Photo: mobile.de
Everybody knows about the BMW 1 Series M Coupe and how it costs about the same now as it did when it was launched. However, we've discovered another pocket-sized monster that refuses to become cheaper.
While looking at the specs of the all-new RS3 Sportback, we wondered how the older model was doing on the used car market. People often complained that the quattro all-wheel drive oversteered like a pig and the car weighed too much, but owners of the hyper hatch don't care and aren't budging.
Over four years after the previous 2.5 TFSI car was launched, we still can't find one cheaper than €30,000. Germany's famous website mobile.de holds over 200 units and most of them are in good condition. The most reasonable ones we found cost about as much as a Golf R and have over 100,000 kilometers on the clock.
When new, the RS3 retailed for about €45,000, and there weren't that many options to boost the numbers. We've looked at the problem from many angles, yet are still bewildered by the fact that over 50% of the value has been kept on a 2011 car.
To give you an idea of what it should have cost, we could look at the Renault Clio RS from the same period, which nowadays fetches around €11,000 or a half of what it used to. Sure, it's a cult car, so people are willing to pay more, but not too much.
Part of the problem with the RS3 is that production only took place between March 2011 and November 2012, in which time a few thousand were made.
So should you consider buying a second-hand model? Well, the differences between the old one and the 2015 unit are smaller than you think. Both use a 2.5-liter turbo engine with 340 or 367 PS, respectively. Only 55 kilograms (120 lbs) have been shed by using the MQB platform, and fuel consumption has gone down by just 1 l/100km. The significant differences are going to be in the capacity of the quattro AWD system to shift power to the back end and the quality of the interior.
Over four years after the previous 2.5 TFSI car was launched, we still can't find one cheaper than €30,000. Germany's famous website mobile.de holds over 200 units and most of them are in good condition. The most reasonable ones we found cost about as much as a Golf R and have over 100,000 kilometers on the clock.
When new, the RS3 retailed for about €45,000, and there weren't that many options to boost the numbers. We've looked at the problem from many angles, yet are still bewildered by the fact that over 50% of the value has been kept on a 2011 car.
To give you an idea of what it should have cost, we could look at the Renault Clio RS from the same period, which nowadays fetches around €11,000 or a half of what it used to. Sure, it's a cult car, so people are willing to pay more, but not too much.
Part of the problem with the RS3 is that production only took place between March 2011 and November 2012, in which time a few thousand were made.
So should you consider buying a second-hand model? Well, the differences between the old one and the 2015 unit are smaller than you think. Both use a 2.5-liter turbo engine with 340 or 367 PS, respectively. Only 55 kilograms (120 lbs) have been shed by using the MQB platform, and fuel consumption has gone down by just 1 l/100km. The significant differences are going to be in the capacity of the quattro AWD system to shift power to the back end and the quality of the interior.
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