Road Test Review: Audi A3 and S3

Friday, 4 February 2022

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AUDI A3 40 TFSI SPORTBACK AND S3 QUATTRO SPORTBACK
Base price: $69,990 (A3), $89,500 (S3)
Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol inline four, 140kW/320Nm, 7-speed automatic, AWD, combined economy 7.3L/100km, CO2 167g/km (source: RightCar). (A3)

New styling is the big headliner with the new A3.

2.0-litre turbo-petrol inline four, 228kW/400Nm, 7-speed automatic, AWD, combined economy 8.2L/100km, CO2 188g/km (source: RightCar). (S3)
Vital statistics: 4423mm long, 1793mm wide, 1409mm high, 2594mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 325 litres, 18-inch alloy wheels. (A3)

We only get the hatchback variants of the S3 in New Zealand.

4431mm long, 1793mm wide, 1396mm high, 2594mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 325 litres, 19-inch alloy wheels. (S3)
Safety: 5 stars (Source: ANCAP – 2WD variants only. AWD not tested)

The interior is based on the new Volkswagen Golf, as is most of the A3, but Audi-fied.

We like: More interesting than a Golf, faster too
We don't like: Interior not quite up to snuff, expensive

Audi has updated the A3 and S3, giving them an updated interior and exterior, fresh engines, and a bit more electrification. But should you pay extra for them over a VW Golf?

OUTSIDE

The new A3 and S3 have sharper styling now, in line with Audi’s other new models. There are new upside-down-tick-shaped headlights, with blocky DRLs on the vertical slice, large corner intakes (unfortunately fake, but they still look good) on either side of a big single frame grille.

You can’t say the A3 isn’t a good looking thing, though.

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Around the back are narrow LED taillights, a small roof spoiler, and a quartet of exhaust pipes and diffuser on the S3. The lesser A3 has two rectangular pieces of trim that mimic exhausts, while the actual pipe sits behind the bumper.

It would be unfair to call these cars bad looking, because they just aren’t. The way the bonnet creases angle in towards the nose, meeting at a slit in the front end, an interesting styling nod to the Quattro rally racer from the 1980s.

Well, the engine and the better suspension.

They look mean, especially the S3. It looks like a proper hot hatch – which, by most standards, it is. But more on that later.

INSIDE

Although, the ‘lesser’ 2.0-litre in the A3 is still pretty quick in the right hands.

The new interior is a slight stumbling block. It’s not bad, it’s just a little sub-par compared to the rest of the car, in my opinion.

I don’t really like the angular design, and the materials feel plasticky, especially considering the price. I do appreciate that it shows an effort from Audi to differentiate the cabin from other models, but it doesn’t entirely work. Unfortunately, that extends to the S3 as well as the A3.

Looking at the cabin at an angle shows how jagged the dash is, extending out into the door. It looks like Audi is making an attempt at taking some of the “youth” market that Seat traditionally takes care of for the Volkswagen brand.

The MMI infotainment screen is crisp and responsive, and the MMI system itself is leagues better than what Volkswagen has in the Golf (not to mention the frustratingly complex Seat OS), but the screen is an absolute fingerprint magnet. You can’t escape it either, as Audi has ditched the clickwheel from the old model.

Thankfully, Audi has left the screen count at two, with air-conditioning and the like controlled by a flurry of physical buttons, much more preferable to the touch screen in the e-tron SUV or the touch-slider system of the Golf.

The S3 gets more leathery bits, sportier Nappa seats, special S3 badging, and lots of stitching, but still doesn’t quite feel as premium as a nearly-$90,000 price tag should.

UNDER THE BONNET

The A3 40 gets a nice 140kW/320Nm 2.0-litre turbo-four, paired with all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. This is about half a step down from the Golf GTI, which offers 180kW/370Nm, fed through the front wheels versus all four on the Audi.

Moving up to the S3 gets you the same powertrain, a two-litre turbo-four with quattro and a seven-speed dual-clutch, but a healthy bump in power to 228kW/400Nm. That’s closer to Golf R output.

The 40 might be ‘lesser’ in terms of raw output but it’s really quite a punchy powerplant. It won’t set your world on fire but it’s smooth, with a lovely surge of torque starting from 1500rpm, which is basically idle speeds.

Meanwhile, the S3 is a different kettle of fish. It’s as fast as any of the hot hatches from a few years ago, with peak torque arriving as early as 2000rpm. Smooth too, especially with the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Thankfully, Audi seems to have ironed the usual DCT problems out of this one, with little to no lag at takeoff or jerky reversing.

ON THE ROAD

Starting with the A3, the stronger engine and all-wheel drive in the 40 make for a quick little machine. There isn’t any active body control going on, like the Golf GTI has, but the car still remains as flat as you’d like, even in hard cornering. It’s what you’d expect of the entry-level Audi; agility without much sacrifice in ride quality.

It’s the better of the two for urban driving too, owing to a more compliant suspension tune. The S3 gets S Sports Suspension with damper control, and while it’s not exactly uncomfortable, the A3 still takes it for overall cushiness.

Though, as we mentioned at the launch of the A3/S3, large bumps in the road transmit into the cabin quite noticeably, particularly in the A3 with its more basic suspension and lack of damping control. It’s not the worst I’ve ever felt but, considering the price tag, it’s a bit of a shame.

You’d get the S3 if you're more interested in the driving experience, with that extra dollop of power. The S3 is a properly fast car now, making hot hatch power, despite being the middle child in the A3 range.

It’s a restrained sort of fast though, as you might expect, without much noise made from those four tailpipes. Wind noise is kept to a minimum too.

There are drive modes, but you can honestly just leave it in Comfort mode and let the car figure everything out. Dynamic is still where the most fun can be had, with more (fake) engine noise and longer-held gears to go with the stiffer ride.

Torque-vectoring by brake helps the S3 really eat into corners, in a way you might not expect from a quattro-propelled Audi, but the best part of the S3 is that you won’t feel like you’re missing out on much in the upcoming RS 3.

VERDICT

All in all, the A3 40 and S3 pair are generally brilliant cars, let down by an interior that could be better and a price tag that should even the most die-hard Audi fans asking questions.

$70k is a lot of money for a hatchback that isn’t hot in nature, and nearly $90k is simply too much for a mid-spec hatch as well.

Consider the fact the Cupra Leon VZ Wagon asks $65,900 and packs broadly the same sort of performance as the S3, and the VW Golf GTI or Skoda Octavia RS outpower the A3 for roughly $15k less.

I know these will still sell, because not only are they still very good, but people want the badge. Driving an Audi still has a certain gravitas to it that a Volkswagen, Skoda or Seat doesn’t.