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2015 Audi S3 Sedan. Drive..

trd420

Go Kart Champion
Location
Richmond, ca
Our first taste of Audi's new small sedan is of the hottest performer.












Audi’s smallest car in America is about to go from a zero to a hero. The company has ambitious plans to build a five-vehicle family out of the diminutive A3, until now sold strictly as an expensive hatchback appealing only to informed and cashed-up connoisseurs of smallness. Next April, Audi drops the line’s anchor with the A3 sedan, starting at just under $31,000. There will also be the two-door A3 cabriolet, the five-door A3 Sportback hybrid, the Q3 small SUV, and this hot, 290-hp S3 sports sedan, which is due in August or September of 2014. No prices have been divulged for the S3, but we’re predicting it to land at around $42,000. Eventually, a planned RS3 may even come to the U.S., as well, where it would join the sorta-confirmed RS Q3.

While we wait for seat time in the base U.S.-spec four-door A3—we have driven Euro A3 and S3 three-doors—Audi decided to give us a taste of the forthcoming Lilliputian deluge by allowing us to first sample the all-wheel-drive S3 sedan. No doubt, the company is hoping enthusiast rags like ours will soften the beachhead for the A3’s landing by raving about the S3. We will not disappoint.

The S3 is delightful, even with the six-speed S tronic twin-clutch automatic, which will be the only choice in America, but especially with the six-speed manual. Audi claims the stick is not intended for us, but they made it available to U.S. journalists to try, ostensibly to solicit our comments. Here’s ours: Man up, Audi, and bring it, or stand by as many enthusiasts change the channel to another brand willing to serve them (paging BMW . . .). We enthusiasts may be small in number, but we establish a brand’s sporting credibility.


Either way, a new segment is being born before our eyes as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW race to produce smaller front-drive vehicles that will keep their brands in the fat end of luxury-car volumes, which is the roughly $35,000 to $45,000 price point. (At last check, BMW is still on the fence about selling the FWD 1-series here. It does now offer the $33,475 320i, albeit with 180 horsepower.) Of these three brands, however, none has more experience with front-drive than Audi, and it shows in the sublime S3, which shares its basic structure, code-named “MQB,” with the terrific 2015 VW Golf.

In fact, the A3/S3’s wheelbase is essentially identical to the Golf’s, although there are changes underneath to the Audi, including the aluminum knuckles affixed to the strut-type front suspension and the option of variable magnetic shock absorbers. The A3/S3’s four-link rear suspension is similar to the Golf’s multilink setup, and the Audi’s body construction relies almost entirely on various types of steel. To meet the car’s price target, aluminum was confined to the hood, the structure under the rear parcel shelf, and the bumper beams (A3 Sportbacks will also have aluminum front fenders).

Even so, the S3 sedan’s claimed curb weight of around 3200 pounds would, if it holds up in testing—a big if—undercut the Benz CLA45 AMG’s by about 400 pounds. The S3 nets some of these savings by out-smalling the AMG. The S3 is 8.8 inches shorter overall, and while the widths are identical, the Audi’s roof is a little lower.


Inside, however, there’s no obvious penalty for the compact dimensions except for a snug back seat, an issue likely to affect all of the new vehicles in this segment and a reason why their precursors, the Audi A4, Benz C-class, and BMW 3-series, have gotten so large, heavy, and expensive in recent years.

In the S3, the dash is kept low and the forms are svelte to emphasize the car’s small footprint and lighter mass. The panel is skinned with a single continuous sheath of soft-touch plastic punctuated by round air vents with a complex grille pattern. The vents have a clever push-pull ring that changes the airflow from direct to diffuse. A thin band of aluminum trim adds a splash of brightness, while the S3’s base seats flare with red bolsters. Optional sport seats will have stitched diamond-pleat trim.

The gauges resemble those of other Audis, with large dials for the tach and speedo and white LCD hash marks reading out the fuel and temperature status, as well as a small boost indicator in the speedometer. A flat-bottomed steering wheel accented with white stitching and a nav/info screen that motors up out of the dash give off luxury vibes. The MMI control cluster aft of the shifter gets a rework in the S3 to include a couple of toggle switches plus a larger control knob, the top of which serves as the touch pad for finger-gesture input.

Even though it’s a cheaper Audi, the design, both inside and out, suffers no overt cheapness. Everything has been thought out with exceptional care, down to the repositioned touch pad. And while the S3 is definitely trimmed to a price, the packaging and utility is Honda-efficient, with a wide, roughly 13-cubic-foot trunk and 60/40 split folding seats that make the S3 a good baggage hauler.

