Audi S3 review: 0-60mph + 1/4-mile tested... and almost crashed on Autobahn!?!

On the lookout for your next car? Head to www.carwow.co.uk to find the right car from the right dealer, at the right price.
.............................................................
Introducing the all-new Audi S3!
Audi’s new mid-range hot hatch (there’s no new RS3… yet!) arrives with all the styling cues you’d expect, from a deeper more aggressive front bumper through to a bigger roof spoiler and quad tailpipes… oh, and of course it includes Quattro all-wheel-drive!
Under the bonnet, you’ll find a 2-litre 4 cylinder turbo that can produce 310hp & 400Nm of torque. Sure the specs aren’t bad, but when you consider the last S3 produced 300hp, it doesn’t seem to offer much of an upgrade, does it?
So… does this all-new hot hatch offer enough change over its predecessor? And more importantly, is it a strong enough competitor to the likes of the A35 or M135i? You’ll have to stick with Mat for his latest review to find out!
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:45 Exterior Design
02:16 Interior Design
03:01 Back Seats
03:13 Boot
03:42 Five Annoying Features
04:55 Five Cool Features
06:57 Engine
07:25 0 - 60mph
08:40 Town Driving
09:27 Autobahn Driving
11:50 Twisty Road Driving
Audi S3 Specifications:
Engine: 2-litre 4 Cylinder Petrol
Acceleration (0 - 60mph): 4.8 seconds
Fuel Economy: 35mpg
Emissions: 183 CO2
First year road tax: £870
RRP from: £38,765
.............................................................
Instagram - / carwowcars
Tiktok - / carwowuk
Facebook - / carwowuk
Twitter - / carwowuk
Awkward haggling is a thing of the past with carwow. Choose your perfect car with our configurator tool and let the country’s best dealers compete over you. Compare the five best offers by price, location and dealer ratings and choose the one that’s right for you - no hassle, no haggling, just a great deal.
Oder auch in Deutschland Geld beim Autokauf sparen - bit.ly/carwow-DE
Visita nuestra página web para saber cuánto te puedes ahorrar en tu nuevo coche - bit.ly/carwow-ES

[@carwow]

What would you love to see us drag race against the new Audi S3?

[@abot9301]

golf gti and a35

[@lh4039]

an Audi S3

[@danielthuku8192]

mini GP

[@willlo2513]

A45S

[@jonastsatsi1414]

Old S3 vs New S3 S3 vs competition from BMW and Mercedes

[@johnmajor9564]

As a German regularily driving on the Autobahn i can recommend driving at night. There is virtually no traffic and this allows you to drive 230+ easily

[@obitusbam1885]

Yeah. Dont do it. tire parts, animals or drunk people will quickly turn your litte adventure into an nightmare.

[@HingerlAlois]

Obitus BAM Yes, hitting a deer at 230 km/h isn’t fun... You can drive fast when you‘ve got good visibility and not much traffic during daytime.

[@avatar94100]

@@HingerlAlois I've never seen Deer on the Autobahn

[@TKM11370]

@@avatar94100 Quite a few bulls and horses though....

[@dutchdrifter8740]

@@avatar94100 hit one whilst doing 185 kmph around ten years ago.

[@levindary4885]

The first time that i understand the economy

[@Kronos0999]

Ikr. British and America just claw at holding on to those ridiculous measurements.

[@wasap6359]

Crypto currency is the future.

[@emiliojavier8268]

Man your comment is infested with bots

[@barbarusbloodshed6347]

BOT PARADE :D :D :D

[@emiliojavier8268]

@@barbarusbloodshed6347 hey we commented at the same time, maybe we are bots too

[@Jake-uj2gh]

Like the aggressive front end of this car

[@prateektopinkatti2487]

I’m 16, can’t drive, can’t buy a car, I don’t even live in the UK, and yet here I am, watching all the carwow videos as soon as they’re released because of how entertaining they are. 😂😂

[@creators1000]

Hey dude are you 18 yet? Bought a car?

[@madliam21]

I'll do camera man work for free just to see nice cars all the time 😂

[@njugunahgachuma3776]

I too can do the lighting😂😂

[@frontfaced4140]

We will petition you XD by liking this comment untill matt notices you.

