2015 Audi S3 - One Take

[@ianjohnston8871]

I,m 78 yr old ex rally driver. I have an s3 and totally agree with this review. Nearest thing to a well balanced rally car that I,ve experienced. Well done guys,great review and well done Audi.👍

[@isaiahjohnson6536]

What’s your name

[@aaa84gt]

​@@isaiahjohnson6536Ian Johnston is his name

[@issam858]

Just got my Audi S3 in Daytona Grey and its one hell of a car. I also did the Revo Stage 1 ecu software upgrade and now the car does 0 to 60 in 3.7 Seconds and has 365HP with a top speed of 192MPH which is insane for a 2.0L engine. This thing does not need any help on power also looks and comfort and its really the best everyday car you can have. Good Review

[@rcryan7shmee]

Issam Shalhoub no way 192

[@shakeyste]

Really I've got one to if you could send me some info on your mods I'd be grateful

[@TuMadreWasHere]

How has your car held up?

[@CB-rr9fe]

Not a chance 192... 172 tops

[@iliovecaRS]

192 ? 🤭

[@drx1994]

"It's very roomy in the front..." *tires squealing in the background* Gotta love his way of reviewing cars and the One Takes!

[@MrNuggetface]

Why do I relate to Matt so much more than other car reviewers?

[@thedon008]

MrNuggetface Cause he's a guy driving a car, talking while doing it.:P It's not scripted stuff, he isn't putting on a voice, so you can relate.

[@TheTallAbacus]

Because he has sound judgement, few limitations, and loads of logic. Thanks Matt.

[@skirne_]

MrNuggetface because Matt is still the common guy

[@NikoBell12]

Same here lol.

[@AdoIf88HitIer]

Because you are fat

[@honkpirateroberts9153]

I tried (and failed) to watch a few other reviews of this car but there are too many hacks out there, too many kids going into dealerships with a GoPro saying "Hey, I'm a KZbin sensation, I'll plug your lot..." and get tossed keys, but immediately ruin it as they speak (MotoManTV for instance) But this sold me on this car. Thanks for taking the time to make such quality content, you're like the USA's Clarkson, only not punching people in the face over steak.

[@beatidoguu]

honestly I think these One Takes are the best car reviews on youtube. Quick, to the point, tell me what I want to know - and very relatable too. Just proves you don't need the high production value for it to be really enjoyable.

[@AKhellbindeR]

Can't wait for the new RS3. I never understood why they didn't bring those outside Europe. That 2.5 liter 5 banger just sounds glorious, and it doesn't get any more "Audi" than 5 cylinders..

[@frontsoldatmm]

The $50k price tag is only for a Prestige S3. I bought my 2015 Premium plus S3 with navigation, magnetic ride/performance package, and B&O sound system and I got it for $45,100. At that price point this car kicks serious ass and this coming from a guy who traded in a 2012 STI to get the S3. Its got everything that I wish my STI had- , performance, luxury,and good tech, For me at least the S3 is hard to beat for a car in the mid 40s price range....

[@lexburen5932]

just wait 2 a 3 years, and its half the price :D

[@djurius]

Like most other cars, no?

[@kawilifezx10r23]

Im a reporting from 2018 this car goes for as low as $26k to 36k now. 11k miles to 58k ive seen. Now its in the proper price range.

[@StrongerThanEver84]

currently looking into buying a 2016 model for $31,000 with 19000 miles. Gonna take not even half that extra $14k+ you spent and put it into the engine, wheels, tires and other cosmetic upgrades. Unitronic stage 2 will have this car pushing close to 400hp. Should be able to get 0-60 in 3.5 seconds with good tires. Never will I buy a brand new car. You wait a year or two and let it depreciate then hop on low mileage ones for significantly less money

[@FaaizAliTV]

@@lexburen5932 Crazy how your prediction was so accurate lol! 3 years later, literally half the price.

[@nutnfancy]

Awesome review dude, I love your work.

[@Palmerthetradie]

nutnfancy love seeing my gear channels mixing in with my car channels

[@DarkPhoenixTSi]

How many other TNPers are here? lol

[@Raudi_5pot]

Nutnfancy taking a break from tabletop reviews for this....even though it was 3 yrs ago. Love your reviews Nutnfancy. Oh and i just bought an s3

[@volkssturm9694]

ahhhhh nice to see so many fellow TNPers that are in to da Audis :)....about to upgrade from my A3 to an S3.

