Shut Up And Take My Money: Audi RS3 Review

[@hlf_coder6272]

I've got a black 2023 RS3. I got it about 4 months ago. It's freakishly quick. I traded in an M2 Competition for it, and it's definitely quicker than that was. It handles just as well too, which surprised me. And the stereo is INFINITELY better. I definitely miss the clutch of the BMW, and I'm not a fan of the steering wheel, but other than that I like the RS3 more for sure.

[@mauricetoussaint7283]

The stereo must have been bad in your BMW as the B&O sound system in the RS3 is crap. I've had my new RS3 for 5 months and am now looking at upgrading the speakers. The quality is really bad.

[@miller98lsc]

​@@mauricetoussaint7283couldn't agree more. So extremely disappointed in the stereo. I actually now discredit any reviewer of cars entirely based on if they like this stereo lol. Only savagegeese called it out for what it is

[@annenominous7220]

@@mauricetoussaint7283 professional measurements show the B&O to be very nice indeed. low thd, flat where it needs to be and boosted where it needs to be. literally the only system found better was the Bermeister. Maybe you got a lemon? complain and see if they will fix it. get a calibrated noise meter and run some sweeps.

[@christianfriedrichs]

Thanks for not blasting music over the exhaust sound! And I appreciate the visual references of the other cars you talked about 👍

[@malligrub]

This current RS3 is one of the greatest cars of this era - simply magnificent, does everything, looks great, sounds beautiful, grips like its superglued down, handles like a go kart and goes like a supercar

[@henryi9738]

Excellent review, what a great car ! Thank you 🙏

[@AlphaShark]

It was awesome getting to meet you guys today! You have an awesome, channel, love your videography, I hope we can meet again in the future!

[@ShiftingLanes]

Likewise! You have great content as well!

[@Fourrings80]

It was so tough choosing between the RS3 and M340i. The wait time for a new RS3 was absurd so I went with the 340i. Both fantastic cars and you cant go wrong.

[@Stat1c_M]

I have a m340i too, I got it last year but it’s starting to cause some issues so I’m thinking about trading it in for the new rs3 but the waitlist is what’s scaring me 😅

[@Fourrings80]

@@Stat1c_M what year car? Also what issues are you having?

[@Stat1c_M]

@@Fourrings80 2022 and my bmw keeps saying it has a battery problem but i think it’s the alternator, I’m going to find out tomorrow when i drop off the car to bmw

[@johnl.38]

I am in the same boat right now except the Audi dealership is wanting 5k over sticker while the BMW dealer is willing to go just slightly under sticker on the m340i

[@speeddemon311]

You're exactly right about the wait time! It's been a year already, and no allocation for a while still I was told! You've still got one hell of a good car! Congratulations

[@seinsmeld13]

Thanks for this great review. Sadly the RS3 is no longer sold in Canada. Therefore I bought a BMW M2 to replace my 2019 RS3. I hopefully will buy one of these if and when they come back for sale in Canada.

[@hojichaisfarsuperiortochai9309]

I just bought a 2024 GTI manual and I love it. I was thinking of getting an R as well but now I’m thinking this is the best option. I had been a loyal bmw customer (Z3, 3 series, Z4, 440i conv, M240i conv). I’m looking for other options because I moved and I hate the San Antonio/ Austin area BMW Dealers and service departments more than I love BMW. Hope VW and Audi are better. 😅

[@lesserlogic9977]

Omg this is a modern day Volvo, with the inflation in hp as would be expected. Little pricey, but sounds fair in relation to the market. I'm still driving my S60 2.4L, only thing its missing is a manual!

[@Mr_Uberk]

Respect to Illenium on the radio.

[@deadstar962]

Car looks so damn good

[@cfstultz1]

Very informative. Thx.

[@Madeiniran420]

This car in most cities in America has to be on softer setting for the suspension and harder dynamic for engine and dsg. This way it's faster by a big margin 😊

[@gjtt]

Great review, after 2 years mine comes in this August. Some things are worth waiting for...

