Not a huge audi fan, but I love the review, at last someone with personality and able to articulate their view without trying to be a Clarkson wannabe. Well done. I may just go and buy an S3 now.
another great review again man.....you guys are" just spot on" with your reviews very informative ..and sometimes funny opinions... i think you summed..it up just right ..about this car..well done mate''
That Clark Kent/Superman analogy makes me think, "Why can't Audi make a car that shows the 'A3', and then it changes to an 'S3' badge when you press that one button which transforms it into a complete supercar?
Great review...you guys are quickly becoming one of the best reviewers online... amazing...not the car though ... pay less for a golf r or Ford st...or pay more and get more with an a45 amg or 135.
0.0 wow! i just looked up the base price difference for the a-class amg (37,400bp = $62,020) compared to the cla-class amg ($48,400 = 29,186bp) - and we are so lucky!!
Even though I usually like Audi's design language and don't mind its straight flow lines, angular folds, and squarish features, I believe the company's design team may have made some mistakes when designing the front, as it does not look truly especial or modern. Manufacturers like Audi should convey a sense of exclusivity, something to tell other drivers, "my car is more advanced and futuristic than yours." Even though I would take this S3 any day of the week, I think some features should perhaps change.
I don't think you can make out any difference between dynamic and comfort mode (drive select) concerning the suspension since the dampers are adaptive only when you order "Audi magnetic ride" which, as far as I can see, was not the case for this car. Styling wise it is quite boring, but a good allrounder for people who want a bit more exclusive car than a golf. Also the price difference between those two is nearly inexistent. I drove the new S3 one week ago, power train was fantastic as well as the suspension setting. But before spending that amount of money on an S3, I would go for the RS Q3 which is a less hooligan/young people car for not many pounds more.
S3 is nice but if your not going 4 door might as well get a used 135. Save a tone of money and it's around the same weight and he and the 135 u can tune the he'll out of it get near 400whp.
Fiesta ST? Go study, kid, as you obviously know nothing about cars. The Fiesta ST competes against the Audi S1, not the S3. And R32 is no longer produced. Jeez, what have you been doing for these last 3 years?
Alex Jonson No one cares about the Fiesta's performance, because you can't compare different classes of cars. That's like saying "The new Fiesta is faster than the BMW 335i. Everyone go for the Fiesta". After all, as much as I value some Fords, Audi offers a completely different level of comfort and ride quality.
very good presentation as usual :) i wish you could one day present the SLR from mercedes-benz , the Ferrari 458 Italia Speciale and 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari
Would love to know who buys these? Surely a fast (yeah abit slower than this) A4 would be better? You want practical? - Get the A4 Avant. You want flashy and practical? Get an A4 avant. A4 is pretty much as fast for this cash and if not then get a package on it.
Nice review :) and that new interior does look great. I can see why people are saying the exterior isn't that nice though - well, I mean it looks nice to me but it doesn't look any different to the last generation at all so it will probably look dated fairly soon
ThePhiltastic - ill bet you have never drive either car. Everyone ive know and that's a lot has opted for the audi. bmw is just quick at the top end. ive driven both and the m135i is ugly and handling is appalling compared to the s3. Also depsite what reviewers state once specced its more expensive than the s3
Gentlemen's agreement between the German top car manufacturers to stop the "arms race" for top speed. Of course this does not prevent them from offering a "limiter removal" option for their cars, e.g. the V10 BMW M5 has an unrestricted top speed of 205 mph...
Unless you remove it, with the limiter on If you were at 7th gear it'll stop at 155mph, but at 6th gear at 155mph it'll continue to reach approx 170. I've even seen a video of a E60 M5 doing 354 km/h, and reached 8000+rpm at the moment, that's really nuts..
Exactly! But the S3 Sedan doesn't look too bad. Wagons are always better though. If this or even the A3 Sportback, non E Tron ever arrive to the US, I'm trading my 12' A3 in a heartbeat
I bought the s3, but I prefer the look of the saloon. however resale in uk for saloons aren't great and rear headroom is bad in the saloon whereas the sportback is brilliant
I like the looks of other Audis, but the new A3 looks like sh... seriosly it doesn't look any more modern than the last generation. It's more like a 7-10 years old car. Ugly!
awful red seats, why quad exhaust pipes, they're just as awful as those in the Audi SQ5. Styling looks a bit dated. The rear fender looks out of place a bit. The titlty screen is nice, until it the mechanic breaks/get stuck. Sorry and for this price. In 5 years I really want to know how much S3s they actual sold Volkswagen, äääh Audi (;
Not a huge audi fan, but I love the review, at last someone with personality and able to articulate their view without trying to be a Clarkson wannabe. Well done. I may just go and buy an S3 now.