[@willesco5211]

Thank you. Because of this review I'm buying an S3 with 18k miles for 30k which is a steal. Much appreciated

[@jeffdeleon3567]

Enjoy it man, my only pet peeve with this model is that it doesn’t have a 6 speed manual.

[@forrestjenkins5793]

I’ve had my S3 for almost five years and I have loved it. It’s my daily driver and it’s perfect for that. If you have to commute, you might as well have a little fun. You can hit yourself daily triple with no effort at all.

[@wesd991]

How has it been so far in reliability

[@forrestjenkins5793]

Wesley D So far it has been good. It has 75,000 miles on it and no major problems. I had to have a brake job done around 60,000. It is starting to burn a little bit of oil and I am now getting the oil changed every 5,000 miles instead of every 10,000. I am about to have a major service done, but it is scheduled. The care and feeding of Audi’s is a little more intense than your typical Chevy, but that’s something you factor in when you buy the car.

[@hovnojede010101]

THE RIGHT SIZE, yes, that aspect gets overlooked very often. Last gen E90 BMW was the right size, the new one is kinda on the edge, this Audi seems to be the right size, too. I like it a lot. And you really seemed to enjoy it, too, great vid again.

[@wsmiteh]

Best car reviews on youtube, or anywhere for that matter, by far. Good mix of content, good diversity, and you do a really good job of keeping your own bias out of them for the most part... Seems like you have the ability to appreciate a car for what it is, be it $1000, or $100000, which is something that many many others lack. Keep it up Matt!

[@kylepasta]

or just go buy a b5 and dump 20k into it and have a monster. I mean a stock monster, cuz that's 20k of maintenence lol

[@lexburen5932]

just wait 2 a 3 years, then they are half the price on the used market :D. the s3 is a car that will loose its value very fast, becouse its not that popular. the rs3 however is different. thats the top sport version with everything on it

[@AdemJashari56]

if you brought your S4 to a shop for coil packs .. then you never belonged in that car in the 1st place!

[@webbage]

@@lexburen5932 the s3 is hugely popular in the UK, probably one of the most stolen cars also.

[@JonasRosenven]

Damn, Matt. Your concept here is so simple and enjoyable. It's like eating hot dogs whilst being drunk. I mean that in the best possible way. It's just good clean fun :)

[@fe1138lix]

APR's Stage 1 Golf R did high 11's to low 12's in the 1/4 mile, so the engine seems very responsive to a tune

[@PKmode]

fe1138lix I was seeing consistent low 12s at ~112-115mph in a recent test vid. Pretty solid for a stock motor and turbo. I'm sure deep 11s will be possible with a larger snail and adequate supporting mods.

[@fe1138lix]

PKmode You should check APR's recent Facebook posts, some customers pulled some high 11s for example facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153252999131100&set=o.75900685355&type=1 with tune and intake

[@PhoHmooAmerica]

fe1138lix That's the reason why I love VW GTI

[@oldfashionedwrx3574]

PKmode so it runs what 13s stock? and just a tune no hard ware you can run low 12s ???

[@PKmode]

Jared Tate From the APR website: Stock 1/4= 12.81@105mph APR Stg1 93oct 1/4= 12.05@111.7mph. I recently did see a video of another tuner brand testing achieving very similar results too. fell38lix here says high 11s but I've only seen low 12s from straight stg1 so far.

[@MrFrozenCanuck]

45 degrees is chilly? I am living in the wrong place.

[@dufferego87]

That’s us West Coast people for ya. I live in Phoenix and anything below 60 is “chilly” lol

[@inter7373]

Farenheit not Celsius

[@gaxxez7946]

Me: laughs in swedish

[@dragospahontu]

xd

[@DaretodoMotivation]

a proper review.....subscribed!

[@HeliRy]

Had a 2016 A3 and honestly, it was a riot! I can imagine the S3 would be awesome to go burning around in.

[@DahakaCL]

Who would thought that 6y later after seeing this video for the first time now i'm looking one of these to make it my new track toy :D

[@ericandcolleen]

Great review and I agree it is a fun car to drive. I traded in my 13 S4 and picked up a 15 S3 with the mag ride and could not be happier.