[@f3453]

Bro same story lol

[@REbornDArth]

You will say that until you finish first week. That's no easy job... But yeah, that job is rather cool.

[@korgond]

@M kay VAG is good quality but not the most fun cars. Comfy and sensible.

[@TReZxDrEaMz]

Personally I love those huge oval exhaust on the RS models. But the quad exhaust look nice too.

[@RSX250]

Now in days I'm just thankful some cars still have real exhaust tips.

[@3v3rhard]

Designers 2020: Yes Pianoblack, fake plastic vents and fake exhaust make the car go faster.

[@Bergerac82]

Don't disagree with the general criticism, but the exhausts on the Golf R / S3 aren't fake. Both cars do however make a very stupid fake exhaust noise maker (Soundaktor, very easily turned off, thankfully).

[@3v3rhard]

​@@Bergerac82 It was meant as a general remark, not specifically this model. It is probably one of the few audi's without a fake exhaust, so kudo's to audi to get that right this time. I understand regulations make it more difficult but that's not an excuse for poor design. I guess Iam not the target audience for these products anymore, but I don't think Iam alone in this feeling new cars are mostly a downgrade with a few exceptions.

[@horiabass]

It does get to 60 in 4.37 to be fair

[@csemionov]

you’re absolutely right! and they all look so pokemonish, especially the performance models...

[@paulshepherd5649]

Don't forget ugly, plastic looking wheels

[@edmaluf]

Warning: there's no "almost crashing" on the autobahn.

[@onechaosdotcom]

carwow stop clickbaiting!

[@AristotelisMitsiou]

Classic carwow

[@neilmurphy845]

@@onechaosdotcom that's the only downside of KZbin

[@adwiktrm7249]

yes there was , the crash warning was popped up on the display

[@huawafabe]

@@adwiktrm7249 the 'crash warning' of the car means that you should consider to brake right now if you wanna keep a safe distance. :D not more

[@idebski]

That 300SL at the end made my day.

[@archieward7760]

2 mil car casually being driven

[@florianj6490]

13:54

[@florianj6490]

@@archieward7760 it has to be!

[@fringe2804]

Drive in North Rhein Westphalia and you have enough holes and bumps in the road😂

[@SMX815]

Drive through Hastings in East Sussex if you like bumpy roads 🤣😳😭

[@Samaster102Tibia]

12.82 seconds on the 1/4 mile time is very impressive over the 13.2 seconds the current model did it in for the 'same performance'!

[@LeastTango]

Great review as always from Matt! Just one thing: it would have been good to see the screen split between the speedo and the front camera view on the unrestricted stretch of autobahn. Felt I was missing the exhilaration of the fast bits by too much focus on the speedo.

[@TimothyJn03]

I love the ending, 'SUCH A CLASSIC300 SL'

[@coolnessfactor1]

I love when you do an impression of Germans speaking English.

[@Christian-xb7ve]

Just wish he were an American so we could hear someone speak English the correct way on this channel for once

[@ghostoutofthebox]

@@Christian-xb7ve There are multiple ways to correctly speak English. The American way is definitely not one of them.

[@Berke5050]

@@Christian-xb7ve lmao british english is the original english and american english is the accent wtf are you talking about xD

[@troll2637]

@@Christian-xb7ve didn't Americans come from Britain?

[@themarauder6108]

@@troll2637 , A good chunk of them did, but as the years passed the language changed. American English is a more simplified version which is why most foreigners choose to learn it because it's easier to learn than traditional English.

[@freddoflintstono9321]

That fuel use is a lot better than it used to be - I had the old unaspirated S4, and its V8 wanted 53l/100 at its top speed (rev limiter), which was 267km/h on the GPS. At that speed it would go from fully tanked up to "I'm thirsty, again" in under 15 minutes..

[@vx4716]

I liked the copy of Autogefuhl saying at the start "Lets Go!" haha

[@fr8987]

was wondering if anyone clocked that hahahah

[@nathanherbertson8987]

Agreed, I prefer the quad pipes than the oval ones

[@buccanerk]

I love when car KZbinrs from foreign countries get excited and sweaty hands driving on the Autobahn. What you see here is Mat in an S3 whimpering: "There comes a bent. I'll better ease it for this bent." What you can't see is the old German lady right behind him flashing her headlights to make him get out of her way. :D

[@wingsta9613]

4.4secs that's impressive for an S3

[@andyhunt457]

Same as S4 strangely 😉

[@amosy8345]

wingsta 96 he got 4.3 secs, pretty impressive

[@king-manu2758]

That's pretty darn impressive for 310 bhp

[@EllieMoooo]

Don't all S3's do that? I have a 2017 one and as stock mine is.