[@mauricetoussaint7283]

I waited 18 months for mine to arrive. Haven't been too overwhelmed with it. Reviewers don't mention the poor B&O system, poor turning circle, low quality interior materials and glitchy drive modes - still no software update from Audi to fix that. There's a lot of cost cutting going on in the new RS3.

[@speeddemon311]

Just got my allocation the other day, and I'm starting to wonder if I should back out of it considering some of the negative comments about the car? 65k as built is a lot of money to waste!

[@gjtt]

@@speeddemon311 Awesome man!, happy for you. I finally got mine Just a few months ago. Daytona gray with the black optics, carbon bits and the matte rims. Looks sick, really slick. 65k is cheap for this kind of overall speed, quality, refinements, looks and they are fairly exclusive. I had it paint protected wrapped and ordered the Eventuri Intake - Happy motoring, it's a rapid car.

[@speeddemon311]

@@gjtt Thank you! Appreciate the feedback

[@PDJ4L]

Question, so when you wait that long for a custom order car are you getting a older model when it arrives? Or do you get the most current model year? I ask because manufacturers change configurables slightly between years/take off certain options. Just wondering how that would work @gjtt

[@tomg.4287]

You're right that 5th cylinder would make up for a lot of convenience and comfort features that my mk8 R has that RS3 this does not.

[@soulz23]

If you look at the competition at this price, there is M2, Supra, M340i and CLA45S. Based on spec its the best performance/fastest out of the lot. The CLA45S probably has the best interior and design and performance not far off. A lot of people say this is a baby R8 and CLA is a baby GT.

[@hotdognobun]

I like the CLA

[@Jack-fr9bk]

​@@hotdognobuncla is inferior trash

[@nickbrunisch3101]

It’s so dumb that they don’t have this new Audi in Canada.

[@zero_edits101]

Why?

[@oldkid6]

Audi is having no trouble at all selling these sedans, but if they would have brought over an RS3 Avant, that would be the ultimate hot hatch.

[@tobyhuynh146]

So sad that hatchback version is not available in the US.

[@Madeiniran420]

Also most important ugly problem is the hatchback not being available to the Richer Americans vs broke European kids who don't even need the hatchback. Dude we need our space in our cars and the hatchback is just beautiful and carries baby strollers and boxes and hauls better 13:04

[@mauricetoussaint7283]

I've had my new RS3 for 5 months. Mine's a fully loaded sportback in Tango Red - full carbon pack and RS dynamic pack. Mostly positives, but I struggle that reviewers fail to mention some common issues with the car. Like the poor turning circle due to the wider front wheels, low quality sound system - yeah, the B&O is crap in this car. The glitchy drive modes and the navigation through menus and options sucks. The cheap plastics in the interior, plus the gloss black bits that constantly need to be cleaned, else they look horrible. The transmission is clunky too. Even the wiper blades are rubbish - no longer Bosch, they've put some proper cheap crap on the car. OK, sounds like a proper bitching, but it is a great car, so you kinda ignore the issues. But, this is a £60k car, you'd expect a lot better. Audi is cutting corners in quality and we aren't stupid - I'll be going to another brand when the time comes.

[@FallenRyu27]

As an audiophile who is considering a RS3. Thanks for your opinion on the B&O. Very few reviewers mention anything about it.

[@CastarTroyPro]

Cute review but its has one huge flaw. I was hunting to buy one for months now. At mid to low $60k, RS3 are great value. Once fully equipped its pushes over $70k at that price point there are better cars and even more of cars on slightly used market. The main current real world issue is that these RS3 come with minimum of dealer markup of $10k! So even low equipped cars come over $70k and fully loaded RS3 with mark ups push prices close to G80 M3s which are more of car. So at the current markups RS3 is NOT a good value for your money. I called about 15 dealers in California and the ALL charge $10k+ mark ups. I cant pay $70K+ for a car that feels like a budget car interior wise and front biased drive. We will see what future marked will bring

[@speeddemon311]

Paying msrp for my RS3 I ordered about a year ago! Refused to pay adm! Barely worth the msrp they go for imo!

