IN the ideal world, we'd have a garage of three or four cars. Maybe not a different one for each day of the week, but certainly sufficient choice for whatever mood we happen to be in.

We would also live in a mansion, be unblemished by age and have everlasting good health.

Well, sadly, this sort of Utopia remains a dream. But it is possible to buy a car that covers a myriad of moods and purposes - from neck-jerking sports car to four-seat shopping runabout to family runabout.

One such example is the Audi RS Q3 Sportback, recently introduced in its latest weight-saving form.

With a fire-breathing 2.5-litre, five cylinder engine up front, four wheel drive and slopey, rakish hindquarters it has the pace to stay with many a supercar, the space to carry the family and the coupe looks to stand out from the crowd.

It has within its sights the Porsche Macan and BMW X2 35i, both rapid SUVs. The sub-five second dash to 62mph ensures it a place as a traffic grand prix star.

Top speed is an electronically limited 155mph. Without such restriction it will run to an unbridled 174mph.

So there are few who'd find the RS Q3 lacking in the muscle department. But what does it feel like to drive?

Well, in typical Audi style it's an easy car handle, maybe a bit too easy for the type of person who'd go for such a rapid projectile because it demands relatively little of the owner.

Accordingly, it's not a car that fully involves the driver despite its phenomenal speed. Adhesion and cornering ability is impressive - it merely goes where it's pointed as the low profile rubber bites into the Tarmac showing little bias towards front or rear slides.

The ride is obviously firm and can become somewhat joggly over poor surfaces but, by performance car standards, it is more comfortable than most. The twin clutch auto gearbox can be over-ridden by steering wheel paddles, boosting control and driver involvement.

The five-pot engine emits a deep engaging burble that sounds great and stirs the blood without frightening the dogs.

Despite the tapering roof line, there's ample head height for averagely tall people in the back. Luggage space in the larger wider body is a generous 530 litres, the same as the square-shaped normal RS Q3.

Fold the rear seats and this grows to 1,400 litres, slightly less than the standard Q3 due to the rake of the rear hatch.

The cabin is a reiteration of what we've seen in many a sporting Audi, with a large central touchscreen, high grade plastic mouldings and quality switchgear which falls easily to hand. Beneath eye level, one of two less friendly-to-the-touch surfaces can be found, however.

Leather and alcantara sports seats, lap timer and dual climate control together with Audi's own virtual cockpit help make the cabin a special place to be.

Use the considerable performance to the full and inevitably you'll see fuel consumption rise. Nevertheless, our average of 23mpg seemed pretty reasonable for an all purpose car with such a devastating turn of speed.