[@rasikpanchani]

AND HE GOT A 12.8 SEC QUARTER MILE-

[@teikarate]

Just bought the saloon version, black edition, that was in the audi showroom. Had it for a couple of weeks now and I absolutely love it. So comfortable for normal every day driving, but has the power when needed. the kids car seats fit fine in the back and when im just driving normally they even fall asleep. I traded in my A4 2l diesel for this and I'm so glad I did, albeit I'm getting about half the mpg lol. Still absolutely love it.

[@aumpauskar4653]

10:48 The moment you all waited for😂

[@dominicrusho]

“Full HD, full screen, and in full length!”...00:37

[@namechecksout6300]

Autogefuel 😂

[@lucavangorkom9453]

lllllooosss gehhtss

[@McBeamer94]

Full HD, full screen and full lengss! Let's gooooohhh! 😝

[@MotorTorq_ZA]

I think Matt was hanging out with Thomas in Germany

[@navneet4938]

IcyV GT what the fuck are these bots doing here (ones with emojis only)

[@bella_testastretta]

automatic upshift at high rpm on "manual" mode is such a bummer. Gets rid of 50% of the reason for having paddle shifters

[@yadevable]

Actually auto shifting when in M is the best thing ever as it helps with overtaking when MAXIMUM accelaration is required! 1 steering wheel turn to lock available in Arteon as well - one of the best features that the car has...

[@antn537]

Loving Matt doing his best Thomas style 'Let's go' :)

[@aermsche]

I prefer Matt´s one!

[@Usman123391]

That 300 sl though 😍😍

[@Riazor1370]

That metallic green yellow gold hybrid painting job is getting more awesome every time.

[@enaut666]

9:29 That "Kraftwerk - Autobahn" moment denotes a certain age ;-)

[@janoschmagnus7065]

„German roads are too smooth“ omfg all Germans know that that’s not true 😂😂

[@williamdawson8277]

Come to the UK and u will see why he says that haha

[@PowerByGum]

Eigentlich schon, wenn man sich andere Länder anschaut

[@skw4674]

@@williamdawson8277 come to eastern Germany than you partly come close to British roads. Still your roads are pretty bad hahah

[@williamdawson8277]

Makes me wonder where our car tax goes haha

[@thomasgeorge5106]

Well i bet you guys dont pat half the tax we pay in India... and both UK and Germany have roads way better than ours

[@_n-Dee_]

7:44 ready for takeoff 😄😄 .. that press on the seat

[@unstoppableforcevsimmovabl1701]

I really like this format with the timestamps and the car specs well done lads

[@kabuterrimondw5919]

20 second ad I can’t skip, lovely. Make that 2 actually

[@Balloonychoonz444]

Kabuterrimon DW annoying! Also all the plugging of this social media and that vid I made ages ago becoming tedious.

[@curiosity___]

@@G-73580 Unfortunately Vanced doesn't block the annoying social media plugs, begging for subs, and that new obnoxious voice over they've added to the intro.

[@maanvlam]

@@Balloonychoonz444 doesnt bother me🤜🤛

[@marekpawlik2258]

Adblock browser on mobile phones is all you need trust me not one advert

[@Mace-1191]

Just skip past them

[@blek3539]

Matt really improved over the years, great job!

[@almehgub]

The best carwow review ever until now by far. Thank you Germany, and thank you Audi.

[@prodoadramm]

Inside and outside waaaaay better and more beautiful than the a class :) this interior is amazing! So clean, so tidied up, so modern...

[@krizzilla1244]

Mat: "If you wanna work for car wow..." Me: "How dare you tease me like this!" ;)

[@oversteer_9339]

I thought the gear knob on the Porsche was small enough lmao

[@samyhoang6434]

I love all your videos. You are nice and funny Matt ;) I just wanna say that on twisted roads, it is normal the grip is good at such a low speed. I have a Golf 5 140hp with 225-45-17 and I can easily get onto 50kmh speed llimited at 130 kmh. Only then do I hear the tires screeching. A good car should be tested to its very limits. On a race for instance ;) See you in another vid !

