2017 Audi S3 Review#newwindow=1 How to Turn Off the Skip Shift
Richard Berry has gone low-contour and high-performance behind the wheel of Audi's S3 sedan, a Bavarian wolf dressed in very stylish sheep's habiliment. His road test and review includes specs, fuel consumption and verdict.
Would y'all be comfy wearing a flat-brimmed baseball cap in public? If yous answered: "FTW! I do already, brah!" then caput over to our Golf game R review here. If your answer was a definite no, then stay where you are because the Audi'south S3 Sedan could be for you. And if you don't know what a apartment-brimmed baseball cap is then y'all might be interested in reading nigh a Camry hither.
See, the S3 Sedan takes the male child racer recipe of crossing a little car with a loftier-output engine and puts it in a grown-up parcel – a sedan, and a small one at that. Based on the A3 Sedan the S3 is visually so subtly dissimilar from its sedate brother that only those who know would know that this car is a bit of an animal. It'southward not as much of a beast as the RS3, however. That affair is brutal.
Audi'due south not the only one to cotton wool on to the pocket-sized prestige missile concept: Mercedes-Benz has its CLA 250 Sport 4Matic and BMW has the M240i. Both awesome, and a step down from the full-diddled AMG and 1000 versions.
Audi updated the S3 Sedan but every bit 2016 was shutting up shop and it's this new, quicker and smarter version we've road tested here.
So, what'south it similar to live with? Why is sitting in the backseat a pain in the neck for me? How practise the magnetic shock absorbers work? Is a virtual cockpit as proficient as information technology sounds? Where's that noise coming from? So many questions… all answered.
| Audi S3 2017: two.0 Tfsi Southward Tronic | |
|---|---|
| Rubber rating | |
| Engine Type | 2.0L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | seven.1L/100km |
| Seating | v seats |
| Price from | $42,100 |
Is in that location anything interesting nigh its design? eight/10
Okay, if you tin spot the difference betwixt the new S3 and the previous S3 and then you're an Audi spy or y'all own ane, because the changes are pocket-size.
The grille is now wider and its corners meet at sharper points, while the LED running lights, which are still integrated into the headlights, provide more of a frame around a new intricate lens design, while the outside plastic casing is more angular in its styling. The tail lights accept been redesigned and the rear indicators have gone all Vegas and at present employ strip LED lighting which progressively illuminate in the management the vehicle is turning. The rear diffuser has also been restyled.
The S3 is a playful and rubber-feeling little missile with great pedal feel.
Picking an S3 from an A3 is tricky – they look so much alike. The easiest way to know if you're looking at an S3 and not an A3 is if it has the beefy rear diffuser and quad exhaust tips.
Autonomously from those tail pipes, the S3 looks a lot like an A3, which looks a lot similar an A4, and an A6, and an A8, only smaller. Which is no bad thing – it'southward a sleek good looking shape and the S3 appears perfectly proportioned despite its small size.
Information technology really is pocket-size. At 4469mm long, 1960mm wide and 1392mm tall the S3 Sedan is shorter than a Mazda3 sedan. As for its rivals the S3 is 171mm shorter than the four-door CLA 250 Sport and 37mm longer than the two-door M240i.
The motel is refined and prestigious and shares the same materials and styling as higher-end Audis.
How applied is the space inside? 6/ten
Yes, it has iv doors and five seats only space in the back row is limited. Alpine friends won't be pleased sitting behind yous. I'k 191cm and tin simply just sit behind my driving position. The bigger issue is the lack of headroom and I can't sit up direct without having my cheek upwards confronting the roof. That's literally a pain in the neck.
Up front end yous'd never know well-nigh the space issues behind you. The cockpit is roomy from the pilot'due south seat, with good headroom, enough of space in the footwell and stacks of shoulder room.
There was somebody that did love sitting in the back seat - my 2 year quondam son in his car seat. Autonomously from him having enough of space, the low window sill meant he had a meliorate view of the outside world than many other cars I've tested lately.
Then a young family unit or empty nesters with grandchildren may discover the size suits their life best, or care for it as a ii seater with a bonus back row if yous need to give people a elevator.
Storage throughout isn't dandy – in that location are no cup holders in the back, just in that location are ii upwards front. Y'all'll observe small canteen holders in the back doors and larger ones in the front.
Boot size is impressive though at 425 litres – that's just 55 litres less than the A4's luggage capacity. The M240i's cargo capacity is 390 litres. It's even bigger than the boot in the A3 Sportback hatch (340 litres), simply the kick opening itself isn't big and we couldn't fit theCarsGuide pram in no affair how much violence we directed towards it.
Does it correspond adept value for the price? What features does it come with? 7/10
The S3 Sedan ii.0 TFSI quattro Due south tronic lists for $64,500 and that'south $1600 more than the S3 Sportback, only $7500 less than the S3 Cabriolet.
Standard features in the S3 Sedan include eighteen-inch alloy wheels, leather seats (sports buckets upwards front), dual-zone climate control, a 7.0-inch screen, sat nav with six monthly map updates, CD and DVD player, digital radio, 10-speaker 180W Audi sound system, Apple CarPlay and Android Machine, equally well every bit Bluetooth connectivity. At that place'south also the Audi virtual cockpit – a fully digital instrument cluster.
