Audi RS3 Mk3 Review (2015-2021)
Audi RS3 cars for sale
4.0
Expert review
Pros
Characterful and powerful five-cylinder engine
All-weather ability thanks to Quattro four-wheel drive
Much improved driving experience after 2017 update
Cons
Smaller boot if you choose the saloon
Not as much fun as a BMW M2 or Honda Civic Type-R
Tough ride if you pick an early example
The CarGurus verdict
There is a great deal to admire about the Audi RS3 – particularly the post-2017 model with its much improved ride and handling. This is a car that demonstrates Audi’s deep understanding of what it is that the majority of performance car buyers are really into. In other words, Audi concentrated on getting its styling right, squeezing bundles of performance and a shedload of character from that 2.5-litre five-pot engine, and making its cabin feel upmarket.
There are many other cars in its price bracket (and several that are quite a lot cheaper) that are more thrilling to drive. In that respect the RS3 performs well without being truly outstanding. But the hardcore driving enthusiast isn’t who this car is aimed at. Instead, it targets those buyers who want to be seen in the right kind of car, who value everyday usability as highly as they do steering response, and who want their car to accelerate as forcefully as a high-end sports car. And there’s precious little that does all of those things as well as an RS3.
What is the Audi RS3?
It can be one of two things: depending on whether you choose the Sportback or the Saloon model (introduced in 2017), it can either be a blisteringly quick hot hatch, or a junior super saloon.
Either way, the RS3 isn’t intended to be a very focussed, thrill-a-minute performance car. Instead, it sets out to be effortlessly fast, grippy and secure in all weathers and entertaining to drive on a great road, while also being perfectly usable in everyday driving. Its most immediate rival in Sportback form is from Mercedes-AMG, the A45 S a near exact match in terms of price and performance.
Meanwhile, the RS3 Saloon doesn’t have any immediate rivals. The BMW M2 is similar in principle, being an everyday performance car from a premium German manufacturer, but as a two-door only it lacks a degree of practicality compared to the Audi.
How practical is it?
The Sportback model is the more practical of the two cars, though all these things are relative: with a 335-litre boot, you don’t get quite as much room for your bags as you do in the A45, or for that matter, a BMW M140i.
The Saloon model was engineered to drive and perform in exactly the same way, so you lose nothing from the driving experience by choosing it instead – though with its 315-litre luggage compartment, you do get an even smaller boot. At least with both models, the rear seats split into three sections when they fold down, which adds a touch more versatility than the norm.
You get less head room for rear passengers in the Saloon model, too, though the difference is not vast. No matter which version you choose, you’ll find less passenger space on offer than you would in a Volkswagen Golf R, but there’s still enough room that you won’t feel cramped.
What's it like to drive?
This generation of RS3 was introduced in 2015, then heavily updated in 2017. Whereas most midlife facelifts amount to not much more than a restyled front bumper and some new interior trim, the RS3’s overhaul was a comprehensive one. For one thing, the saloon model, with its 2006-era RS4-esque looks, was added to the range.
More significantly, though, the revised RS3 became much better to drive. Whereas the 2015 car feels very nose-heavy and leaden-footed in corners, its ride quality rather tougher than it might have been, the 2017 model is more agile, better balanced and more supple over bumps.
The quattro four-wheel drive system was revised, too; whereas the earlier model seemed reluctant to favour the rear axle, the updated version did so willingly. This made the new car more agile and engaging to drive, particularly when powering away from a corner. And Audi’s engineers were able to reduce the weight of the engine by a full 26kg, thereby removing a lot of ballast from the car’s nose.
And what an engine. In a sea of turbocharged four-cylinders – with the odd inline six – the RS3’s 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo unit is both distinctive and enormously characterful. With a warbling five-pot soundtrack it’s great to listen to, while its muscularity throughout the rev range gives the RS3 the kind of instant straight-line acceleration you’d normally associate with a much more expensive sports car.
Technology, equipment & infotainment
In both Sportback and Saloon body styles, the RS3 is available in two guises – the entry-level RS3 model and the higher-spec RS3 Audi Sport Edition. On top of the basic car’s 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, privacy glass and Audi Virtual Cockpit (which replaces the traditional speedo and rev counter with a customisable digital display), the latter comes with a sports exhaust, a panoramic glass roof, carbon fibre inlays within the cabin and sports seats trimmed in Nappa leather.
Before 2017, the engine developed 367hp and after the facelift some 400hp. In both cases, it’s mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic gearbox, with drive sent to all four wheels.
Audi RS3 running costs
Audi says the RS3 will return a whisker under 30mpg in mixed driving, so fuel costs aren’t likely to ruin you. The real-world figure is likely to be closer to the mid-20s, but given the car’s performance potential that’s actually pretty reasonable. You’ll get no more fuel economy from a Mercedes-AMG A45 S and you should expect somewhat less from a BMW M2.