[@ryanpmalone83]

Just paid MSRP for my 2024 RS3 from a dealership in Houston last week! I admit it wasn't easy to get my hands on. I ordered one that wasn't due to get here until next year and was going to cost me the extra $10k, then they called me and told me they had one at the port that I could have now. The new GM at the dealership did away with "Market Adjustments" so I only paid sticker. Wouldn't have happened if I hadn't gone all in and been will to pay and wait in the first place though.

[@CastarTroyPro]

@@ryanpmalone83 It is work indeed. Honestly the rs3 itself overall quality does not warrant the headache of fighting dealer to get it at MSRP. I will wait and see what happens to car market. It seems prices are dropping and inventory is rising. Time will tell if I end up in RS3 or F80 M3 Comp

[@helenwilliams7611]

@shiftinglanes If you had a choice between the Audi S3 and RS3 - which would you choose? Currently, I am the market for a new car and have narrowed my options down to those two options. Unfortunately, none of the local dealerships ever have either of those models in stock and when they do that are immediately sold - so I am unable to test drive either. I am seeking an executive luxury daily driver with power/kick and extremely smooth shifting. I have no intention of ever drifting but tend to have a lead foot on the highway lol so would like the ability to do high speeds easily. The 5 cylinder engine on the RS3 sounds so tempting but I wonder if it's too much power. Any thoughts?

[@ShiftingLanes]

RS3 all day, everyday. The power and sound is exceptional.

[@helenwilliams7611]

@@ShiftingLanes Thank you!!!! So just to confirm, when driving the RS3 it doesn't feel like the car is going to "explode" beneath you right!?!? It can be subdued when needed?

[@dubsessed9790]

There's a wide price gap between the two in the real market. If cost is not an issue, then yes the rs3.

[@Jack-fr9bk]

Just bought my 2024 Kemora Grey RS3 and I love it.

[@s5low738]

If only they sold the hatchback/avant version in the USA

[@mahdykhayyamian6167]

what a beautiful road. where is this?

[@WFO.]

What’s the interior room like for a 6’2”+ driver?

[@Jack-fr9bk]

I'm 6' and have plenty of room in the driver's seat.

[@Lookbusybuddy]

Wonder if lambo would take one of these and do their magic on it. 🤔

[@boombaman31]

Is the RS3 better than the RS5? Which would you rather have

[@steve11377]

If I'm not looking to track the car should I get that or save on money and get the s3 instead for daily driving and occasional canyons?

[@AJTalks]

Save money on the Golf R if you don't mind the 4 cylinder turbo (same engine as the S3). Otherwise, if you can swing it, the RS will make you smile much more with the sound alone.

[@ShiftingLanes]

S3 is already a lot of car. It was a joy to drive. That said, you can still track the S3 and have a lot of fun.

[@rafam2600]

this or s5 sportback ??

[@hotdognobun]

One dealership in San Diego asking $100k for it

[@ShiftingLanes]

That’s bonkers

[@speeddemon311]

The person paying anything near that is insane even if they can afford it easily lol

[@matthewmohri9990]

Yes b/c I've always looked at an RS3 as The Workingman's Cheap Super Car...What kind of Orwellian Double Speak World Do You Live In?

[@LifeISMagix]

And it’s all touch screen & costs as much as Lexus that is larger and more reliable.

[@ChristianC-gy1ym]

Whenever you're tempted to go down that pathway of logic, try going the other way.... Could one also surmise that a lexus, which is slower and less capable, costs as much as a faster and more sophisticated Audi? Yes... one could.