You'll also get LED headlights, drive style selector, front and rear parking sensors plus reversing camera and bullheaded spot warning. There'south as well new advanced safety equipment – read about that below.
It's disappointing that features such as automobile parking, adaptive prowl command, lane keeping aid, collision warning, motorcar headlights and even loma hold need to be bought equally options, particularly when they are offered standard on many Hyundais, Kias and Volkswagens.
Our examination car was optioned with Navarra blueish metallic paint for $1150, Magnetic Ride dampers for $1600, the $850 black high gloss packet and $1350 eighteen-inch five spoke 'Turbine' design alloy wheels, bringing the total package to $69,450.
On the upside, the S3 Sedan's listing price undercuts its rivals, with the CLA 250 Sport selling for $67,600 and the M240i listing at $74,900.
What are the key stats for the engine and transmission? nine/10
The latest S3 Sedan is more powerful and quicker than the previous 1 – by a smidge. Power has been increased to 213kW (+3kW) with torque staying at 380Nm and the claimed 0-100km/h fourth dimension drops past 0.2s to four.8s. Information technology'southward a better sprinter cheers to the new transmission – the six-speed dual-clutch from the previous version has been swapped for a seven-speed.
Drive goes to all four wheels thank you to Audi's signature quattro system.
How much fuel does information technology consume? vii/ten
Audi says the S3 should potable premium unleaded at an average rate of 6.5L/100km when driving under combined conditions. My fuel consumption was a chip more than than Audi'due south serving suggestion at 11.0L/100km, only I drive similar I'm on the run.
There's a cease-start organisation which is great at saving fuel but information technology's annoying in traffic, particularly with a DSG gearbox. The system volition cut the engine when benumbed to a finish which I notice unnerving, particularly when I'm turning at an intersection. For these reasons, unless I need to save fuel, I'll switch it off.
What's it like to bulldoze? 8/10
Just say you lot were looking for a getaway car then the S3 may be ideal. It'due south low key enough for it not to stand out and quick enough to out accelerate generally everybody else y'all'll see. A sprint time of 4.8s for the 0-100km/h dash is almost a second in front of Ford'south new V8 Mustang and just 0.2s backside an entry-spec Porsche 911.
The M240i is quicker at iv.6s to 100km/h, but the CLA250 Sport is way back at 6.4s.
The all-time part of the S3 is the driving. This thing feels sharp, agile and well counterbalanced. There were times I wanted more grunt when climbing corkscrewing hill roads, or coming out of turns onto a directly, merely that would brainstorm to encroach into the RS3'southward territory.
No, the S3 is a playful and safe-feeling little missile with great pedal experience, and an excellent low seating position. Dynamic way tin be set through the Drive Select function to arrange steering weight, alter the throttle mapping and firm the dampers for meliorate handling.
The Magnetic Ride Control organisation adjusts the dampers continuously to suit the situation. Charged particles in the oil within the shock absorber align themselves when a magnetic field is applied in connection to the driving conditions – this changes the viscosity of the fluid.
The S3'due south sound completes the fun bundle, although information technology'due south slightly artificial. At that place's an actuator under the bonnet which looks like a hockey puck and vibrates to raise the sound to a deeper growl. I'm not a fan and don't run into the need for it when the engine note would withal sound great without it. Oh and aye, the S3 lets rip a burp on the upshifts.
The Virtual Cockpit is an first-class characteristic. You tin digitally configure the musical instrument cluster to your own tastes – the view which reduces the speedo and tacho down and fills the screen with your sat nav map means you lot don't accept to keep looking beyond to the main display.
That main brandish, by the manner, is looking dated and modest – it's been the same since the A3 launched in 2013, and tech (as proven by the virtual cockpit) has come a long manner since and then.
Mechanically, the S3 is closely related to the all-wheel drive Golf game R (both existence in the Volkswagen Group family), although the current version of that hot hatch is more like the old S3 with a six-speed dual-clutch and 206kW engine.
Warranty & Safety Rating
Basic Warranty
3 years / unlimited km warranty
ANCAP Safety Rating
What safety equipment is fitted? What rubber rating? 8/ten
The S3 Sedan has 7 airbags and the maximum v-star ANCAP rating, but that score has really get the new minimum these days, so the way to encounter if a brand is going further is to look at the advanced safety equipment listing. AEB with pedestrian detection (up to 65km/h) is offered for the first fourth dimension in this S3 and so is rear cantankerous traffic alert.
For child seats there are 2 ISOFIX mounts in the dorsum row and two pinnacle tether anchor points.
What does it cost to ain? What warranty is offered? 7/10
The S3 Sedan is covered by Audi's three-twelvemonth/unlimited kilometre warranty. Owners can buy a 3-year/45,000km servicing plan for $1700. Servicing is recommended at xv,000km/one year intervals.
Verdict
The S3 Sedan is the perfect midpoint between domesticated and wild. It doesn't have the sledgehammer operation of the BMW M240i or the bling factor of the Benz CLA 250 Sport, just for many buyers that'due south simply what they're later – a easygoing, quick, fun, but prestigious machine.
Click here for more 2017 Audi S3 pricing and spec info.
Are the S3 Sedan's looks too subtle or do you like information technology low-fundamental? Let us know what you recall in the comments below.
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2017 Audi S3 Review#newwindow=1 How to Turn Off the Skip Shift
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