NEW Audi S3 Rally Stage Review: A Modern Day Quattro?

Rory reviews the new 2024 Audi S3 on the roads of the Monte Carlo Rally to see if it has the DNA of a real 1980s Audi rally car.
Drive brand new for less than you might expect with Auto Trader leasing: www.autotrader...
Find out what your car's worth on Auto Trader. We look at millions of vehicles every day to ensure your valuation is accurate: www.autotrader...
Looking for your next car? Auto Trader will help make finding your next vehicle easier than ever. Compare expert car reviews and recommendations, and find your perfect car through our official KZbin channel.
Auto Trader: www.autotrader...
Archive footage:
• 81° rally WRC Montecar...
Check back for the latest new car reviews on everything from SUVs to supercars, plus
✅ the latest car reviews
✅ car advice and explainers
✅ used and new car guides
✅ head-to-heads
Subscribe for more from Auto Trader UK: bit.ly/1AqiIny
Want to be the first to see our new videos? Enable notifications
Looking for more inspiration? 🚗
• Auto Trader: www.autotrader...
• TikTok: / autotraderuk
• Facebook: / autotraderuk
• Twitter: / autotrader_uk
• Instagram: / autotraderuk
• Pinterest: www.pinterest....
Auto Trader Limited (Firm Reference Number: 735711) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is a credit broker and not a lender. Contract Hire is subject to status and approval and is only available to UK residents aged 18 and over. Vehicle must be returned in good condition to avoid further charges. You will not own the vehicle. Excess mileage charges and return conditions apply.

[@FastDistance1]

I enjoyed every minute of the review. Rory is an excellent reviewer, much better than Matt Watson, in my opinion. Matt used to be good, but now his content feels like pure mockery just to gain more subscribers. I love the footage here and how Rory discusses the car's strengths and weaknesses. Watching this, you really get a sense of how the car drives. Thumbs up if you agree!

[@frankcastle1578]

Meh I enjoyed Rory’s review, as well as Matt’s , they both offer interesting perspectives and styles . It’s ok to like both , you don’t just arbitrarily need to choose one over the other “just cause “.

[@trojantrow]

You must be kidding. You can't trust anything auto trader says anyway. You can tell it's a paid review. They were never going to say anything bad about the car. No comparisons to competitors were made. Wonder why!!! Cos all the competitors pay them for good reviews too. Just fake and staged as far as I'm concerned and the clues are all there the the video. What about how boring it is to drive compared to some? What about the fact they keep adding more power to a 4pot so it feels mega turbo charged power delivery Vs something else. All bulshit and hardly any real information at all. At least Matt Watson is funny and not biased.

[@FlareDope]

Hater

[@irelax8595]

I understand it's an Audi and a phenomal car, but these little guys go over €65.000,- EUR here in Holland, what the hell?! That's an insane amount of money.

[@ahbrilliant]

€78,000 in Ireland for an S3 😭

[@bigchow2861]

Guys you sure you not talking about the rs3?

[@subieasunayuuki]

You're very lucky. It's above 1 mill (RS trim) , though it makes sense due to the luxury and performance.

[@drmonstervibes]

Same in Greece.. Starting price for my2017 S3 was 43K.. what has happened?

[@drmonstervibes]

@@bigchow2861 The RS3 is about 20K more

[@Ollie2846]

In a time when most people are buying SUV's,and manufacturers aren't making cars. I am glad Audi still makes cars. I personally don't want all the tech they cram into vehicles nowadays. Cars were more affordable when they were dumb. The more tech they can put In a vehicle the higher the profit. Adding tech features to any base model vehicle increases the price from $5000 to $15,000 over original price. I can still drive my car, I don't want a car making it's own decisions about if I'm driving right and correcting me,or driving itself. I view driving as a joy,not as a hassle.

[@freddoflintstono9321]

I fully agree. I had a company car foisted on me and you end up fighting all the electronic idiocy that some only ever chauffeur driven politician in Brussels has mandated - which, incidentally only /pretends/ to make you safer but in many cases does the opposite. Lane assist, for instance, ought to be banned, not mandated - it makes people pay less attention to the road. When this lease finished I'm going to buy an old car, and none of this electric nonsense either.

