Michael Chuang tests the Audi RS3, a $56k compact sports sedan with a 2.5L turbocharged five-cylinder making 400 hp. On regular 93 octane fuel, it hit 0-60 in 3.76 seconds and the quarter-mile in 11.9 seconds, though the engine prefers higher octane for better performance. The interior feels less luxurious than competitors like the BMW M2 Competition.
Questions this video answers
About $56,000.
2.5 L turbocharged five-cylinder, ~400 horsepower.
Around 95 octane or an E20 mix (tests here used 93 octane).
7.03 seconds.
12.82 seconds.
Chapters
Sam. So this is the Audi RS3, and you know, it's been around for a minute, but nothing's really changed about it. So if you're watching this video, you probably know a lot about the car as it is, except for how fast it is. See, this is the cheapest RS model that Audi currently offers and it starts at about 56 grand, which means it comes in a little bit cheaper than a BMW M2 competition. Plus it's got two extra doors, which means that if you want to go fast, you can do that with a baby seat. On the flip side, these front bucket seats, they're not power adjusting, there's no navigation installed, and the digital dash is an optional extra, which unfortunately this car doesn't have. And that sort of makes this whole experience kind of dated. For what is effectively a $60,000 German luxury car, it doesn't feel that premium at all. Sure, you can say that it's an entry level model, but what you're really buying here is probably the best compact performance sedan on the market for the price. That's a bold claim, but think about it, what's really out there in this segment? M340i C43. Those cars are a little bit bigger, so the only viable competitor is the new CLA 45AMG. However, I haven't driven one yet, so I can't really comment. But on paper, the RS3 is still faster, more power, greater 0. 60, better handling, etc. And ultimately it has a cooler powertrain, a 2.5 L turbocharged five cylinder pushing out 400 horsepower. Plus, we've seen the potential of this platform with a simple tuning downpipe. Anyway, that's all fine and dandy, but we want to find out where it stacks up in the real world. So in order to do that we got to do some half mile runs. It's. So we know from our previous TTRS review that this engine is really picky with fuel. You need around 95 octane or an E20 mix to get the claimed performance. And based on magazines, it should put down similar times as a stock ttrs. But today's test was done on a normal tank of 93 to see what it would put down in a real world situation. Because let's face it, we're not always going to be filling up with E85 or race fuel. Let's start with our in house 40 100. The Audi RS3 did that in 7.03 seconds, a good chunk slower than the M2 comp. As well as the TTRs with E27 seconds here isn't bad, but knowing what we know, it should be doing close to 6.7 or 6.8. The important one is the 60130 which the RS3 did in 12.82 and you can really see that something's wrong here because it's over a second slower than the TTRS and an M2 would certainly also walk away from it. Half mile is all about trap speed and the RS3 crossed the line at 138.25. Normally I'd be impressed by that because it only has 400 horsepower, but again we know it should be doing close to the140.0 60 was more normal 3.76 without the one foot rollout, but if you count the rollout it's exactly 3.5 and car and driver also ran it in 3.5 seconds so it seems like all is well with 93 for putting around town. Fuel takes a toll on the high end with the Zero 100 being a modest 9.46 without the rollout. With it it's only 9.2 and that's still a half second slower than the car in driver's 8.7. We were able to run the quarter mile at 11.9 at almost 115, but it's still 2 mph slower than the car in driver's 11.9 at 117. We know that magazine usually has insanely fast times, but something is still not right here. Bottom line is, fuel seems to be a big factor in the RS3, and if you want to see a more detailed breakdown of the numbers, there's a link in the description for the fast list. So the RS3 great car didn't get more than a few hours with it, therefore I can't really do a full review. However, I will say that it is a hell of a performance sedan. It's quick in a straight line, handles really well for being all wheel drive and £3,600, but that's about all it's really good for. Well, not really. It's actually a great daily driver for someone who's an enthusiast. Suspension isn't overly stiff, there's sufficient space in the back for a baby seat without compromising too much legroom in the front unless your passenger is over 6ft tall. The sport seats are pretty awesome, could be a little bit more supportive, but they're comfy. Plus trunk space is decent, but I just can't get over the actual interior feel. I mean I usually like Audi interiors, but this one is meh. The infotainment system is weak. Sure, having the virtual cockpit would have helped to spice things up a little bit, but still, besides the occasional Alcantara and the slightly fancier leather, it doesn't feel much more luxurious than my wife's Mazda. Her words, not mine. But anyway, it doesn't really matter because if you need a four door pocket rocket, you basically only have two options out there, CLA 45AMG or this RS3. I personally love the performance and the potential of the Audi, but for the price I'm not so sure I'm sold on it just yet. Especially with the very pedestrian looking exterior and the lack of luxury on the inside. On top of that, it's not really exciting to drive. Maybe I need to drive the AMG to know for sure. Or maybe BMW needs to come out with an M2 Gran Coupe. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this video and catch you on the next one. Hey guys, if you liked this video, help your brother out by giving it a thumbs up. 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