You know what?
f*ck. Knows.
^^^Been trying to figure that out for months!
Not much would come close to a GTI for all round ability.But here's my tuppenceworth.
Personally,I wouldn't have a Focus RS.A mate of mine had one in that snot green colour and he loved it until I gave him a shot in my Edition30.He thought that it was far more refined and a far better car to drive than the Reesty.
An S3 would be heavier than the Golf due to it's Quattro system,but it's got the extra power to compensate,so I reckon that it'll be as quick as a mapped ED30.
For refinement and handling,then the BMW is the car to have...except in the winter,unless fishtailing is your bag!
It might be worth having a look at the fast Renaults, they seem to be more track orientated but I'll bet they would make you grin like a sailor in a whorehouse.