[@LifeISMagix]

@@ChristianC-gy1ym not really. Because although it has less horsepower, it will be able to use it fully for 10-15 years without pouring tons of money into repairs, with just basic maintenance. While the Audi will be a $5000-15000 investment after you already paid the car off. If that’s worth the extra HP for you; that’s great. And also, we can talk about logic all day, but if I like physical knobs and not a touch screen, I could care less about anything else. That’s like if a car has bad seats, nothing else matters but that. Touch screen is the same as a bad seat for me. For the sake of argument why on earth would you not get a GS F with 5-10k miles over this for this price. It’s close to 500HP, has more space and it’s a Lexus.

[@ChristianC-gy1ym]

@Blessemi I wasn't asking you to reiterate your point... I understood the first time. I'll just spell it out for you then. For every argument people make for Toyota/Lexus being reliable, there is the other side of the argument that is just as compelling, if not more so. And that is, almost NOBODY drives a car beyond the threshold where a lexus would truly start to outshine the competition. Almost NOBODY drives a car for 200,000+ miles. So the reliability point is completely moot. And no, I don't know if you stepped out of a time machine from 1990, but German cars do not always break down, and NO you will not be spending thousands on repairs. It's called WARRANTY. Show me one person whose brand new german, let alone a 5 year old german, left them stranded on the freeway. Times have changed. Sure, I will concede that a lexus on average may be more reliable than an audi. But, once again, the whole reliability argument that people make to justify the purchase of one vehicle over another as a deciding factor is as old as Joe Biden. It's a narrative that REALLY needs to die... Because modern cars are just so much better. That being said, yah buddy. Why buy a boring old lexus for the same price of an audi rs3. Lexus is still using that 20 year old V8 in their "performance" cars that is ohh soooo long in the tooth... Yah man, you do you. But I just know that the rs3 will smoke any lexus short of the LFA.

[@NlghtShifter]

Not going to be cheap much longer! 2026 this car will be over 100k easy.

[@shaglioni]

Outstanding review again. But, I would have to disagree with your opinion that it would be a true upgrade over the Golf R. If the U.S. got the RS3 hatch, it might be an easier pill to swallow. But since it is not available here, and without the extra perks of heated steering wheel, cooling seats, a huge advantage of the hatchback config with storage capabilities, the extra 15k or so of extra money even with the advantage of the 5 cylinder sounds and hp and acceleration boost, not worth it. Unless one is part of an Audi fan club, the R at msrp or close to msrp, is a better value overall. My thoughts.

[@fzr1000981]

400 hp and 550 with bolt ons and tune, any questions?

[@shaglioni]

@@fzr1000981 I agree. Golf R is a better value overall.

[@fzr1000981]

Not if you want real power, the 2.0 won't get you there

[@shaglioni]

@@fzr1000981 stock RS3 is at 400 already. Uh yeah, you don't need that much hp anyway. There are some 500hp MK8R builds out there. You an Audi fan boy? That's fine if you are. My comment to his review was my opinion anyway. I'll be getting into my R20 in few weeks and I'll be happy enough. In the end, if looking at msrp's for both the MK8R and RS3 Sedan, Golf R has a way bigger advantage in the performance and value comparison to me for sure.

[@fzr1000981]

@@shaglioni nope not a fan boy I've owned all brands. 500+ reliable whp is very appealing and I wouldn't trust the 2.0 to get there

[@christophermiller1844]

It's not RWD, the steering feels lifeless, and with no bumper, the front end is _UGLY_.

[@speeddemon311]

At least it will drive circles around most cars you would deem good looking right? Car is an absolute weapon with the optional Trofeo tires on a track or in corners period!

[@AlexeyWade]

Mercedes CLA 45+ S 4matic is better than this thing

[@speeddemon311]

Not according to every review, and journalists I've heard comparing the two cars!😄

[@howled0]

Those are not good daily drivers at all from what I have heard.