[@Noahskaterat123]

5 years later any major problems with the s3?

[@killer_vette351]

@@Noahskaterat123 probably not. My S3 has been 400whp for a year now with no issues

[@LegacyIvyTerascale]

microphone inside , where those interested in the car would be mouth shut , to hear the engine from the right place , inside camera on the hood to enjoy the view ... POV is the future for Car Reviews keep doing videos like these matt

[@jhaze918]

S3 is an awesome car! Small and nimble with good power

[@N734NJ]

I like how this video is 6 years old today. And I love it.

[@JimBean365]

That's my car! Glad you like it as much as I do. Especially with the APR tune and a few other light mods its the perfect car for me.

[@dragospahontu]

Volkswagen Arteon shooting brake is cooler

[@zainb2261]

This car is a lot of fun. A tune and a few bolt ons really bring it to life with not a lot of money. A lot of potential from this little 4 banger.

[@michaelmcgrath2814]

Iron block = High Power potential

[@henrike22]

I prefer manual transmission but i would pick the S-Tronic over manual any day, but in Europe we have the option to choose between S-Tronic (DSG) OR Manual. But people complaining about the "automatic" gearbox don't have a clue about the DSG transmission, that's one of the fastest transmission ever (plus the DSG fart). And well, you still have paddles on the wheel...

[@hellobooom]

+henrike22 Nothing beats rowing through gears and rev matching

[@lsxkev]

Really enjoyed this one take. I appreciated the quick walk around, as I haven't seen an S3 in person yet. I like that the video was sub 10 minutes as I normally stop watching around there. Looking forward to watching more!

[@dwaynebelleau5879]

Hey Matt great review..summed it up perfectly...and under 9 mins! Just turned over 6k miles on mine and I've had it for 6 weeks. I live on the central coast and driven to L.A (3 times), San Fran, Phoenix, this week in Sierra Nevada's. Cross shopped pretty much everything in this category. Really wanted a manual but after being stuck in LA and bay area rush hour don't regret the DSG at all : ) This thing is bank vault tight and easily fast enough for any public road. I test drove many cars and those who compare this car to a Jetta or Volkswagen Whatever don't have a clue....and I like Volkswagen. Also starting to get tired... too many challenges from other drivers...LOVE THIS CAR!

[@conanobr]

Love this car! I've had for a daily for 8months with 12k miles. Not a single problem with the car

[@TuMadreWasHere]

How has the car held up?

[@EverythingTopGear]

Damn your brave driving and turning that fast on these small roads, you must be very confident, i sometimes hold my breath ahah. Gj with these man and yeah your audio is fine in this one :)

[@TheJaenam]

Thanks to you , i just bought a 2016 S3 .

[@TheJaenam]

Look at my instagram , TheErdeKaiser .

[@puravida417]

Why not? Because people who watch KZbin videos can't afford cars?

[@rickmanzano7003]

great review. makes me feel even better about my choice of the s3 over the CLA AMG

[@DUDElookAtDatChick]

2:08 that road though... Dayum, I wish we had nice non busy, windy roads like that

[@jecht86]

I bought this car. "It is a nice place to be" SOLD.

[@ryanwreyford9039]

Currently live 5 minutes away from apr and get to see some of their cars at local meets. Those guys work wonders with Audi's and VW's can't wait to see what they do with the S3.

[@TheSmokingTire]

***** great people at APR, crazy facility. Auburn was the greatest bar scene I think I've ever seen. What's the name of that massive movie theater they turned into a club? That place was nuts.

[@ryanwreyford9039]

TheSmokingTire I think your're talking about sky bar lol right in downtown auburn it's definitely the biggest bar here haha

[@shakeyste]

Bought one two weeks ago water failed in first day or two thank god for warranty. Great review made me feel like a kid at Christmas to get it back now 👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@JTrammell11]

+TheSmokingTire Porsche's PDK is actually a derivative of VW's DSG, which is what S-Tronic is in the S3.

[@ThatsSomeGoodPizza]

Drove an A3 quattro with a sport package through the twisties in Yellowstone national park.... The car felt plenty quick, I bet the S3 is a riot

[@Manny10EDLS]

just got mine 2 months ago and love it!

