Audi S3 review

You wouldn’t quite call the Audi S3 an icon, but it's fair to say that the original rewrote the hot-hatch rulebook when it arrived at the turn of the millennium.

Back then, hot hatches were all about wild styling, lairy handling, and performance that came at the expense of refinement. The Eighties gave us icons like the Peugeot 205 GTi – small, scrappy and a little unhinged – but the first-generation S3? It played things differently.

A posh interior, serious power, four-wheel-drive traction – here was a hot hatch that had grown up without going soft. And that formula still holds today.

Sure, the latest S3 has picked up a few sharper creases as part of a mid-life facelift, but at a glance it still looks like just another Audi A3. Only it's not – with 329bhp under the bonnet, the S3 has the pace to embarrass even the blinged-up and bewinged Honda Civic Type R.

Like its deadliest rival, the Mercedes-AMG A35, the Audi S3 comes in two versions – the S3 Sportback (hatchback) and the S3 Saloon (er, saloon). Other rivals you'll be checking out include the BMW M135 or M235 Gran Coupé and the VW Golf R. That’s some tough competition, so can the S3 mix it with the best hot hatches? Time to find out…

The S3 was never short on power, but that hasn't stopped Audi squeezing an extra 22bhp out of its turbocharged 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine as part of a mid-life facelift, taking the total to 328bhp. At the same time, the turbocharger received minor tweaks, resulting in improved accelerator response.

The official 0-62mph time is a respectable 4.7 seconds, but we reckon that's a very conservative figure. As you put your foot down, you’re hit with a tsunami of turbo torque, and it feels noticeably quicker than a Mercedes-AMG A35 and the recently revised BMW M135. It's on a par with the closely related VW Golf R.

The S3's seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox feels much punchier than the M135's auto box, and fires through upshifts in the blink of an eye. Add in a volley of delightful pops and crackles emanating from the optional Akrapovic exhaust and it’s hard not to giggle when scything down a country road.

As part of its facelift, the S3 has gained the torque-splitting rear differential found on the Golf R (and the even more powerful Audi RS3). It can now, like those rivals, send as much torque as physics allows to the rear axle, and from there to the outside rear wheel while cornering. The upside is that you can feel the back end moving on the exit of corners, allowing you to indulge in some mild (not wild) angles where it's safe to do so.

The feeling isn't as natural or consistent as it is in a rear-wheel drive sports car but it makes the S3 come alive in a way it simply didn’t before. This is a fast Audi you can hustle along and chase through bends. And while the steering doesn’t deliver quite as much feedback as you get in a, say, the Honda Civic Type R or Mercedes-AMG A45, it is well-weighted and pleasingly accurate.

Top-spec Vorsprung versions of the S3 get adaptive suspension, allowing you to choose between a more comfortable ride around town and a tighter, more controlled set-up on country roads. Without the adjustable dampers, the S3 loses some of its bandwidth, with the ride remaining fairly firm at all times.

At a cruise there's a noticeable amount of tyre roar – especially on motorways – but the S3 is still a far more peaceful cruiser than a Honda Civic Type R or Toyota GR Yaris and roughly on a par with the Golf R and M135.

“The optional Akrapovic exhaust is eye-wateringly expensive but I’d have to have one. Not only does it add some character to the S3’s otherwise stifled bark, but it’s also a gorgeous object to look at.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

You probably won't have any difficulty getting comfortable behind the wheel of any Audi S3. The steering wheel has plenty of reach and rake adjustment, and the manually adjustable driver’s seat is comfortable – if not quite as figure-hugging as the ones in the BMW M135 and VW Golf R.

Electric adjustment is reserved for the pricey Vorsprung model, although powered lumbar adjustment is standard on all versions.

Visibility is, unsurprisingly, identical to in the regular Audi A3 thanks to good-sized windows that provide a clear view out. A reversing camera (360-degree on Vorsprung) as well as front and rear parking sensors are included on all versions.

You even get an ingenious parking assist feature that can detect a suitable parking space and will manoeuvre you in. LED headlights come as standard, but if you want matrix LEDs, you'll need to either go for Vorsprung trim or add them as an option to an entry-level Black Edition car.

