First Drive – 2015 Audi S3
When Audi announced in 2013 that the S3 was coming to the USA, we were beyond excited, as we have never been treated to the S3 model here, which we always felt that was a shame. We knew it was a great car, and we figured it would be a blast to drive. Reasons for not importing it are largely financial, as most American car buyers don’t buy luxury hatchbacks in any meaningful volume (something we continuously harp on) and Audi rightly didn’t want to import a car that no one would buy, no matter how great the car in question might be.
As luck would have it, Americans buy sedans with some regularity, and we know that the S3 is already selling well here. That’s great news, because this is a great car.
It would be understating the matter to say we were chomping at the bit to get behind the wheel of this all new for the USA model. We enjoyed our time with the A3 sedan very much, so we were expecting to love the S3 before we even drove it, and we were spot on. The transformation of an A3 to S3 brings out so much more from this platform than we would have guessed. As we stated in our A3 review, we liked how lively this chassis is, and with a more sport-tuned suspension and way more power on tap, the S3 is seriously fun to drive!!
Since we set the precedent in our A3 review to compare it to the B5 A4, lets take the time to compare this new S3 to the B5 S4 of 1999-2001, which STILL is one of the benchmark cars for the Euro-tuning world, with its enormous tuning potential. Out of the box this S3 has more power – 292 vs. 250. In speaking with some reps from tuners, we hear that the new S3 has huge potential waiting to be unleashed, very similarly to the B5 S4.. We shall see about what this car can do once in their hands, but even in stock trim, this is one quick car!
The smallest S-car still has all of the good stuff that makes the bigger cars special, such as the now ubiquitous S-car flat bottom steering wheel, comfy and supportive sport seats, subtle exterior additions, different wheels, lower ride height, a kickass Bang and Oulfsen sound system, keyless go, even available LED headlights. It even has a boost indicator in the dash. How cool is that?
Any of the slight complaints we might have had with the A3 in terms of an overly soft ride are completely gone with the S3, which is in no way too stiff, no, it’s just right for sporty driving. In fact it’s especially nice when equipped with the optional Magnetic Ride control, which tightens up the damping considerably for tight driving, but is very comfortable on rougher roads.
Our test loops took us through the hill country of Texas, where we enjoyed narrow roads that wound up and over undulating hills, and through occasionally swollen river crossings. The S3 took all in stride, and was a hoot to drive in the really twisty sections.
We also had the amazingly good fortune to have the chance to take the S3 for a lap on the Circuit of the Americas in Austin (OMG, thanks Audi PR for that one, holy cow was that awesome!), were we were happy to find that the S3 has superbly neutral handling and tremendous grip. And with 292 hp on tap, it has more than enough grunt to fully enjoy the chassis.
Turn in is sharp, with a hint of understeer at the ragged edge, with a nicely neutral balance through turns. On public roads we didn’t push the car hard enough to notice any strange handling quirks, and on the fast sweeping turns at COTA, the car was rock solid even at the car’s full speed. If anything the S3 is a very forgiving car to drive, but yet not boring in any way. You won’t win any drifting contests with it (until the snow flies), but you will also not likely end up backwards and on fire in a ditch with this car.
Steering feel through Audi’s electronic power steering is excellent, we found that we had no problems feeling the road through the wheel. Audi Drive Select enables the driver to call for more, or less effort. In comfort mode, we found the steering to be a bit light at speeds, so we kept it in dynamic mode most of the time.
Audi went through great lengths to ensure that the A3, and therefore the S3 were true Audis, in all ways. The S3 feels very well made, with typical Audi precision and attention to detail throughout. All materials and surfaces that you come into contact with in the cabin feel “right”. Under way, the S3 is very quiet, and comfortable at all speeds. The engine’s song comes into the cabin as a nice baritone growl, but is never harsh or annoying. The Dynamic settings for engine note really bring out the best of the engine’s sound, we kept it set that way the entire time.
All in all we genuinely love the S3. The size of the car is compact, yet functional, it’s a playful car that comes direct from the factory with almost 300 hp, great looks and handling, with all of the sweet toys that make the bigger S cars so desirable, all at a more manageable price. We are semi-patiently looking forward to spending some more time with the newest addition to the S family.