[@tv321123]

I am too, but it's a shame the A/S 4 is about to get the boot.

[@Makarov_Dreyar]

I think the most important upgrade is the cooling system. The new model now has two auxiliary radiators instead of one.

[@pokest225]

It was actually a downgrade in the older car. The 8v if I'm not mistaking already had 2 aux radiators. One for the engine and other for the dsg gearbox. Hell, even my 2018 Seat Leon Cupra has the 2 aux rads.

[@raz2443]

Great video on a stunning road. I am 68 years old, when 22 , I looked to buy a second hand Audi Quattro but it needed a full exhaust. The cost was over £3000 pounds about the price of the car.that I could not afford at the time.ended up buying a 6 month old 3.0S capri in JPS,dark blue and gold stripes. That car taught me to drive no regrets apart from how much the Quattro is worth now.. keep the videos coming 👍

[@mikadavies660]

As usual great video. But as with all Audis their new prices are climbing and a good second hand RS model is more appealing. Assuming you can actually keep it on your driveway for longer than a Range Rover.

[@subieasunayuuki]

Audi is certainly more reliable than Land Rover so not actually issue. Though, you still need a considerable amount of money saved up, at least 4 to 8 times more than the price of the car, for safety, in case the maintenance and repair is pricy

[@mikadavies660]

@subieasunayuuki In the UK I'm not talking of reliability.... clearly Audi is a different league from Range Rover. I'm talking theft.... S3, RS3 and Range Rovers are very difficult to insure because of the numbers stolen.

[@ahyaan2552]

@@mikadavies660at least with an rs3 they are willing to to give quotes. Even range rover wont insure their own svr

[@Tyyyyyyyz]

Ideally someone buying such cars is doing alright in life

[@x_____________]

Gates, Disklok & a Ghost solves that problem for the most part

[@kagisomogoshane5094]

Where is the S3 Badge on the Grill .....I am sorry but that's important to me and I don't think it's that expensive to put in

[@drz8886]

Just gotta put it ourselves now lol. Audi cutting back on costs.

[@jonathanprescott5292]

You now get less S on your car than an A3 S line

[@kevintangi]

I came here purely for the cinematic thrill and storytelling. The car is just an NPC. Best 10 minutes of the day

[@bastard748]

truth

[@Bmontepeque11]

Absolutely, I love the TT RS and RS3 but without the 5 Cilindrr engine, and with how boring they made this EA888 sound, yeah, it quite the NPC :)

[@Billeh556]

S3 has its place, it’s a fantastic daily driver and still capable of really good gas mileage for the power if you don’t rip it.

[@trevorsutherland5263]

This Gen A3 one of the best cars Audi has ever sold.

[@TingSdeel]

Yeah, if you forget about the prices of the options, the fact that you'll need a subscription for carplay, navigation, auto-dimming lights. So no, the trend that audi and bmw started is complete shit with subscriptions.

[@alpenfoxvideo7255]

costing as much as a Tesla Model S while missing upholstery on the door sills and pillars, I hope they put those costs somewhere to make it good

[@TingSdeel]

@@alpenfoxvideo7255 the older one (pre 2019?) uses better material inside the car. No hard plastics to be found, while my a3 2021 has quite a lot of hard plastics and cheap stuff

[@bkphil89]

​ Tesla's build quality is DOG SHIT compared to even this baby Audi

[@alpenfoxvideo7255]

@@bkphil89 I work as a contractor, i’ve seen both new tesla’s and Audi, the audis have the same refinement level as Fiat. Hard plastic everywhere or exposed bodywork, misaligned trunks and all.

[@Leon_George]

What a beauty, used to think Audi's were a bit boring, but the more I learned about the company, the more I realised I was wrong.

[@jermainen7846]

What a road and really good history lesson. I know the name Rohl, but he was before my time. What an outrageous result for him. The S3 is alright too.

[@that-guy213]

absolutely love the cinematic storytelling in these videos no other channel does it like this. I really enjoyed learning about the rally arch for audio. Incredibly well edited must I add adding to the thrill.

[@Skiridr22]

Let me pause for a sec. I know when you start off with a lil history it’s going to be an epic ride.

