voodooboy

It's been sitting on my PC for a few weeks, but I finally got around to editing and uploading it

The idea came up after I saw a bunch of RS3 (and other car) reviews that primarily just parroted out manufacturer specs and claims for the most part. I felt like there was room for a detailed, thorough overview of the good, bad and ugly of this car...along with some of its quirks.
Please note that this is the first time I've ever edited a video and uploaded it publicly (as should be clearly visible in the cuts/edits), so please be gentle

Also, let me know if you guys liked this. I can follow up with a similarly detailed review of a 2017 Allroad, a 2012 S4 and potentially a 2018 S5 Sportback.

Cheers!

Matthew Gaither

I finally finished your review this morning and I appreciate you taking the time to make it and share it. I've got at least a year before I start looking seriously at my next automobile but the RS3 is in my top three choice and owner reviews like this are extremely helpful. I don't really need a rear seat (I drive my 2008 MX-5 Miata to work at least a couple of days a week so the TT-RS is also on my list) but the RS3 seems to be a great all around package for an extremely capable daily driver.

Keep us informed about your ownership experience and thanks again!

Greyout

I listened too. Thanks for putting in so much time.

No reviewers have mentioned this, but I was worried about ground clearance. When I get my RS3 should I worry about winter and scratching up the bottom or hitting the front lip on stuff? People that have driven the RS3 on junk roads or as a daily for a while now, what is your feedback on that? My soon to be old daily driver has plenty of clearance, so it's not something I'm use to. @voodooboy, how do you think the paint or underside will hold up over time?

voodooboy

I do worry about the front lip, especially when entering/exiting put sloped driveway or parking head-first. However, I have yet to have any issues with scraping the bottom. I've obviously not used the car off pavement, and one may argue that such a car shouldn't be driven off-road. But either way, I don't think ground clearance is a real issue, at least in day to day driving.

voodooboy

Funnily enough, I had actually put down a deposit for the TT-RS in Q1 this year. However, when they announced that the RS3 was also coming here and that there would be a ~$10,000 difference in the base price of the two cars, I simply couldn't justify the TT-RS. The TT-RS does come with some upgrades including nicer seats and interior features/fittings along with lighter aluminum suspension components, but that still didn't help me justify that wide a delta in the MSRP.

Good luck with either purchase though! As I mentioned in the video, you buy (either car) for the power train, which is a true gem.