Highlights
Good-looking compact sports sedan
stiffer and Lighter than old S3 hatch
Quality cabin ergonomics and materials
Entertaining to operate a vehicle
Plenty of AWD grip
Decent soundtrack
Technology
300hp 2.0T motor
Cleaner plus moreIf you place an emphasis on driving satisfaction, fast Audis certainly are a conundrum. The dynamics can be a little hit-or-miss, although their showroom appeal can’t be underestimated because they always look good and the construction is practically bombproof. For every sparkling R8, second-gen TT and B7 RS4 that wins plaudits, there are other S and RS Audis that were spoiled by numb steering, a brittle ride or excessive understeer.
Go into the third-generation S3. If it costs more than several of its contemporaries, it epitomizes the hot hatch formula, even. By grafting a trunk to the back of the hatchback to make their first compact sedan S model, audi feels it’s onto a winner, however.
The good news is how the Sedan is both the best-looking version of your S3 to date and it’s coming to America. The look has a real clarity from the minute you first look at it, with its squat, hunkered stance, coupe-like profile and sharp lines. It’s muscular and taut, and is successful in almost any color.
Inside, things get much better. The usual excellent Audi interior is evident and you can load it using a slew of optional equipment, such as adaptive cruise control, active lane assist, a 14-speaker B&O stereo and MMI Navigation Plus. But fortunately, each of the basics are flawless, through the fantastic leather front seats to the chunky three-spoke controls, so you could probably keep youra lot of space for four adults, even with the driver’s chair pushed back, while the trunk is actually bigger with the seats up when compared to the S3 Sportback.
The S3 Sedan shares its 2.-liter TFSI engine with all the hatchback version, and again, this is a really good thing. Supremely strong through the entire rev range, it delivers meaningful acceleration no matter what speed you’re going. The boost delivery is lag-free, and you’ll have a hard time remembering it’s turbocharged.
The motor features a nice exhaust note, which can be augmented by a flap in the exhaust along with an electromechanical sound actuator from the bulkhead. Unfortunately, this makes it sound slightly artificial and grates a little. Still, 300hp as well as a sub-5sec -62mph are stats befitting more costly machines, so we’ll cut the S3 Sedan some slack.
2014 audi s3 sedan front grille 08
2014 audi s3 sedan front seats 14
2014 audi s3 sedan wheel 13
We sampled the engine with the S tronic six-speed dual-clutch auto, even though we’d normally make a strong case to get a stick shift, the S tronic is unquestionably a capable companion to the four-cylinder that it might be the more effective option…
It only showed slow-witted behavior when emerging from the tightest hairpins and asking for longer than 50% throttle. In cases like this it took its time to kick down. Otherwise, the trans shifted imperceptibly, emitting an entertaining pop through the quad exhaust tips on fast upshifts.
Obviously, the S3 is equipped with quattro all-wheel drive, as well as torque-vectoring, which means you’ve got seemingly endless grip to put 300hp to the pavement in any conditions. But what really impressed us was the Sedan’s entertaining steering. Uninhibited from theYou may still find flaws, chief of the steering remains numb unless in the sporty driving modes – the S3 provides the mode select switch that lets you choose from five different setups. These alter throttle response, steering weight, damper rates and S tronic shift speed. Even in the Dynamic setting the steering remains numb around dead center, however. Yet it offers consistent weight and the S3’s nose always reacts to inputs in lightning fashion. We were also happy to discover that understeer was practically eradicated unless you’re travelling at extremely high speeds.
The Audi S3’s ride quality exhibits a compliance in all areas that many previous S/RS models failed to achieve. It’s not just comfortable but keeps the rubber on the highway, making the car devastatingly quick when the curves come thick and fast. You find yourself grinning because the S3 encourages you to decide on each bend more than the very last. The grip is astonishing in the dry as it scythes through sweepers and curves with aplomb – in the wet, it’s likely to besupplied by the ample brakes, the S3 is blessed by using a suite of controls that really work so well together, this might be certainly one of quattro GmbH’s best efforts since the original ’80s legend that bore the hallowed name.
The drawback is it doesn’t leave much room to maneuver for the impending RS version… and also in some ways it’s better than all the existing S/RS Audis as well.
With just the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG occupying this rarified performance niche – an auto that’s more expensive and powerful – the S3 Sedan includes a clear path to success. Although once the next Golf R and BMW M2 arrive, things could get far more exciting for this particular sports sedan.