[@JaydenAndrewsTech]

One thing I appreciate about this updated model is that the quad tail pipes are actually real this time.

[@aliwoh]

They have always been real quad tail pipes on the S3

[@slaykay47]

what you on about mate?

[@Kipsell]

Insane high quality Review, keep up the good work

[@mcfc6320]

Audi Quattro is the best transaxle AWD. Everyone else's is front wheel drive bias but the Quattro really does transfer power to the rear.

[@freddoflintstono9321]

I had the older S4 and that thing had a ridiculous grip on the road, even on snow. Fantastic system. I may just get one again when the company lease runs out - not a new one as they're now required by the EU to have all sorts of spy and nannying electronics and I've already had enough of that.

[@richardwreford4778]

Great video as always Rory. Engaging and concise with perfect 10 minute timescale. You’re one of the best 👍

[@anotae]

That front badge... Weird

[@paulwardzynski3265]

Rory, Lovely video and snapshot history of the quattro. S3 looks, and will be, brilliant; a real wolf in sheep's clothing!

[@bb57365]

Have the 24 version. For a daily driver, as good as it gets.

[@AmazeTase]

Whats the insurance like?

[@bb57365]

1,800.00 a year. US.

[@that-guy213]

would rather have a beefier B58 not only does it sound miles better but its stupidly fast compared to the 4 pot in the s3 but if i have to give audi something it really nails the style of their cars they manage to make them look prestige but also have loads of road presence looking very sharp and mean with its headlights. I always find myself staring when i see one on the road because it just looks awesome then 3 seconds later i dust it in my m240i LOL. In the UK both cars go for similar money so a brainer to opt for the B58.

[@freddoflintstono9321]

Now going to check all other videos to see if Rory matches his T-shirts with the car there too 😋

[@kobenoyashi531]

Audi loves to use that Gruppe B history but these new Quattro systems are really no comparison.

[@Otaner142]

Your right, they are better now

[@bapr3887]

Audi acutallly never used their racing and rallying history and its their big mistake. Literally nobody knows the thruth about quattro in racing heritage.

[@FOXHOUND4143]

IMMENSE VIDEO. CINEMATOGRAPHY WAS ON FIRE.

[@billx4266]

Hi Rory, nice reviews but im inclined to see less and less car reviews, why?? Cars are getting too expensive so a review is not so interesting to me anymore....

[@AutoTraderTV]

Thanks. That’s true. Everything is getting very expensive sadly, not just cars.

[@AmazeTase]

@@AutoTraderTV i need Elon Musk’s new pay deal 🤣🤣

[@89ayobami]

Interesting video 💯

[@teikarate]

Great to see Audi seem to have taken on onboard your comments from the prototype test drive. I bought the outgoing model a couple of months ago and it's great but living in the south east of England where there's speed cameras on just about every road and every road is a crawl due to traffic, I should have bought a nice pedal bike instead.

[@Pilch9]

Love the video, great work once again. Although the link back to original Quattro needs to stop… it’s just marketing now, there is no link. Keep up the great content! 👍

[@wdbaudio]

35mm diameter brakes? Maybe 35mm thick?

[@b3564]

Hopefully not radius!

[@ThatChrisGuy]

Milk bottle tops?!

[@b3564]

@@ThatChrisGuy bloody magpies will have those away!

[@drmonstervibes]

350mm

[@samjanko8946]

350mm

[@s32.0]

I have the current model. They should have kept the S3 badge on the front grille

[@Bat02051]

Prefacelift S3 8y has totally different grill then A3. In this case they put same grill to A3 and S3 wtf 😄

[@antoniopiano6781]

Another superb video and storytelling and a very special car... Well, maybe just any car, in this road and with this footage will look great. Well done!

[@carlosorozco4786]

Great video and great review of the S3. It got me to look up the S3 after watching it. I have to agree with some of the other comments. The price for a new S3 is crazy!

[@ralphmorgan4538]

Rory, great review btw. Can you confirm if the exhaust on the car was the upgraded Akrapovic or the standard exhaust as in appearance the exhaust tips appeared black and uniform unlike the chrome (titanium) flared perforated Akrapovic tips, although the sound was still good?

