► We put the S3 against the RS3
► Tested on mountain roads and motorway
► Which is best to own?
The S3 is quick and engaging enough, but the shadow of Audi’s flagship RS3 looms large. At least in theory the RS is dynamically sharper and more engaging, giving the potential to be more rewarding. But then again, it’s also more expensive.
Time, then, to get some answers and scratch the itch about Ingolstadt’s hot hatch and saloon. The plan is simple: test the power and comfort of both cars on the autobahn before taking on more challenging Alpine roads around the Austrian-German border.
Visually, the RS is in a different league: wide, aggressive and finished in brighter colours. Finished in punchy Kyalami Green, it’s as if my S3 in sedate District Green has gone on an acid trip.
Get inside and immediately the RS3 feels familiar but different. It’s lower than the car I’ve spent months in and its sport seats hold you that bit tighter. So far, so locked in. Most of the switchgear is the same, with the biggest difference an upgraded steering wheel: covered in alcantara and flat at both top and bottom, it’s grippier and feels more satisfying to use.
The unrestricted bits of autobahn come in dribs and drabs rather than a continuous stretch, which gives me a chance to draw breath and assess the car in between higher-speed bursts. The focus is on the RS3’s five-cylinder engine. On paper it’s significantly more powerful, making 394bhp to my S3’s 328bhp, and capable of 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds to my S3’s 4.7 seconds. In practice, the difference is even greater: the RS feels infinitely more alive.
The turbocharged four-cylinder of my S3 has never felt slow, but compared to the RS3 it’s flat-footed. The RS3’s five-cylinder opens in a more natural, effortless curve – and one even more connected to my right foot. Somehow, it makes the S3’s progress feel laboured in comparison; not a feeling I’ve experienced with the S3 in any other context.
Keep the RS in the right rev window and it sings, rewarding you with instantaneous power and a soundtrack you’ll hear in no other new car. It’s a far cry from the simulated sounds of the S3. I don’t quite hit the car’s v-max of 174mph, but I come close – and the whole car feels more composed and comfortable as speed. Both cars are on winter tyres, but the RS3 feels much smoother – like the S3 on year-round tyres.
Soon we’re on to the Alpine roads, and with them a chance to back-to-back the dynamics. Back in the S3 I try the easily overlooked Dynamic Plus mode. Nestled in a corner away from the other driving modes, I’m told this a party mode Ingolstadt’s engineers added to give the S3 more bite. Mission accomplished.
The S3 goes from well-tempered to feral, dropping two cogs and keeping the revs high and ready. It feels as though it’s on a short leash, and it translates to quick – but not RS3 quick – response from the right pedal.
As I carve up the salty mountain roads, the S3’s torque splitter slingshots the car around hairpins – pushing more power to the outside wheel. But it keeps the car more in line than I’m expecting and forces me to tweak my steering angle. It makes the car faster and better behaved – but it reduces the need for driver input. Such is the grip, there’s very little for me to correct or do, even on these icy roads. Vorsprung durch technik, and all that.
Back in the RS3 and it’s the same, but more. More power comes with more grip, and the RS3’s upgraded torque splitter translates the RS3’s power to the road while rotating it the exact amount.
The RS3’s steering feels particularly good on these roads. More tactile and slightly heavier than the S3’s, it affords a more precise touch – and transmits more from the tarmac to my hands. The steering itself feels that bit more direct too, making the S3 feel somewhat vague and numb in comparison.
This trip also gives us the chance to explore the RS3’s extra mode, called RS Torque Rear. When engaged, it diverts much more power to the rear, and allows a certain amount of slip angle before gently putting the axles back in line. Drifts owe more to engineering than driver skill.
So which would I have? On a trackday, the RS3 every single time. It’s effortlessly fast, and even without its unicorn engine it’ll worry supercars. The steering is tactile and precise, the suspension well-damped but firm, and its various driving systems capable of creating grip even 394bhp needs prodding to unstick. Throw in an engine that offers much more than half the engagement of Ingolstadt’s V10, and the RS3 once again moves the super-hot hatch goal posts.
But the S3 is already more than enough for me. It’s subtle enough to go under the radar and in the 70mph-limited UK it has more than enough shove for B-roads and motorways. Throw in the hand-me-down RS torque splitter and Dynamic Plus mode and the S3 has more than enough grip and performance too. Plus, it doesn’t look like an angry Tic Tac. My advice? Take the S3 and keep the circa £10k change.
Logbook: Audi S3 (month 5)
Price: £47,490 (£51,135 as tested)
Performance: 1984cc turbocharged four-cylinder, 328bhp, 4.7sec 0-62mph, 155mph
Efficiency: 34.4mpg (official), 19.7mpg (tested), 188g/km CO2
Energy cost: 27p per mile
Miles this month: 613
Total miles: 2320