2017 Audi S3 Road Test and Review

Audi: To most, the name conjures up all sorts of positive perceptions: agility, power, comfort, luxury, style, and prestige. Those attributes apply up and down the product range, from the biggest SUVs and super sedans to the smallest members of the family, such as the A3. And as true Audi cognoscenti know, when the A prefix is replaced by an S, or an RS, the pace picks up. It’s true of the lordly A7 and S7 sedans. And it’s true of the compact S3, the primary focus of this report, although we include 2017 updates to the A3 as well. Other A3 models—Cabriolet, Sportback, eTron—carry over.

Styling revisions midway through a product cycle tend to be subtle, especially with a successful design, and that’s true here. The A3 rolls into the next model year with a slightly larger grille, a more angular look to the headlights, and LED taillights. Like the 2016 model, the A3 still looks very much like a slightly smaller version of the A4 sedan, which is no bad thing. The S3 is distinguished by more sculpting around the front end, particularly down low, as well as a choice of two new 19-inch wheels that fill up the wheel wells. It adds up to a slightly sportier look, although it takes a keen eye to track the distinctions between A and S.

Subtle also applies to interior upgrades, with one major exception. Audi’s so-called Virtual Cockpit, with its menu of digital information and instrumentation, makes its first appearance in these entry level compact luxo sedans for 2017. Aside from that, and expanded connectivity, there is much that will be familiar to current A3/S3 owners: supportive bucket seats (nicely leathered in the S3), Audi’s MMI controller, user-friendly climate controls, and the same 7-inch info display screen (that would benefit from a size increase) popping up from the middle of the upper dash. One other S3 addition: The leather-wrapped steering wheel, very satisfying to the touch, has a flat bottom, a reminder that this is a sporty ride.

Four doors make rear seat access much easier than just two, which is why sedans regularly outsell coupes. (We should note that we continue to make the classic distinction between the two body styles, i.e., there is no such thing as a “4-door coupe,” whatever certain carmakers may say.) However, while a car with four doors has a higher practicality index than a car with two, practicality is diminished when the rear seat is snug, which is the case with the S3. Like other compact cars, accommodating adults in the rear seats requires a cooperation treaty with those up front. Further, like all compact sedans, the A3 and S3 are rated as 5-passenger vehicles, but the center rear seat is not a place to confine any person, particularly an adult, who you actually like.

There are many distinctions between A3 and S3, some subtle, some not so subtle. But the most immediately tangible is what happens when the driver depresses the S3’s throttle. The A3 sprints to 60 mph in about 5.5 seconds, which can’t be called slow. But the S3 gets there about a second quicker, and reaches the quarter-mile mark some 1.5 seconds in advance of the A3, going almost 15 mph faster. Viewed as simple black and white statistics, these may not look like big increments, but they’re very tangible on the street, where the S3 can run away not only from its sibling but many other rides with fancy pedigrees.

The A3 and S3 are both propelled by turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engines, and both route engine power to the wheels via a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. So how do we account for the performance disparity? Could it have to do with power? Of course. Though engine basics are the same for both cars—same bore, same stroke, same displacement, same nourishment (turbocharging, direct fuel injection)—the electronic management differs substantially. The A3 is propelled by 220 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The S3 huffs up 292 hp and 280 lb-ft. Torque is the low-end grunt that gets a vehicle out of the starting blocks when the light turns green, and turbocharged cars makes it in mass quantities. But horsepower takes over as the speedo climbs, and in two cars of more or less equal mass (around 3300 pounds), bet on the car with the 72-hp advantage to get to point B quicker. A lot quicker.

Turbocharged engines can be thrifty, but that obviously depends on what the driver is doing with his or her right foot. And there’s also a correlation between output—the engine’s max power ratings—and fuel economy. Thus it’s not surprising that the Environmental Protection Agency rates the A3 a little higher than the S3 in terms of efficiency—24 mpg city, 33 highway, versus 23 city, 31 highway. Both ratings are unchanged from the 2016 models. And as they say, if you’re seduced by the S3’s abundant power, your mileage may vary. A lot.

As noted, engine power gets to the S3’s wheels via a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic and Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system (the basic A3 is front-drive). To those unfamiliar with this transmission, automatic is a pretty anemic word for describing its function, either in full auto mode or operated by the paddle shifters affixed to the steering column. Automatic shifts are brisk, manual shifts even quicker, adding much to the S3 driving experience. Audi has also tinkered with the Quattro system’s digital brain to temper intervention by the S3’s stability control.

For those who want their car to provide posh driving pleasure, as well as mere transportation, the S3 is an excellent prescription. Its responses are eager—no hesitation in quick directional changes—and cornering attitudes are level: very little body roll. Steering is light, but surgically precise. The combination of low-profile tires and all-wheel drive inspires confidence in fast turns, and the S3’s optional magnetic ride control system provides four operating modes: Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, and Individual. We didn’t have time in a half-day of North Carolina driving to dial up individual settings, but enjoyed the subtle but tangible distinctions between the others. Ride quality ranges from supple to firm in the various modes, but never harsh. The sense of partnership between car and driver is exceptionally strong here.

The Audi S3 is nicely appointed and beautifully finished but the factor that puts it in the luxury car class is its price. There are two trim levels—Pemium Plus (from $43,850) and Prestige (from $49,350)—and it doesn’t take many options to soar past the $50,000 frontier. For example, our Premium Plus tester was fortified with $7475 in options—a $3000 technology package (Audi MMI interface, Audi connect infotainment, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert); Dynamic package (magnetic ride control, 19-inch wheels, summer performance tires, $1500); S sport seat package (Nappa leather, $1450); a Bang & Olufsen sound system ($950); and an optional paint job (glacier white, $575). Adding all those extras obviously makes for a pretty expensive S3, and if they’re important to you, it’s probably a better bet to simply sign up for the Prestige model, which includes most of those features.

Like any Audi, the S3 delivers a level of responsiveness and all-around performance that stands out against its competitive set, one of those rare cars that provides transportation for the spirit, as well as the body. It’s not hard to understand why Audi was cautious with this 2017 freshening—the slightly smaller scale S4 styling is very successful—though it is a little difficult to understand why Audi refrains from making the S3 engine and suspension available in the Sportback model, hatchbacks being much more versatile than small sedans. Perhaps Audi doesn’t want to create corporate competition for the VW’s Golf R, which is propelled by the same engine? Be that as it may, the S3 continues to be one of the most satisfying small scale executive express sedans in the market.