[@AutoTraderTV]

Thanks. These were standard. Check our test drive of the prototype to see/hear the akro tips. Not a huge difference, to my ears.

[@ralphmorgan4538]

Pleased to hear that as I’ve ordered the wife a black S3 Vorsprung with red calipers and a standard exhaust as the Akrapovic exhaust is a £4,150 option and about 8% of the total cost- got a 3% discount on cost btw. Our daily driver is an Audi S8 Vorsprung that you previously reviewed where you confirmed it ticked all the boxes and might be the best car for the road.

[@AutoTraderTV]

@@ralphmorgan4538 Good choices. Enjoy

[@damienhostey7804]

Just looks like a bog standard A3 from the front no S3 badge at the front . The wheel options are the same as the PFL S3 apart from one . The interior is bland with no coloured stitching/interior design pack is hits 0-60 in the same time as the previous Gen 8V the interior plastics are a downgrade on the previous Gen and to top it all off there way way over priced at around 53k for the Vorsprung in the UK .

[@jkliao6486]

two words, torque splitter.

[@jkliao6486]

@@Bat02051 Except it's not, you might want to have your eyes checked.

[@thabisompanza9852]

Mr Reid. Am telling you can make a boy fall in love with a car- Good story teller

[@verdeboyo]

I love so much about the car and the fact that its got 25 more horses. Saloon looks better than the sportback also. My only gripe is a cosmetic one, in that the 'soft' looking front features let it down for me. I love the previous aggressive grill and angular bits. Think I'd still be tempted to getting one though!

[@urbanstrencan]

Awesome review, Audi Quattro system is just legendary ❤❤❤

[@peanusbenis5631]

If this review is anything to go by, he RS3 8Y facelift may just be the finest hot/hyper hatch ever made.

[@mamadoundiaye9026]

Love the video and along with the commentary from Rory, it's very movie-like !!

[@a1reader]

Another amazing video. Very well done!

[@pawerybacki98]

Amazing clip!

[@olivermboya3857]

Might just be my head playing tricks on me or the edit but I heard an ever so slight distant sound of a 5 cyl when I was watching this video...We all know the EA888 sounds like a 4 pot and that can never change whatever you do to it but who knows maybe the spirit of quattro be living in this press car😂

[@amanvermabpl91]

This is one of the best Audi car review ever!

[@TheJoStephan]

What a magnificent video!!!✨👌🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@akasmokes]

Editor just showing of his class

[@rasheedlandi2151]

Amazing review 👏👏

[@perrysolomon6020]

What a fantastic l'il car...I just bought one & love it

[@somerandomfella]

They've been with B & O for years. What's with the Sonos?

[@gullible119]

It’s the same stereo, just different branding.

[@tanali8440]

@@gullible119Sonos is a different company to b&O their both considered high end speaker brand and both make good sound systems not only for cars!

[@waleryx]

@@gullible119I do not think so 😉

[@gaycha6589]

Brand whoring. They had Bose before BnO. Just as vw had Dynaudio.

[@BigJvad]

Thank you for a good Audi review🙏

[@vladdorel9081]

nice review! nice car i want to order one like this.....same color but without black package - i want the original grey instead of black ornaments and the 188 original rims

[@ews747]

Rory I have a dilemma on what car to buy this new s3 or a new BMW m240i I have aways had Audi s which one would you go for

[@poomillust]

Great video! It makes me feel like watching an official PR video.

[@clubsobri]

Cool car! Looks good in yellow.

[@KevinT-hs6ln]

335 mm* front brakes, Rory. You missed one critical digit. When you said 35 mm, I imagined saucer plate or coaster sized brake discs. Overall though, great video as usual.

[@lambrosstamos4494]

If you wish to entertain your family and friends take the S3. If you want pure rally kind of thrills, get a GR Yaris.

[@burrogrande]

Nice Sline

[@daenglishpatient]

Nice Audi ad, Rory!

[@WillMonks]

Do you know if the Akrapovic exhaust option is available in the UK?

[@harrystephens]

Doesn’t seem to be an option when you spec it on the Audi website

[@AmazeTase]

Not in the UK!

