Winter Test: Audi S3
There are few things more fun for an automotive enthusiast than a proper sports sedan, with proper snow tires, on properly slippery roads. This combination, in our less than humble opinion, is a true measure of the car’s real handling characteristics and will expose in a heartbeat any shortcomings that area. Some people might want to see what a car can do on an asphalt skid pad, with grippy Z rated tires. Pish posh. Lets see that same car on a tight twisty mountain road with 5 inches of snow on the ground, and then determine what its handling is really like.
While we readily admit that not everyone gives a hoot about snow performance, we’re of the opinion that many folks opt for Audi mainly because of the legendary quattro drivetrain, and for those people, you are among friends. Also, as you might recall, we DID have the chance to drive the S3 on track at the Circuit of the Americas on our First Drive. It was ridiculously good there, as one might expect.
We found the Audi S3 to be phenomenally good when the going got slick. In spite of the fact that it is not equipped with the tried and true Torsen fully mechanical quattro system – instead it uses the also tried and true Haldex clutch based system used in many other Audi cars, including the TT, Q3, and many VW models- we found the overall experience to be very Audi like. This is to say, there was never a moment where it felt like all 4 wheels were not on the same page. Never a hesitation from the rear axle, never a hint of slip other than when we asked for it. And when we did ask for it, again it was very quattro like, in that we could steer with the throttle as much as the steering wheel. That is EXACTLY what we want to see with an Audi. Any time there is lag in the response from the rear axle in other cars, it’s noticeable and annoying. With the S3, that is just not the case.
As if the spot on chassis and drivetrain dynamics weren’t good enough, the S3 manages to pack a serious wallop under the hood, with the 2.0TSI engine belting out 290 max horsepower. It seems like a lot for a 4 cylinder, but it never feels stressed or overworked. It just makes loads of smile inducing power, all the time, whenever you ask for it. Oh, and it also is nicely frugal when you don’t want all the power it can produce.
Suffice it to say that we’re really smitten with the S3. If we were to grumble slightly, it would only be that we wish American car buyers “got” hatchbacks enough that Audi of America were able to justify importing the 5 door version of this car. We’re big fans of the hatchback or “wagon” style car, and while SUVs are fine for what they are, nothing beats a small quick hatchback for being able to do it all. Having stated that though, the S3 sedan is not lacking in any way. The back seats are on the smaller side, but the trunk is very large, and the front seats are wonderful.
Even though the S3 is the smallest platform offered in the USA, it doesn’t skimp on technology. Fitted with a physically scaled down but absolutely cutting edge MMI control unit, the S3 has every function offered on the larger cars. Our test car had the full navigation and B&O and was a wonderfully nice place to spend time. As expected, build quality was exceptional.
Ultimately, we’re thrilled that the smallest of the S cars here in the USA feels like a true S car should, in all weather.