Although the RS3 is at its core just an uprated A3, you do need to steel yourself for more substantial running costs than you’d expect from a conventional family hatchback. Tyres, for instance, will be a good deal more expensive, partly because a performance car needs the right tyre compound and construction, but also because they’ll be bigger and wider than the tyres you’d fit to a family car. You should reckon on £500 or so for a full set of 19-inch tyres for an RS3.
Similarly, everything from brake pads to engine oil will be performance-oriented, which inevitably means they’ll be more expensive. However, Audi does offer a price match guarantee on servicing and maintenance jobs. As long as the parts in question are genuine Audi items, an official dealership will match any quote you can show from an independent garage for servicing, repair jobs, routine maintenance and even tyres.
What’s more, you can choose to spread the cost of servicing and repairs over time at 0% interest. This applies to work costing between £60 and £5, 000. Audi recommends an RS3 be serviced annually.
Finally, vehicle excise duty, or road tax, will invariably cost more on a powerful car like an RS3 than it would on a standard family runabout. You’ll face a £1,305 VED bill for the first year and £475 each year after that.
Audi RS3 reliability
You would be well within your rights to expect impeccable reliability from a new RS3 (or even a three or four-year-old one). There are no commonly occurring reliability woes to be mindful of, although that could simply be because the car hasn’t been around long enough for them to make themselves known.
Paradoxically, the premium German manufacturers haven’t tended to excel themselves in owner satisfaction surveys, but Audi has outperformed immediate rivals BMW and Mercedes in recent years. The RS3’s five-cylinder engine is a bit of an old war horse, having been around in one form or another for a while now. During that time it has proven itself to be tough and durable – although, like all performance engines, it does need to be maintained properly and allowed to warm up before it’s really exerted.
The same applies to things like brake fluid and transmission oil – only if they’re changed in accordance with Audi’s guidelines will the brakes and gearbox be as durable as they should be.
Meanwhile, the standard Audi warranty runs for three years or 60,000 miles (whichever comes sooner) and that’s pretty well par for the course for this type of car. However, owners can pay to have the warranty extended: a four-year or 75,000 miles warranty costs £295, while a five-year or 90,000 mile warranty will set you back £630. All new Audis also come with three years’ roadside assistance free of charge.
- All the ingredients are there for the RS3 to accelerate like a rocket ship away from the line – it powers all four wheels so has very good traction, the gearbox is a very snappy dual-clutch unit that changes gear extremely quickly, there’s a launch control programme and the engine develops plenty of power and torque as well. Audi says the pre-facelift car will power from 0-62mph in 4.3 seconds, while the later model goes two-tenths of a second faster. Rocket ship indeed.
- If you’re buying an RS3 second-hand and want to stand out from the crowd, you might want to look out for some of the more extrovert colour choices that were on offer. Most RS3s were sold in grey or silver, but Audi’s Individual colour range was available at extra cost, and offered an altogether more colourful array of options to buyers. How about vivid Viper Green, or eye-searing Python Yellow? You’ll have to look a bit harder to find colours like these, as relatively few buyers specified them when they were new, but if you’re willing to make the effort and you want your RS3 finished in a more head-turning shade, they are out there.
- In 2019, Audi updated the RS3 once again because of the new WLTP emissions regulations, which required a petrol particulate filter be fitted. These filters help to clean up a car’s tailpipe emissions, but they also impact the soundtrack and even engine performance. Audi retuned the engine to ensure the updated unit was no less powerful than the previous one, but inevitably some degree of engine character was lost. If you’re considering buying a post-WLTP car, the more vocal optional sports exhaust is a must-have.
- If you want the best all-rounder: The RS3 really is the definitive do-everything performance car in its price bracket. There are others that are more thrilling to drive, but no other car betters the Audi’s combination of handsome styling, performance, character, desirability and driver enjoyment at this price point.
- If you want even more performance: It’s unlikely there are too many drivers out there for whom 395bhp simply isn’t adequate, but for that small cabal of buyers the Mercedes-AMG A45 S is more powerful still. With 415bhp it’s the most powerful hot hatch there has ever been, in fact.
- If you really love driving: The BMW M2 Competition is a slightly less usable two-door coupe rather than a hatchback or saloon, but you could still live with one day-to-day very happily indeed. With its rear-wheel drive layout and typical BMW M car handling, the M2 is more entertaining to drive than the Audi by a significant margin.
- If you need more space: For some buyers, the A3-based RS3 might not be big enough. The Audi RS range includes more spacious models such as the RS4 Avant and RS5 Sportback, as well as a full-size estate in the RS6 Avant.