[@funkymonkey1198]

I thought the new Civic was expensive but it seems like a bargain compared to it's German rivals. And lots more character in every possible way

[@mdanko3975]

the so called quattro technology in this car is not even remotely close to the one that helped audi win the rally titles

[@philipjames3526]

And when did Audi last compete in World Rally? Dining out.

[@thoughtfuldog5424]

Great video, especially as a massive fan of WRC. However, the S3 looks utterly boring and I’m not sure if Quattro is as strong a selling point as it used to be (given many brands offer similar). Will be interesting to see what the Golf R or Formentor will be like with this engine.

[@Ebs2424]

This is cute. SQ5 might have to go for this little one. 🤔 porsche macan gts would be nice too.

[@Usman123391]

Great insight

[@Jake-yy9fg]

I am planning on getting one of these, i prefer the sportback though. I hope the sound system doesn't sound crap because that's a deal breaker. maybe they used Bluetooth which is usually bad quality. i'll have to try it with wired connection.

[@claytonmckenzie4181]

I love the sound system in my S3 (2024)

[@Under_Construction100]

Audi Boffins: Remove some more weight to make it weigh less than the pre-facelift. Audi Engineers: *deletes S3 badge in the grill*

[@tj_enju]

two things... first , thanks for postin.. im hving a down saturday... second, were these guys actually rallying on those steep hill sides... cos thats a bit terrifying

[@coreymalouf8491]

Yes dude look up some old rally videos. It’s dangerous but fun to watch

[@GethinJames]

Nice vid The A3 and S3 Quattro system is not the same as the rally cars. It's a FWD biased system which puts power to the rear when there's loss of traction. Not the same at all. These are way over priced cars now too. This is effectively the base entry level Audi (for the US) and with a few options it's 60k USD. That's MORE than I paid for my fully loaded S4 in 2011. Yes we're 13 years later with quite a lot of inflation - but still... seems high for a FWD 2.0T with some tuning and additional cooling.

[@tv321123]

Your not wrong, my B9.5 S4 P+ was 63K. It's more than a FWD car though, they added the trick rear differential from the new RS5 in this, and it can send the majority of the power to the rear so it kicks out during cornering.

[@jermainerobinson7098]

Great review l would love to see you back on top gear again your reviews are as professional as any of Clarkson top gear review it has taken time but l would say your there 👏🏽🤜🏽🥂

[@THESLlCK]

The modern Quattro was always the TTRS, a quattro 5cyl coupe. Plain and simple

[@neils9420]

That famous EA888 (EA Triple 8) engine

[@brubru6819]

Great looking, but the Sportback has the edge for me.

[@ericn3221]

I had a 2023 S3 and only kept it for 8 months. It was fully loaded with adaptive dampers and it didn't handle as good as a 2017 GTI I had and the seats in the summer were hotter than hell. Between that and the rattles that kept popping up and the crappy service department that changed the oil with a siphon I traded it. I found out in the process of owning it that Audi recommends changing oil that way. That is BS!

[@DouglasJWalker]

A good review

[@adamdiaz8442]

Are they Audis smallest brakes with a35mm diameter

[@DevonReclaimed]

I think you.meant the RS3? It uses the legendary 5 cylinder like the old rally car

[@hardykornfeld1733]

The question is, when I can’t find a dealer willing to sell me an RS3 at MSRP should I get an S3 or a Golf R 8.5?

[@waleryx]

It depends. Now they are similar cars and car quality is a little better of the S3 then Golf. I have chosen S3 because I prefer saloon instead of Sportback. 😉

[@jonathan_careless]

Great looking Golf R with nicer interior. Shame about the flat logos.

[@cj41079]

That’s same as AYC system from Mitsubishi Evo…..Active Yaw Control…..wonder if they have manual option….

[@stevemartegani]

Spent many hours in Dirt Rally on that road... Btw, when is the 2025 S3 going to be in the US? Its still not on their website and no US reviews yet.

[@lucafaso8129]

When you try the rs3 prototype? 😎

[@smijas]

This video was produced as an intro for the new James Bond, or a high budget big screen movie!

[@FaisalMAlAbri]

LOL. A Shout-out from Oman.