Despite the addition of the diamond-stitched sport seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and a few S3 logos dotted around the interior, the S3 looks and feels very similar inside to any other Audi A3. Some will, of course, appreciate this understated approach – it's arguably what Audi does best. But compared with the visual feast that is the Mercedes-AMG A35 interior, you might find it a little too restrained.

The S3 does, however, beat the A35 and Golf R for interior quality. Like the regular A3, the mid-life facelift introduced some minor but impactful improvements. Notably, the prominent plastic ledge on the dashboard has been replaced with a suede-wrapped panel, lending both a refined appearance and a high-quality feel.

Audi has also incorporated additional interior lighting strips, and we like the new perforated door panel inserts, which allow the ambient lighting to softly illuminate the cabin after dark. The changes stop short of being completely transformative though. Cheaper-feeling hard plastics, especially on the centre console, remain noticeable, giving the more solid-feeling BMW M135 the edge. 

Infotainment-wise, the S3 gets a 10.1in touchscreen. It has a more intuitive lay-out than the one in the Golf R, with straightforward menus and big icons, but the Golf's screen is a bit bigger (12.9in) and easier to reach.

There's Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration as standard, along with a superb 15-speaker Sonos sound system, which is much punchier than the six-speaker system in the Golf R.

“The S3 is all about understatement, but I think Audi was perhaps a little too restrained with the interior. If you give a lift to a non-car enthusiast friend, they’ll probably have no idea they’re riding in something with sports-car performance.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

One of the great things about the S3 is that it's just as practical as any other Audi A3. That means there’s more than enough leg and shoulder room for tall adults up front, and even those well over 6ft tall are unlikely to find head room wanting. There’s even decent storage for odds and ends.

If you are over 6ft, you won't exactly be sprawling out in luxury in the rear seats, but you won't feel packed in with your knees tucked up under your chin either.

The S3 offers a similar amount of space to the Mercedes-AMG A35 Hatchback, BMW M135 and VW Golf R. However, if you need to carry adults in the back regularly, the more generous rear leg room of the Honda Civic Type R might come in handy. 

The same goes for the boot space. The Sportback's load bay is roughly the same size as the M135's and Golf R's, and managed to swallow five carry-on suitcases below the parcel shelf in our tests. The S3 Saloon has a smaller opening, but storage space is roughly on a par with the BMW M240i and Mercedes-AMG A35 Saloon.

The rear seats in both the Saloon and Sportback fold in a handy 40/20/40 split when you need to carry more. If you want maximum carrying capacity from your hot hatch, consider the Civic Type R or the capacious Skoda Octavia vRS (hatchback or estate).

“If you like the idea of an understated hot hatch but need more practicality, the Octavia vRS is well worth a look. Sure, it’s not as exciting as the S3, but it has limo-like leg room and 600 litres of boot space.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

As part of the S3’s mid-life facelift, Audi increased the levels of standard equipment, which explains why it now carries a slight price premium over equivalent versions of the BMW M135, Mercedes-AMG A35 and VW Golf R. 

The S3 Black Edition comes well equipped, with 19in alloy wheels, three-zone climate control, Napa leather upholstery, heated front seats, a head-up display, adaptive cruise control, ambient lighting and a more aggressive body kit to help distinguish it from a lesser Audi A3.

It’s the logical choice in the range, but doesn’t include the excellent adaptive suspension. For that, you’ll need to step up to the Vorsprung model, which also adds matrix LED headlights, carbon-fibre interior trim, electrically adjustable front seats, a panoramic sunroof and a power-operated tailgate.

That, however, presents something of a dilemma. If you choose the Vorsprung, you might be tempted to go further, adding metallic paint, the performance exhaust and red brake calipers. Do that, and the price edges close to an entry-level Audi RS3 – a car that’s just as practical, yet powered by Audi’s charismatic five-cylinder engine.

The S3 didn't feature in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey but Audi as a brand came 24th out of 31 manufacturers in the overall league table. For some context, BMW finished eighth while Mercedes came 22nd.

In terms of safety, every S3 gets automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-departure warning and traffic-sign recognition as standard. Adaptive Cruise Assist with lane-change assistant, an exit warning system and rear cross-traffic alert comes as standard on Vorsprung models.

“The S3 is priced a little too close to the mighty RS3 for our liking, but we can guarantee it will be cheaper to run. We often saw over 35mpg at a moderate cruise in the S3, whereas in our long-term RS3 we were lucky to break into the low 30s.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

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