[@tcecoleshaw]

Looks good and it's on my next-car shortlist. I think an A35 will under cut it on price though meanwhile a top spec S3 could cost close to an a45s when looking at the finance.

[@shakesnbake]

0:38 Thomas from Autogefühl? Is that you? #LetsGo 😂

[@EOTB_Focus]

😂

[@michelebicc6983]

Any sign of animal skin seats? 😂

[@fr8987]

these comments are killing me hahahaha 😂

[@tomraymond9795]

Was thinking the same, and the crouching by the grill is very Thomas too... Must of been his homage since reviewing VAG cars in Germany is 100% Autogefühl territory!

[@Lasergun74]

Michele Bicc mhhhh, Mat loves “nappa leather”. This topic would make a great crossover video with Mat and Thomas arguing about animal skin seats 😂😂😂

[@njugunahgachuma3776]

Can Mat get me a job here,i can even clean the cars after the review😂😂

[@benwaldron541]

Why would he need it cleaned after?

[@anthonymshila8019]

Njugush hivyo ndo utapitch

[@njugunahgachuma3776]

@@benwaldron541 I just need to see all those cool cars..yeah just that

[@firejam78]

I've got a 2018 S3 stage 1 remapped and it's awesome, I also get a Christmas card from my petrol station to say thanks for the regular custom, I get more smiles per gallon than miles but your only here once might as well have fun on the way

[@quadcoreQ]

Your imitation of the exhaust sound is so accurate!

[@abhishekramakrishnan9141]

4:14 to be quite honest, that imitation was on point

[@UtsavMistry-CMB]

Mat roasting British roads Me: driving in Indian road is driving Offroad 😂

[@pokerfred68]

Had a 2017 S3 and it was very quick and a fun car to drive.

[@freethinker3356]

Hi Mat , Thanks for the great videos mate. It would be lovely if you could review Mercedes A 220 d 4M series. I am searching a lot but apparently no one has reviewed it yet..

[@BullBrahma]

Smooth Roads in Germany ? 😂 I invite you to another part of Germany to test the Suspension properly

[@arandomelk8559]

@Neel Javia Litteraly any part other than south germany

[@itsflobygaming6462]

Neel Javia thats actually smoother than the west 😂😂

[@arandomelk8559]

@@itsflobygaming6462 The east only has realy good or realy shit roads. There is nothing in between

[@zimocha16]

Kommt ma nach Dortmund bzw. generell NRW jungens, Strassen da ersetzen jeden Vibrator.

[@BullBrahma]

Ich wollte auch Dortmund vorschlagen, da schießt dir die Wirbelsäule aus dem Schädel raus

[@mosalephondo9521]

I can’t wait for the RS3

[@crxtodd16]

Thinking the exact same thing.

[@Mahbub556]

Your comment box is infested with bots...what did you do?

[@avatar94100]

Isn't it weird that the RS6 and RS7 are released way ahead of the RS3?

[@mohammedbassal1923]

Mosa Lephondo I don’t think there will be an rs3 this year

[@JTM610]

Hope it still has its 5 cs

[@gunterification]

Matt if you look at the sign it says it's only restricted to 100 kph between 22pm-6am that means during the day it's unlimited.

[@StaticVapour590]

Black Audi emblem is really nice! I like that, i had to paint the emblem on my 8P A3 Those fake vents and tailpipes just make it symmetrical

[@miguelherrera751]

2:12 Quad Exhaust > Dual Exhaust, easily!

[@dew62169]

octuple exhaust > quad exhaust

[@ZapFlashD]

Aftermarket Audi logo center mounted exhaust > every other exhaust mod

[@jackops1244]

4:15 when you wake up hungover and taste the drink you nearly died from last night

[@eponymous7910]

Or the cigarettes for all the once a year social smokers out there 🤮

[@OwenSimpsonUK]

Thought this Audi S3 would be the nicest car in this video but that 300SL at the end was just stunning 😍

[@MrMacroJesseSky]

I wish they’d bring the interior quality of the S3 up to spec with the s5. Then it’s the perfect Audi with its size similar to the older Audis

[@TheAJ10]

I absolutely love this car. Probably now my favourite Hot Hatch.

