brakes,

you know that you're paying for the badge on the hood and seemingly better trims.

"Seemingly" because, as it turns out, the materials used in the Golf are not worse at all.

The differences in handling between the two cars are indeed subtle,

which is why the winding mountainous Bieszczady roads will help us see and evaluate the difference.

We've managed to find a couple of minor differences, e.g. in the suspension.

The Golf R is a bit softer, the Audi has slightly stiffer suspension mounts

and the steering in the Golf is firmer, whereas in the Audi it's more comfortable.

The first generation S3s have been fitted with Audi's famous Quattro system from the very start.

But don't be fooled, this is no full-time 4WD but an on-demand four-wheel-drive system

which transfers torque to the rear axle via a Haldex clutch.

It's an identical system as in the Golf R.

It works really well,

so well, in fact, that you don't even feel when the rear axle comes into play

and helps the driver on slippery or wet surfaces.

This solution can also help keep stability in fast cornering.

You have to remember, though, that the system is front-biased and

in critical conditions the S3 will behave like a typical front-driver, which means that it will slightly understeer.

It's just a safety margin.

In panic, drivers tend to take their foot off the gas,

which is when the Audi S3 quite calmly returns to its prior trajectory.

We've mentioned that the cars have turbocharged 2L petrol engines delivering 300hp.

Plus the engines come as standard and are not forged.

380Nm of torque - until recently was essentially the monopoly of turbodiesels.

Once you engage the Race mode, the car becomes more lively, it reacts faster to gas inputs,

the transmission changes gears faster, maintains quicker revs, suspension becomes stiffer.

In this car you can completely disengage traction control and the ESP,

which is rare in modern cars. It's all just to give the driver as much fun as possible,

e.g. while sliding on slippery or wet surface.

Yes, this car will let you do that but so will the Golf R.

You can play with the front-rear drive balance and pretend for a minute that this car can drift.

Whereas on dry surfaces with good grip it is nearly impossible to throw it off balance.

When changing gears you can clearly hear a popping sound from the exhaust,

ike in a race car.

All to give you an impression that it's nearly a performance car.

And in reality you can use it every day to drive for your bread rolls.

Are you aware of the fact that today lots of people will hate us again?

Why?

Because we were able to drive such cars on such roads.

But they're completely ordinary cars.

The VW Golf is a people's car.

Exactly, but the Audi S3 is not so much a people's car especially since it's more expensive than the VW Golf.

But I've been thinking that you should coin a new term for these cars.

We have hot hatches, and these should be called super hatches

because they're even better than hot hatches with front-wheel drive.

They have 4WD and sprint 0-100 km/h in less than 5s,

which places them among decent sports cars.

Very interesting. But that's true.

Cut it out.

No, I'm being honest.

OK. The basic question is: which one of the 2 would you choose?

I think that the differences between the 2 are so subtle that it's just a matter of taste, prestige and wealth.

So what's your taste and your wealth?

Unfortunately, considering the price I'd rather choose the VW because it's 10% off the cost of the Audi.

And you pay for the same. The differences are too slight...

Well then we have a problem because I'd rather the VW, too,

and if we get into the Golf together only one of us will be able to drive.

But I don't mind driving the Audi at all.

Fine, then you're driving the Audi and I'm driving the VW.

Very well.

I just don't like the fact that it looks like an estate car.

If that's supposed to be a hatchback it should look like one.

That's true but it has a prestigious badge on the bonnet.

Who cares about prestige... OK, see ya.