The VW Group loves ferrous metals, and the direct-injected and turbocharged 2.0-liter EA888 four sitting sideways to drive the front wheels has an iron block. All S3s have Quattro, and the power is distributed to the rear axle via a computer-controlled Haldex clutch. The differentials are open, but limited-slip and torque-vectoring functions are simulated with selective brake application by the computer. The large turbocharger peaks at “around 2.0 bar” the engineers tell us, or 29 psi :yikes:, a mighty wind that stirs up 290 horsepower and 280 lb-ft, the latter at a diesel-low 1800 rpm.

It’s a very short wait for the boost to build, and the S3 pulls strongly and evenly in any gear. A deep, delicious burr roars out at those standing near the car, but it’s mostly damped for those in the cockpit. The four-cylinder makes fast, smooth charges at its 6200-rpm redline, and we’re expecting both a 0-to-60-mph time of 4.8 seconds and very few S3 sedans returned to the dealer because of disappointing performance.


Befitting an Audi, the chassis control is superb and the S3 made light work out of the switchbacks up to the Col de Braus, the 3280-foot Alpine pass behind Monte Carlo, where Audi staged its media event. A sunroof will be standard on S3s, but Drive Select with magnetic shocks will be optional, and that was the only version we drove. With it, you can alter the shock response and steering effort via four settings (Comfort, Dynamic, Individual, and Auto). It’s worth taking the time to custom-tune the system with the Individual mode. In Dynamic, we found the steering to be the right heft and quickness for such rally-stage roads, but the shocks to be too unforgiving. The rest of the time you can leave it in Comfort, which relaxes the shocks to a point that’s still stiff but somewhat more livable.

The S3’s controls, from steering to brakes to shifter, are a fine toolbox with which to build speed safely. In the S tronic, the shifts come rapidly with a satisfying “blap!” from the quad tailpipes whether they’re actuated automatically or via the steering-wheel paddles. The gratifying manual has heavy counterweights and pronounced over-center spring loading, which actively pulls the stick into each successive gear.

In the S3, Audi bundles everything good about its products in a smaller package with a somewhat reduced price. With the S4 starting at just $48,995 (with a stick, thank you), you won’t save a king’s ransom by buying an S3. But for people who prefer smaller cars and don’t need the extra 10 or so inches in length of an S4, a wonderful alternative is headed this way.
 

corrado917

Go Kart Champion
Location
Chicago
:w00t: It's getting interesting see some performance in the 4 cyl. market for next year
 

[Old User]

Go Kart Champion
Location
steel city
29 PSI, 290 HP?

dafuq?

on a different note I really like the styling... although I think a used S4 would be more attractive. four wheel drive, better base engine, etc. but this is still pretty cool... no manual tho.
 

Balt21

Ready to race!
Location
Ohio
I really like it in the red and would love to take one of these for a drive. It's interesting they gave the journalist a manual to essentially appease them.
 

corrado917

Go Kart Champion
Location
Chicago
Finger crossed, to see the RS3 here as well :happyanim: & The Golf R DSG, but kinda doubtful since it would cannibalize the S3 sales.
29 PSI, that's crazy
, almost CLA45 AMG territory,check this one out about small engines: PUTTING A LOT.

 

[Old User]

Go Kart Champion
Location
steel city
Maintenance can blow me - unless CPO Audis get great warranty coverage.

Otherwise, it's new S3>used S4

Different strokes fo' different folks I guess. But Audi's maintenance is straight ass I agree with you, it's why VW has such a great niche in the market - similar quality/ feel but simpler and much more affordable in the long run. I just feel like upgrading from a VW to an Audi necessitates moving away from the 4cylinder vibe. that's just me though.
 

maxtdi

Go Kart Champion
Location
Nor-Cal
lights fight about PSI and about modifying a brand new 45k car+tax because that makes sense.
 

iPanir123

Go Kart Champion
Location
West Hills
I actually saw a red one on the road on Friday. I was driving to Oxnard to do a delivery and the place I was going to was located next to Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. It was actually driving into that parking lot. It is gorgeous in person.
 

Bozz

Go Kart Champion
Location
MO
Gonna be interested to see if there is much left in it with the stock turbo.

Surely there can't be much left. I wonder what turbo is in it? 1800 rpm at 29 psi? Wow. That's low rpm, maybe it has two turbos?
 
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