[@huawafabe]

wait for the RS3 :)

[@mihan2d]

I'm still confused where is the line between a hot hatch and a fast wagon, if it's not completely arbitrary. At least for Audi products.

[@binamrabala5446]

Imagine mat driving on Indian roads 😂😂😂

[@shr2000]

He will start to like the British roads then

[@rohanselva9262]

@@shr2000 😂😂😂😂😂

[@navneet4938]

He will become more active as his reflexes are important lol

[@countryside_guy]

India doesn't have 'roads' 😂

[@navneet4938]

countryside_guy 😂😂😂correct

[@sebhall9269]

Therapist: "Show us on the doll where Matt touched your knob"

[@thunderbolt2000k]

I have an Audi S3 (2018) and I have to agree that while launch control is fun, I don't find the same joy while driving.

[@gsg72]

Driving instructor: always look ahead on the road! Mat: Something happens ahead... all lanes are blocked... Let's accelerate and hit 250!!!

[@disorder_go]

Gonna hang on to my 14 plate S3 saloon. Still drives and sounds great and looks far better than this new one.

[@xViolentHillx]

Great review, really enjoyed it!

[@fahmidridi5852]

Hey Mat, any updates on the Jimny? Did you decide to buy it eventually? And if yes, are you modifying it?

[@blaze_ff4414]

When I heard rat,my mind comes Mat When I heard wow, In my mind comes carwow If this poem is good, I want BMW x7 in depth review

[@SChapps]

I love this trend of manufacturers understating their performance figures, surely it must keep insurance prices cheaper as well so it’s win win

[@matthewp9015]

It pays to remember that all European manufacturers quote their acceleration times to 100km/h (62mph). CarWow’s timing gear measures 0-60mph (4km/h slower) so they should in theory always beat the manufacturer’s time.

[@CrazyWeeMonkey]

@@matthewp9015 Nah, european manufacturers advertise both (depending on the region), but they sandbag their figures intentionally to surprise consumers and reviewers. They're probably just advertising the worst case scenario times too, like with two people in the car on a hot day at 6000ft, so they don't get any lawsuits.

[@matthewp9015]

CrazyWeeMonkey I’m not disagreeing that manufacturers are conservative with their quoted times, but I was referring to the Audi S3 specifically. Audi’s quoted time of 4.8 seconds is measured to 100km/h, and CarWow’s timing gear only measures 0-60mph, so 4km/h slower. If you factor that in, Audi’s claimed time is pretty close to what Matt achieved.

[@CrazyWeeMonkey]

@@matthewp9015 Ah I didn't realize that, makes sense.

[@dew62169]

@@matthewp9015 Okay so the S3 can get to 100kmh in 4.5s then

[@timwatkins6641]

I’ve had a new S3 from April and I’m trading it in. I find it lacks any excitement or involvement like you say. It’s a super capable car but doesn’t make me smile much. I’m swapping it for a 3 year old SQ5 diesel ….that definitely made me smile.

[@hassantahir1782]

I swear. I only watch these because of Mat. Some of the random things he does/says are so funny hahaha

[@maximilian1938]

Sag das nächste mal Bescheid wenn du in Ingolstadt bist :)

[@ahbistduvonrammo9022]

isso das ist halt auch noch meine ehemalige schule

[@JR-zv2nw]

@@ahbistduvonrammo9022 Ja moin. Wohn auch in da nähe von Eichstätt😂. War aufm willibald gymnasium

[@ahbistduvonrammo9022]

@@JR-zv2nw lol ich war auf rebdorf haha

[@kanyewest2729]

bratwurst?

[@maximilian1938]

@@kanyewest2729 yes, Bratwurst xD

[@kvvint7618]

Just to make sure: 99% of the schools in Germany don't look this nice :D

[@smil3ym4n17]

So true😂

[@GCFGV]

someone's been training! looking good mate!

[@moanees8866]

“Now, let’s see how they perform in the crash test.”