[@gsxr1000taylormade1]

Wish I could have listened to your review, step-father kept talking about the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam War. Lovin the One Take's!

[@JoeBlack666]

What a way to wake up in the morning.... Thumbs UP!

[@NasarKhan-ub3ww]

This guy knows how to do a review period

[@fran7en]

Don't apologize for the sound. You got it this time.

[@SearchEast2069]

This thing is pretty much the same size as a B5 A4. Just shows you how big cars have gotten in the past 15 or so years.

[@SearchEast2069]

Antwon Jenkins Wow didnt watch the vid all the way through before commenting lol Matt just said the same thing

[@rcryan7shmee]

It's a little bigger

[@seinsmeld13]

Thanks for your great review Matt. I just bought a 2016 S3 which I get on Monday. This will replace my 2013 S4 which was a great car.

[@johancronisk3405]

Great review. Meaningful input. More apprechiated than TopGear. Authentic. Honest. Would be fun if Alex stopped by, great duo.

[@NikoBell12]

Beautiful car and superb review as always!

[@jakemalatesta9592]

The way some of these vloggers drive and vlog is quite unbelievable.

[@bacox1991]

i like these videos before watching because it is something i can't wait to see every time :)

[@pietrolofria2100]

Matt - it was good to meet you that day at Deus, after you tested the car. Hope to cross paths with you again sometime. Best, Pietro

[@suomiauto]

Here in Europe you can get the S3 as a hatchback and with a manual transmission, but the Sedan with the S-tronic gearbox is a really nice package.

[@Driver_88]

After hating the A3 so much i was so hoping you would drive the S3 and see how great it is, so glad you agree with most of the features that made me buy one, over here in Aus the M135 is way more expensive too.

[@tmpendergrass]

If the s3 avant was available here in the states, id buy one

[@ryand121984]

Thanks Matt!! I have been an Audi driver and I love it, but this will be a game changer for this price point.

[@mobiuspenguin]

Great review! Matt, whats your take on auto makers (Audi, Merc, even Mazda) putting the nav/info screen on top of the dash? It is a really minor point I know, but It seems like it is becoming a trend, at least Audi hides it away when its off it seems...

[@TheSmokingTire]

Andrew Cathcart It's not my favorite thing, but I know why they do it (I think). It's because dash boards were getting too high and claustrophobic for smaller drivers. So this way, they can have the screen higher with the dashboard lower. Another theory is that its significantly cheaper to sell base model cars now, because they can just not install the screen on top of the basic dash, rather than having to create two separate dash uppers for screen vs no screen. It's not my favorite look, frankly, and the Audi pulls it off best (MBZ looks cheesy as hell).

[@mobiuspenguin]

I never thought of it that way! If it is getting Nav into cheaper cars, than it is really a good thing. It's not the best look, but its livable. The Merc and the Mazda give the nav close to the same treatment, but its interesting that it seems its more acceptable in the Mazda. Maybe because we expect the best from Benz. Its an interest dichotomy!

[@TheSmokingTire]

Andrew Cathcart I can handle certain aspects of a Mazda's interior being cheap. As long as the things I touch feel nice and it gets us a better MMI system from them, I totally get it. But with a Benz, you don't want to see evidence of cost cutting.

[@UltimateCARNUT]

Andrew Cathcart Its not that you expect the best from Benz... its that Benz literally put the cheapest, crappiest looking screen on the dash. While Mazda put in a midranger with smaller (yet still big) bezels.

[@Eatmykellogs]

Andrew Cathcart I believe they put the screens on top of the dash for safety. The higher the screen is, the less you have to take your eyes off the road. Think of how easy it is to look over at a GPS mounted on the windshield. It's kind of the same idea.

[@adrianp6471]

love you Matt

[@hamzahhussain8803]

***** gay

[@hamzahhussain8803]

Sayeed Abu Bakr al Baghdadi yeh i hate to break it to you but thats your moms profession

[@adrianp6471]

+adam khan after nearly a year I return to this comment to say, yes, I am indeed a shit stabber

[@beeeneee]

Cool video! Now i really want to make a test drive, always thought that this S3 looks unbelievably good.