[@Amazing_YRZ]

Walter once said he didn't like jumps 😂

[@k0walsk]

Gorgeous shots and impactful editing! Dialogue a bit too dramatic for my taste. 'Across the ages' Its very existence' etc. Whine mode /off

[@lukem4580]

If I’m not corrected, this 4WD version Quattro is a mostly FWD Haldex system? Not really the same as the original Quattro at all?

[@slaykay47]

bingo

[@Oopsss5]

Not original Torsen based Quattro. This is NOT haldex however. This is Magna torques splitter. Older S3s are haldex.

[@scott931]

I've driven quite a few AWD vehicles, and imho Quattro is a few step superior to it's rivals.

[@zestyorc6506]

So when is the new RS3 being announced?

[@nogassini]

Cool!

[@Taylor___]

On sale soon so expect it to be 6 inches behind your bumper in your rear view mirror shortly.

[@MrTwistoff]

@autotrader Rory, what's the status on VW/Audi user interface, for a while there was a problem with it locking up and requiring power off/on to get functioning.

[@freddoflintstono9321]

Wait, it turns into a Tesla?

[@jkliao6486]

never experienced that in my RS3 over almost 2 years of ownership. And never heard anyone complaining about the issue on the audi forum. You could be mistaken this with the VW infotainment.

[@MrTwistoff]

@@jkliao6486 thanks for the clarification. Infotainment lockup would be a deal killer for me anyway. Is that lockup still a thing?

[@jkliao6486]

@@MrTwistoff I've heard of the infotainment in GTI locking up, which was made a huge deal back in the days. But I have never heard of the infotainment in the A3 series locking up. Which is why I think you might be mistaken the two and thinking audi also has issues when it's only the VW infotainment.

[@MrTwistoff]

@@jkliao6486 excellent, thanks!

[@SM-1010]

How are car manufacturers justifying the price for small/entry level cars that was once the pricing of SUVs and mid range premium cars from 5-10 years ago ?

[@Ramzes945]

Bro could write poetry

[@ChR0nos_7734]

It's a rare occurrence that a facelifted/new Audi has smaller grill then predecessor/last gen. But they added big fake diffuser

[@richscrinsonphonegg8842]

Only thing is Rory said that they have 35mm brakes... Milk bottle tops?! Think he meant 350mm...

[@freddoflintstono9321]

You never know quite what innovation Audi comes up with, though 😋

[@teranceyen6734]

Audi R8 V10+ 2017 Coupé anyday over these cars

[@justinbecker4772]

I mean, sure, for double the price?

[@RDB33]

comparing Audi's supercar to the baby car it sells haha, ok? Isn't this extremely obvious

[@MrBiggles]

Excellent piece Rory 👍🏻 and a nice motor.

[@Ronz450]

I hate they Audi has switched to Sonos on some of their cars.

[@wayfarerza8095]

Any reason why? Is it a cost saving thing ??

[@boemomolefe8303]

Rory, the best to ever do it.👌

[@WANT3D-FEL0N]

The S3 doesn’t have real Quattro as it uses haldex. It is front wheel drive and only uses the rear wheels when it needs it..

[@ralphmorgan4538]

The new S3 has the RS3’s Torsten diff

[@WANT3D-FEL0N]

@@ralphmorgan4538 oh that’s cool then 👍

[@damienhostey7804]

It hasn't got Haldex anymore it has the torque splitter from the Golf R / Rs3 8y

[@WANT3D-FEL0N]

@@damienhostey7804 so still not a Quattro then?

[@damienhostey7804]

@@WANT3D-FEL0N Quattro is Audi's version of 4 wheel drive where it uses the front wheels to drive the car and the rear drive will react in milliseconds where traction is needed and in turn saves fuel not being a permanent 4wd . The torque splitter is more to eliminate understeer and a bit of a gimmick in my opinion with its drift mode capabilities

[@roshan4041]

7:51 35mm diameter breaks?

[@andym1908]

What brand is your t-shirt Rory?

[@AutoTraderTV]

Walmart

[@andym1908]

@@AutoTraderTV really?

[@andym1908]

Can you send a link

[@Sagi979]

@@AutoTraderTV The nice thing is your T-shirt colour is matching with the tested S3 colour. Overall I enjoyed watching your video since I am an owner of 2023 A3, I like my car and I am expecting a lot from the S3 facelift.