Brilliant!!! Smashes competition, refinement, looks quality in and out its brilliant, cant wait for the RS3!!!
best car in that class
not considered the BMW M135i?
another great review again man.....you guys are" just spot on" with your reviews very informative ..and sometimes funny opinions... i think you summed..it up just right ..about this car..well done mate''
This is one of the best car channels on TH-cam and this guy rocks does he got a facebook page ?
That Clark Kent/Superman analogy makes me think, "Why can't Audi make a car that shows the 'A3', and then it changes to an 'S3' badge when you press that one button which transforms it into a complete supercar?
Good to see a review of a Correct-Hand-Drive car!
Great review...you guys are quickly becoming one of the best reviewers online... amazing...not the car though ... pay less for a golf r or Ford st...or pay more and get more with an a45 amg or 135.
a45 amg = RS3 i think
Really Nice review mate!
how would you compare this to the mini jcw in terms of feel?
Yup looks good to me
S3 0-60 = 4.6 triptronic.
the RS3 will have 380 PS, 370...something bhp
365
EDM EDM or as of 17, 400ps
EDM EDM this thing has 310ps now btw
Is this model coming to the US?
0.0 wow! i just looked up the base price difference for the a-class amg (37,400bp = $62,020) compared to the cla-class amg ($48,400 = 29,186bp) - and we are so lucky!!
Even though I usually like Audi's design language and don't mind its straight flow lines, angular folds, and squarish features, I believe the company's design team may have made some mistakes when designing the front, as it does not look truly especial or modern. Manufacturers like Audi should convey a sense of exclusivity, something to tell other drivers, "my car is more advanced and futuristic than yours." Even though I would take this S3 any day of the week, I think some features should perhaps change.
BMW M235i xdrive or Audi S3? PS- its very very snowy here hence the xdrive.
I don't think you can make out any difference between dynamic and comfort mode (drive select) concerning the suspension since the dampers are adaptive only when you order "Audi magnetic ride" which, as far as I can see, was not the case for this car.
Styling wise it is quite boring, but a good allrounder for people who want a bit more exclusive car than a golf. Also the price difference between those two is nearly inexistent.
I drove the new S3 one week ago, power train was fantastic as well as the suspension setting. But before spending that amount of money on an S3, I would go for the RS Q3 which is a less hooligan/young people car for not many pounds more.
Four exhaust pipes? No, that's not modest!
S3 is nice but if your not going 4 door might as well get a used 135. Save a tone of money and it's around the same weight and he and the 135 u can tune the he'll out of it get near 400whp.
"The new Audi A3..." ...great start
+marcusezikel Except it is, because in the same sentence he said "We get behind the fastest one in the range, the all-new Audi S3."
"You press the noise peddle and the world goes backwards"
"Does he got a Facebook page" really??
Quite a good price id say. Its almost 36k in Sweden, without a single option.
It can't be compared to a boxter, should be compared to golf gti's or R32/R, fiesta st's and so on.
Fiesta ST? Go study, kid, as you obviously know nothing about cars. The Fiesta ST competes against the Audi S1, not the S3. And R32 is no longer produced. Jeez, what have you been doing for these last 3 years?
New fiesta st with the mountune kit gives 220 break so i guess it could give the s3 a run for its money around some nice b roads
Alex Jonson No one cares about the Fiesta's performance, because you can't compare different classes of cars. That's like saying "The new Fiesta is faster than the BMW 335i. Everyone go for the Fiesta".
After all, as much as I value some Fords, Audi offers a completely different level of comfort and ride quality.
Completely agrees on that point.
very good presentation as usual :) i wish you could one day present the SLR from mercedes-benz , the Ferrari 458 Italia Speciale and 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari
Would love to know who buys these? Surely a fast (yeah abit slower than this) A4 would be better? You want practical? - Get the A4 Avant. You want flashy and practical? Get an A4 avant.