[@jody024]

top notch video, as always. well done Matt and team

[@AdemJashari56]

I gained MUCHO GRANDE respect when you said B5 Matt! sIt the only reason why i have this car in mind. Audi finally understood that they fucked up when they stopped producing chassis like the B5

[@maxmackinlay618]

Great road, filmed the entire distance without getting stuck behind a slow poke.

[@demcarreviews2152]

Man, if only we had roads and places like this over here :)

[@LastHumansGarage]

got my 2018 S3 a year ago, best car i have ever owned. fastest too with a few mods. my best 0-60 is 3.66s, stage 1 E30.

[@Doggepp]

You can get an S3 as a manual in Europe, its quite nice actually. A compromise if you dont want the full on hard no f*cking around STI, go for an S3 instead. Will probably not be just as fast on a track, but at least you dont want to commit suicide everytime you drive on a bad road, which happens when you're in the new sti

[@JBMetalProductions]

god I love the way that screen pops up on the dash.

[@mabx013]

Great review Matt keep em coming and these "one takes" are really good. I think it had a little bit of understeer at the limit lol

[@100vasiliy]

i want a Versus between this and an STI

[@TheSmokingTire]

100vasiliy We think in terms of price, the Golf R is more of the STI competitor, which is why we're filming the Golf R and STI this afternoon together :)

[@Afistnu]

TheSmokingTire Can't wait to see that!

[@JaredRosenholtz]

Frank Nero I knew you would be on this video!

[@UltimateCARNUT]

100vasiliy And the EVO X since it sounds like they are setup similar. 300HP 3,4,5RPM boost peaks..

[@UltimateCARNUT]

Frank Nero Never drove the 2015 but previous generation STI was a total pleasure to DD. My Evo is too hardcore to Daily... i still do though hahaa.

[@Janissary22]

Flat bottom steering wheel: Having owned two cars with and without flat bottom, I think there is a need for the flat bottom when a car comes with launch control. Placing my left foot on the brake pedal before launch without flat bottom was awkward. The flat bottom wheel on my present car makes that so much easier.

[@hebrewhammer8571]

Nice review, I have the s3 with prestige package. Love the digital dash

[@sapientbudgie5652]

What an amazing car. Daily driver and track car...plus winter car. Wish Subaru could put out a 2.5GT legacy again

[@Clutch_Kick187]

I sooo have my fingers crossed that in June my wife choses this as her new car... I can't wait..

[@Blackbirb5150]

Awesome review. Seems like a couple of the gripes you had are shared by the S4. The shift on redline is especially annoying when you're trying to shift yourself and it happens at the same time. So it shifts twice when you're trying to drive spirited. And yes it's always been awkward parking at slow speeds because of it's touchy brake pedal. But I still love my S4!

[@metroflash2020]

Why are they not giving the option to get a manual transmission here in the U.S.? I would like to still be able to make that decision.

[@zadjaliz]

Great video Matt, when should we expect Golf R vs STi video? can't wait

[@TheSmokingTire]

zadjaliz a week or two. probably two.

[@m0thaphucka638]

patiently waiting for an audi b5 s4 one take

[@oppanheimer]

I love your reviews man, always informative and entertaining. Thanks

[@vgorous]

You know your stuff man. Really appreciate you mentioning the B5 audis. Loved the shape and size of those, and this new S3/A3 does come in as the successor of those. Too bad that there's no V6 available. Would have love them to come out with an improved V6 Biturbo setup.

[@OhNellly]

4.8 to 60 mpg is a great starting point. ARP will be able to knock sometime off that. APR did wonders for my 337 GTI, really upped the boost, Borla turbo back exhaust, AEM long pipe intake and HP shocks the first owner put on ( dropped 2in and stiff AF) had my 337 smoking Porsche's on scenic HWY 1 in northern Ca. I ended up wrapping my 337 around a tree and I still miss the thing. I'm excited to see this car and I think the blue looks great. Used Audi's are very affordable in area. I got rid of my A4 when our third baby was born. I'm looking forward to when my wife and I can get back into some pleasure cars when the kids get a little older. The budget is so tight I'm even looking at used Cobra's for a weekend fun car right now.

