So, why would anyone buy a sports sedan? In a nutshell, it’s for the unadulterated fun of the drive. These cars hold the driver’s line through a corner, clip the apexes and, of course, they are quick.
However, their defining trait is being able to make can and driver feel as one when the road takes a turn for the better — the communication is loud and clear. The fact you’ll never be late for work is an unspoken plus.
Here are Driving’s top five sports sedans. These cars occupy the middle ground between mortal transportation and uber-super-sedans like the Audi RS 7, BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E 63 S. All support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and have a suite of active safety equipment unless noted.
Audi RS 3
The RS 3 is a wolf in sheep’s clothing — it tends to slip by unnoticed, which, when you have its capability under the hood, is always a good thing. The cabin delivers a great driving position and features boldly-bolstered seats that hug without confining. It also has all the right amenities. The lone nit is the infotainment screen is not touch-sensitive.
The RS 3 has an inline-turbo-five that slams 394 horsepower and 354 foot-pounds of torque at 1,900 rpm through a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission and quattro all-wheel-drive. The latter has no set torque split; rather it focuses on maximizing the grip by sending the power to the wheels with best traction.
If you have ever wondered what happens when you stuff mega-horsepower under the hood of a compact car, just take the RS 3 for a ride. It rockets to 100 kilometres an hour in 4.1 seconds and does the 80-to-120 km/h passing move in 2.5 seconds.
Riding on adaptive magnetic ride dampers the RS 3 slices through a corner with unerring precision and wonderful steering feel. The optional carbon-ceramic brake package is surplus to most needs; however, if you track the RS 3, they are worth their weight in gold — they remain fade-free even when beaten with a big stick!
BMW M340i xDrive
After its redesign last year, the BMW 3 Series continues to emphasize performance, especially when it’s wearing the M340i xDrive badge. With a larger and stiffer platform, along with a tweaked suspension and steering setup, the latest 3’s handling is much sharper, and it was no slouch before! Inside, the form-fitting seats and driving position speak to the potency at play. The nit is the infotainment system only works with Apple CarPlay and it’s only active for one year before it costs the owner.
The heart of the M340i is a 3.0L inline-turbo-six that pushes 382 hp and 369 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,800 rpm through an eight-speed automatic and BMW’s xDrive. The system uses a fully-variable power split between the front and rear wheels; however, when Sport or Sport+ mode is selected, the system sends more power rearward. This preserves a rear-drive feel while maintaining the traction afforded by all-wheel-drive.
The M340i runs to 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds and it does the passing move in 2.9 seconds.
The M340i arrives with the M Sport suspension. It has a 10-mm lower ride height and firmer springs along with lift-related shocks — a convoluted way of saying mechanically adaptive dampers. The setup works very well, but the Adaptive M suspension is worth the coin ($600), as it ups the handling while easing the city drive.
Cadillac CT5-V
The CT5 has big shoes to fill, as it replaces the CTS sedan. Thankfully, it has the wherewithal to get the job done. Yes, many will lament the disappearance of the manic 640-hp CTS-V; however, the CT5-V has the credentials needed to qualify as a solid mid-level sports sedan.
Under the hood, the CT5-V gets a 3.0L turbocharged V6 that makes 360 hp and 405 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,350 rpm. It works with a 10-speed automatic transmission to power the rear or all four wheels. Here, for the driver, it is the rear-drive model that is the better choice, as it has better steering feel and less understeer. For those who do venture up North during winter, the $2,200 for the all-wheel-drive is worth considering.
The rear-drive model runs to 100 km/h in 5.0 seconds and it accomplishes the passing move in 3.3 seconds.
The CT5-V gets the fourth-generation magnetic ride control suspension. The system reads the road every millisecond and changes the damping in just five milliseconds. It does a very good job of balancing ride comfort with the roll control demanded when attacking a twisty road. It also gets Brembo brakes and an electronic limited-slip rear differential. The sum of the parts brings an engaging driving experience that pleases the senses.
Kia Stinger GT Limited and Genesis G70 Sport
The Stinger GT Limited and G70 Sport are pretty much the same with minor differences — the Stinger has a slightly longer wheelbase (up 70 mm) and it’s a five-door hatch with 1,158 L of cargo space, seats folded; the G70 sedan comes with a 297-L trunk.
Both feature a 3.3L twin-turbo V6 that fires 365 hp and 376 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,300 rpm through an eight-speed automatic transmission and all four wheels. The GT Limited and Sport also get a limited-slip rear differential. The all-wheel-drive system sends the power rearward, but can send up to 50 per cent of the drive forward when needed. It also uses brake-based torque vectoring to quell under- and oversteer.
The powertrain propels the pair to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds, and they turn the passing trick in 3.2 seconds.
The other key difference surfaces in the suspension. While both use MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link rear design, the Stinger uses regular dampers; the G70 Sport has adaptive dampers. The latter brings sharper handling and a more comfortable city ride. The steering feel is sharp and both arrive with Brembo brakes — this pushes the fade point out where most will never encounter it.
The bottom line is the Stinger GT Limited has the versatility of a hatch and a sharper price. The Genesis G70 Sport counters with sharper handling.
Mercedes-Benz AMG C 43
The AMG C 43 takes the mortal C-Class, amps up the performance and drops in the beautifully contoured front seats needed to handle the lateral g-forces at play. One option that should be considered mandatory is the AMG Driver’s package ($2,400). It brings a better steering wheel, puts the drive mode selector on said wheel, and brings a prouder exhaust system. The latter adds a snarling growl on start-up and a deep rumble when the gas pedal is exercised.
The AMG C 43 features a twin-turbo 3.0L V6 that develops 385 hp and 384 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,500 rpm. It fires the lot through a quick-shifting nine-speed automatic and a revised 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. In this application, 31 per cent of the power flows forward and 69 per cent goes rearward. Again, the split brings a rear-drive feel while maintaining the benefits of all-wheel-drive.
The AMG C 43 runs to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds and does the 80-to-120 km/h passing move in 3.0 seconds.
The C 43’s AMG Ride Control air suspension has three-stage adaptive damping. The setup changes according to the drive mode selected and it responds to changing road conditions in milliseconds — it is very good at keeping the body flat without beating up the riders. Throw in the millimetre-precise steering and a strong set of brakes, and attacking a serpentine road is a thing to relish.
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5 sporty four-doors that fall between mortal transit and godly super-sedans - Driving
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