[@pissonyourpotatoes4206]

Imagine Matt crashed the audi

[@shounaksarkar7835]

Matt: almost crashes The reaper: hippity hoppity your soul is now my property

[@kanyeeast9822]

I really love dat they included the mercedes classic car at the end

[@_n-Dee_]

9:29 hahahaaa wish Matt would be my cooler german neighbor 😂😂

[@FrancescoMarelli84]

The imitation of the car sound by Matt was...epically tragic. Well done mate !!! ;-) Loving your reviews buddy keep it up.

[@kedianballiu4076]

When the journalist flexes his specialist timing gear more than the actual car

[@georgestathakis9538]

Love the S3, 4.3sec 0-60mph is impressive!

[@deadlydizzle7588]

@Hey Well out should do, it's more powerful and costs about 20k more. An A45s isn't competing with an S3, it rivals the RS3...which it struggles against.

[@WeirdBrick]

@@designanddevelop585 they were the vbox numbers from the thing on the windscreen! The vbox... lol

[@matteonucci6045]

Hey the new rs3 is expected to have 450hp and a 0-60 time around 3.5 seconds so we'll see about that

[@thunderbolt2000k]

@Hey Not really, both cars have been tested against one another, the RS3 wins.

[@matteonucci6045]

Hey bro what? The amg does 0-60 in 3.9 so..

[@kenrossaukrsa]

That’s goodness they have got rid of the flat bottomed steering wheel, it’s suck a pain to handle especially when allowing the steering wheel to slide through your palms and for centering.

[@robinhosleftfoot]

What's the gearbox like at low speed? Smooth or jerky like a typical twin clutch?

[@revmedia8108]

No one: Absolutely no one: Me: S3e?! That’s the kind of content we want!! Much love, your friends at Rev Media!!

[@yeetyboe7099]

You're literally everywhere man, chill out, bot.

[@revmedia8108]

YeetyBoe I must be a bot now i guess

[@jawasdenn417]

S doesnt mean sleep.

[@biswajyotinag1139]

Oh man Germany is beautiful 😍

[@sandror.4927]

DUH! I mean... it's Germany tho😂

[@ryanfrisby7389]

Howdy, awesome review as always Mat!😻😸

[@johnnyocur]

It's already September 2021, when this thing will land in Australia man. Been waiting forever.

[@joglimanonfire7426]

1:43 when you're feeling abit German 😂

[@RemX405]

4:53 cross-eyes action

[@THjorth]

Isn't is a standard feature to map the button on the steering wheel to drive select? It is on my Allroad..

[@viccao8431]

I like the traditional quad exaust more than the RS aswell. I think they should of made the RS the S but have quad exaust for RS that is the size of the current RS

[@annegraugrau4111]

OMG ist my scool Maria ward Realschule Eichstätt

[@Diazepamo]

lol da war meine schwester :D

[@serotonin9218]

English?

[@oldboy8150]

@@serotonin9218 got lobsters?

[@ahbistduvonrammo9022]

meine auch haha

[@german6037]

Bin auf Rebdorf gegangen😅✌🏼

[@10Thebe10]

Matt's german accent gets me every time 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@grantkruger3689]

I like both exhaust styles :P Hopefully there'll be an option to choose...

[@BroVCam]

Man i love this Hot-Hatch‼️ I wish we were getting this in the States along with the Sedan. 🙄😔😁👍🏽

[@baileypate9460]

Looks really fresh that S3 🔥🔥

[@FuZeLukas]

When the car driving by costs more than you will earn in your entire life

[@mihan2d]

If it was a McLaren F1 a single door on it would probably cost more than this 300SL :D

[@Fry_Plantain]

'If you're a manual fan, you'd like a bigger knob" LMFAOOOOOOOO

[@fukz00]

even my hometown is not even 20km far from Titting, I've never been there. Thanks Mat for taking me with you ;-)

[@KING0SISQO]

I like it. Kinda looks like a mk4 focus from the sides

[@Olliebobalong]

Are you high on glue?

[@jackworrall89]

1 annoying things about the Audi S3: 1) You may be robbed of it at gunpoint.

[@designanddevelop585]

Yep, these cars are wanted like nothing else by the criminals

[@krisx2S]

@carwow how would You compare standard A3 to something like Peugeot 308 or 208 - quality-wise?

[@geraldsitorus]

3:07 "rear passenger, just the same, decent, you'll be alright", is it though Mat? some say in a video you uploaded last week, the back of the A3 isnt so good.....