[@biohazardwormbubu]

can't wait to see you test drive the up coming RS5

[@depan55]

Quickest 8 minute video ever

[@bobbyread]

I wish it had a manual transmission. The low price makes it interesting, but I'm not sure if I can get past the lack of a clutch pedal.

[@robertwood9730]

For a spirited daily, would you prefer the S3 or the 2008 ISF you drove a few months ago? The sound of the ISF is hard to pass up, but the Audi has similar performance with much better fuel economy. Any thoughts?

[@maxschlossberg9879]

@thesmokingtire There is no baffles in the exhaust. Their is a "soundaktor" which is just fake noise pumped through the stereo like the M5. On my B8.5 S4 we took it out when we installed our AWE Exhaust. There are numerous threads on Audizine that talk about it if you don't believe me. Besides that, great vid as always! I live near your hometown too so hit me up if you ever want to film something.

[@jeffk464]

Max Schlossberg Thats correct if its the same as a GTI, one of the first things I did was unplug it.

[@macnlz]

Max Schlossberg Close - Audi and VW don't use the speakers of the stereo, unlike BMW. Instead, their Soundaktor devices are solenoids that directly rattle the firewall from the engine side. It’s supposedly easily deactivated by pulling a dedicated fuse, but I haven’t tried.

[@maxschlossberg9879]

macnlz That may be the case, and I did pull the fuse.

[@jeffk464]

macnlz do it, you will glad you did

[@amdisthebest]

Max Schlossberg There are valves (or baffles as you call them) in the S3's exhaust system. There is also a soundacktor.

[@michaelchinchen]

Just bought one... lol totally agree at 6:15 speed bumps are the real worst enemy of this car, just turns into a bouncy castle when you go over one.

[@MillCityJam]

I've always liked the size of the A3. Glad you liked the S3... Sounds like a good daily performance car....

[@sambassmanstoner]

Was this a weekday morning? Not a single car or cyclist on the Snake. Also I like how the nav screen pops up out of the dash, instead of Mercedes' "tablet stuck to the dash" look.

[@TheSmokingTire]

Sam Stoner It was like 6 AM on a tuesday.

[@orneryduck4646]

Don't think I've ever heard a factory VW/Audi 4 that sounded so good. Is it as good in-person as it sounds in the video?

[@petes8675]

These are great cars. I just got the S3 for the backseat access- new baby. I think it is a perfect replacement for my Manual 135 M Sport for the price. However, I still miss the manual sometimes.

[@jamesjorge3908]

Great review!! Thanks for your hard work!

[@DJnasu]

Little Audis are the best. The size is perfect

[@mikesonic29]

Matt the flat bottom is where it's at. KIA offers one now, probably off an R8 as well.

[@chetfish56x]

Nice onboard video. I'm from Switzerland and I hope one day to drive on the Snake ;)

[@thevegastan]

Terrific video! Great info and audience guidance as usual, too bad it could've been in 60fps. And oh, it's 'Sep-ah-ang' Blue, 'ah' as in like the 'u' in 'umbrella'. It's based on a racing circuit of my country. Here, take my upvote again!

[@Chuzo1946]

Awesome as always! Keep them coming

[@aquateen77723]

Great stuff, Matt! 👍 I really dig this car. Audi got it right with this one.

[@benolson8036]

If it's possible for you, you could try recording the audio with different setups on the same run to get a better comparison. If not you could at least do the same car on the same road so you would have similar exhaust and road noises.

[@TheTransporter100]

Matt I find your reviews of the Audi S3 and the VW MK7 Golf R very interesting. You seemed more enthusiastic about the Golf R than the S3 when they both have the same powertrain. What do you think of the seats in the Golf R vs the S3, I haven't checked out the Golf R yet but I did checkout the S3 and was disappointed with the seats as they're not as good as those in my MK6 GTI with the Autobahn Pkg. Also what do you mean by the S3 not being as "understeery" as the S4?? I haven't found that to be true and I have driven both the S3 and S4 extensively. Please eloborate

[@moshpot]

Thumbs up cus you drove that car like it should be driven.

[@AllajchaSibir]

Sound would probably improve too from not having loose junk banging around :) But honestly, it's not that bad, Matt. Just keep doing what you're doing.

[@HexaSquirrel]

Its impossible to dislike a Matt Farah/Smokingtire video. Fact.