S3 now a lease bargain or....focus ST?

Even the focus RS has issues in the wet and that is better equipped to handle the power than the ST. For low down grunt, pull and traction there currently isn't a FWD that can do what a Quattro or haldex can and that's probably a fact.

I am aware that FWD cars are improving but for grip, confidence and safety give me haldex or Quattro any day. I've got a 3.0TDI A6 for the day and even this feels like its on rails for the size of it.

I think a good comparison would be Golf GTi and Focus ST.

Hit the nail on the head there. ST = GTI. Not an S3. Your right about the trick diffs in FWD cars also, i have heard that trick diffs certainly improve traction but the downside is torque steer. You dont get torque steer with 4wd. I actually preferred my haldex audi to my quattro audi when it was snowing, the quattro audi was more tail happy in the snow but then it was still far better than 2wd cars and some prefer the tail stepping out just not when you are not expecting it. My quattro audi did get me up an incredibaly steep hill tot he lecht ski centre in the snow beofre the plough had been through. I was the only car in the car park for a while untill the train of cars followed the plough up. Was totally amazed as i had crappy "wanli" tyres on it, just shows how beneficial 4wd is. Teh journey up the hill was actually more fun than the snowboarding itself.