A4 is pretty much as fast for this cash and if not then get a package on it.
No negatives....at all other than price? No under-steer? Pretty shallow review if you ask me. Whats it like on the limit?
Nice review :) and that new interior does look great. I can see why people are saying the exterior isn't that nice though - well, I mean it looks nice to me but it doesn't look any different to the last generation at all so it will probably look dated fairly soon
I'd rather have a 1 series, and it's ugly as fuck at the front
Still no manual option for us spec. almost perfect
m135i all day
Nah, S3 shits all over that fugly thing.
ThePhiltastic - ill bet you have never drive either car. Everyone ive know and that's a lot has opted for the audi. bmw is just quick at the top end. ive driven both and the m135i is ugly and handling is appalling compared to the s3. Also depsite what reviewers state once specced its more expensive than the s3
why doesn´t have the press car LED lights? they just cost 2000$ more
The mk1 audi s3 8l bam engine was 225 bhp mate
210 in the pre-facelift, 225 in the facelift.
boxster does not sound like a golf though! ; )
flyingphoenix113 the new boxster sounds awful
True, but my comment was three years old. It was made in a time before mass downsizing and turbocharging.
still would buy the M135i because of RWD
it's "DUAL Clutch" not "Jewel Clutch"
I wonder why Mercedes, Audi, BMW have a common speed limit of 155mph? Can we go over it in this S3?
Gentlemen's agreement between the German top car manufacturers to stop the "arms race" for top speed. Of course this does not prevent them from offering a "limiter removal" option for their cars, e.g. the V10 BMW M5 has an unrestricted top speed of 205 mph...
Unless you remove it, with the limiter on If you were at 7th gear it'll stop at 155mph, but at 6th gear at 155mph it'll continue to reach approx 170.
I've even seen a video of a E60 M5 doing 354 km/h, and reached 8000+rpm at the moment, that's really nuts..
Marwan jacob
A speed limiter is a speed limiter - whichever gear you are in doesn't matter.
"stealthy" is a codeword for "boring to look at"
Would have been nice to hear if the terrible under steer is still there.
S3 = Golf R +$5000
Want 1
Why are a lot of cars tested on xcar painted in fuckn red, it's awful and it only suits a Ferrari!
Hate to be that guy but your Richard Hammond persona is getting old now!!
Hmm?
those seats look hideous! such a contrast to typical audi interiors
Neu Audi s 3 2016 - 4,5 sek Auf 100 km , 7 gang automatisch .
ye audi really really need to step up with their designs to catch up the comming up BMWs and Mercs
award winner? which award did it win?
Simon Šelih World of the year 2014
Styling wise, it looks very reserved and in a bad way. Also those quad exhausts? They just look out of place and unnecessary.
yeah because all 4 cylinder cars need 4 exhaust pipes one for each cylinder rofl
You learn something new everyday
Yet again.. Need this in the us. The s3 sedan is not that good looking
Exactly! But the S3 Sedan doesn't look too bad. Wagons are always better though. If this or even the A3 Sportback, non E Tron ever arrive to the US, I'm trading my 12' A3 in a heartbeat
I bought the s3, but I prefer the look of the saloon. however resale in uk for saloons aren't great and rear headroom is bad in the saloon whereas the sportback is brilliant
(Y)
look likr shit in my opinion. i m done with audis...
I like the looks of other Audis, but the new A3 looks like sh... seriosly it doesn't look any more modern than the last generation. It's more like a 7-10 years old car. Ugly!
Booooring!!!!
Useless 3 door hatches, they should disappear forever from this planet...
awful red seats, why quad exhaust pipes, they're just as awful as those in the Audi SQ5. Styling looks a bit dated. The rear fender looks out of place a bit. The titlty screen is nice, until it the mechanic breaks/get stuck. Sorry and for this price. In 5 years I really want to know how much S3s they actual sold Volkswagen, äääh Audi (;
Overpriced new Golf R.
yep
... sort of... Golf R costs about the same at £29,900. both are relatively well equipped
overpriced for a reason though. Golf R is great car by any standard but Audi does simply have better quality.
Jesse Dix how can you proof this ? and don't take older cars for an example
frozenzoo No need to prove it. It's what Audi is there for.