REVIEW
Audi S3 2014 Review
Is this one of the best compact sports sedans to ever kiss bitumen?Audi S3 (sedan)
Road Test
The muscle-bound halo car in Audi's A3 sedan range has arrived in Australia, and it's so addictive there's a rumour new laws are being drafted to limit its consumption. Priced at $62,200 (plus ORCs) the 206kW all-wheel drive sedan is versatile enough to transport the family, fit a seven-foot surfboard, or just blitz its way along a snaking alpine road – with little regard for the laws of physics. In a word, it's compelling.
Audi sales are soaring on the back of strong demand for its new A3 small car range. And things have become even more tantalising as the high-performance S3 model is now available in a sharp new sedan bodystyle.
Sharing no exterior body panels with the S3 Sportback, released here late in 2013, the sedan is, in my humble opinion, a smarter-looking machine. It's got a more mature, chiselled look and the optional 19-inch wheels give a tougher posture.
To avoid mincing words I'll cut to the chase: the S3 sedan is almost perfect. Not only is it a capable sports car that's exciting to drive (hard), it's practical too.
Case in point, I went surfing with a buddy whose seven-foot board fit in the car with the back seats folded down. It did encroach slightly into the front passenger area, but it was a surprise the board fit at all. Here I was thinking we'd have to take his wagon…
The S3 proved adept at commuting, was a doddle to shift about in a busy shopping centre carparks, and all the while transported the family around in comfort, thanks to the fitment of Audi's magnetic ride adaptive dampers. Just select the comfort mode, and even on its big 19-inch alloy wheels and gumball tyres the sedan rides smoothly on cruddy patchwork roads.
It's also an efficient vehicle at times, automatically engaging neutral when coasting and taking advantage of an idle stop-start system in traffic.
A decent-sized 425-litre boot brings versatility, as do the split-folding rear seats, and a strong list of standard features are always welcome. This compact sporty sedan comes off a strong base; when I reviewed the entry-level A3 sedan in May 2014 I loved the way it made few sacrifices compared to larger prestige models, and the S3 takes that idea and runs with it.
Sure, it's not cheap and will cost close to $70,000 on the road with a couple of options. But the car's performance envelope is so accessible it's worth almost every penny.
Powered by a feisty 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that belts out 206kW at 6200rpm and 380Nm from just 1800rpm, the car has an epic power band that results in rapid acceleration no matter the speed. It uses two fuel delivery methods to keep things refined but always responsive, with conventional fuel injection for low rev efficiency and direct-injection for high-rev antics.
Suffice to say, throttle response is excellent.
The turbocharger huffs up to 1.2 bar of pressure, or 17.4 psi for the imperialists, which is what gives the car its bulging muscles. From standstill it blitzes the 0-100km/h dash in a claimed 5.0 seconds (when using launch control), which not that long ago was supercar territory.
The little red Audi generates thrust with delicious rapidity, the canny quattro system ensuring neat and tidy full-throttle launches, while a savvy six-speed S tronic (dual-clutch) transmission rips through gears like a pack of piranhas through a chook carcass. The gearbox works well in self-shift or driver-operated paddle shift mode too.
The engine note is a bit gruff and the way it burbles loudly between upshifts makes the experience of heavy acceleration satisfying. Throttle response? Check. Gearbox response? Check. Exhaust farts primed? Check!
I experienced none of the driveline issues sometimes associated with VAG dual-clutch transmissions, such as the slow speed shuddering or touchy reversing, and the only problem with the driveline was the lack of an auto-hold parking brake function.
The 340mm front brakes deliver steadfast, seat-belt-straining deceleration that rarely upsets the cars balance and the rest of the chassis is likewise rock solid.
The S3 sedan's sporty, flat-bottom steering feels good and the electric power steering system has unexpected heft. It's well-weighted, which makes the car a joy to cleave through corners, roundabouts and even multi-storey carparks. There's not a great deal of feedback, but for Audi this is good progress and the electric power steering rack is one of its best yet.
The suspension is harder to fault. The S3 corners with a flat attitude enabling it to charge into and out of corners at a giddy rate of knots. It sits 25mm closer to the ground than regular A3 sedans and feels more agile but also more tied-down than vanilla-flavoured models, generating greater levels of grip that allow for gasp-inducing mid-corner speeds.
Understeer can creep in when driver confidence supplants skill, but it's never severe and even when the nose does push wide in a corner it's such a forgiving chassis it rarely lasts more than a moment. Just correct via throttle and/or steering adjustment, and press on. And even when the stability control kicks in, it's so subtle it barely affects ones rhythm.
I haven't felt this excited about a car since the WRX STI beat the Volkswagen Golf R in a comparison. And part of me thinks the S3 sedan would be a better than both.
The experience from the driver's seat of the S3 sedan is generally good, albeit with a few issues.
It's got an electrically retracting pop-up infotainment screen that always draws smiles from new passengers, a beautifully minimalist infotainment layout, arguably the best iteration of any Audi MMI to date. This is partly because it's the newest (until the next TT arrives early 2015) and also because it's minimised the number of controls, making it easier at-a-glance than the dizzying array of buttons the Audi S8 presents for instance.
Soft-touch dash plastics look and feel good, the classy air vents likewise. And the optional sports leather seats with their diamond pattern inject a major dose of luxury.
Ergonomics are generally very good, the seating position is great for feet, hands and body position, but on one trip after 90 minutes in the sporty seats my lower back got a little sore.
There's also no sunglasses holder and no ejectable swimmer key, so you can't take the key with you when swimming or surfing.
That the S3 sedan's piping hot four-pot turbo mill is detuned from Europe's 221kW power peak is vexing too. We get less power because Australia is a hot weather country, apparently. May I just say it was one degree above zero in Melbourne this morning! But I digress…
Audi's 250km/h S3 sedan is one of the most tenacious, obedient and planted hot fours I've ever driven. It's doesn't telegraph it's every intention like some sporties available today, but there's so much grip on offer you'll seldom need to ponder the merits of "more throttle?".
Just do it.
The S3 is a winner on every front and, simply put, is one of the best cars I've driven all year, perhaps in many years. Bring on the RS 3 sedan!
2014 Make Model Type pricing and specifications:
Price: $62,200 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 206kW/380Nm
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 6.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 159g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star EuroNCAP (hatch)
| What we liked: | Not so much: |
| >> Interior versatility | >> No sunglasses holder |
| >> Ride and handling | >> Aussie models detuned |
| >> Crisp power delivery | >> Steering lacks feel |
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Written byFeann Torr
See all articlesOur team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
81/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
18/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
15/20
Safety & Technology
16/20
Behind the Wheel
17/20
X-Factor
15/20
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
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