Matthew Gaither

You have a beautiful car, Russ! I really like the Ara Blue and it looks great with the tint that you have chosen. Thanks for the review and enjoy your RS3!

russbert

Thanks Matthew, it's definitely a lot of fun to drive and I'm enjoying more than I did on my two test drives so I find that interesting. Guess it's because over the course of four hours I got a much better appreciation for the overall capabilities of the RS3.

russbert

Well I promised you some interior shots so here are a few I took today after driving it. Getting close to 600 miles so 5K RPM will soon be in my consistent reach I hope you enjoy (excuse my coat in the front passenger seat).
Really like the 20% Tint.
Audi techs loved the license plate! No one else gets it. LOL
I really glad I listened to my wife re: the RS Design Package.
I really like the Red Accents and Stitching, along with the RS floor mats.
I also like the seat belts with the red edges.
The package also comes with two (2) additional USB ports (charge only) behind the center console along with a 12V outlet in the left side of the trunk.

ahyeah

Were the mats part of the design package? Mine just came with plain black mats.

LOVEMYGOLFR

Russ- I am torn between the RS3 and the S5 Sportback- I wish the S5s interior was in the RS3! The S5 Interior is just lovely- the RS3 for sure more sporty. Also I like the S5 SB is a long distance highway eater. But obviously not as good on the twisty mountain roads as the RS3.
Sooo my question is, and you hit on it- how is the RS3 on like 200 mile drives? You, and other reviewers mention quiet, I love your review of the sound system- importnat to me too. And while I like the speed, I actually would like a quiet, comfortable highway experience with little road or wind noise...
My BM W 435GC is way louder than it should be...but I digress. I know the RS3 is not the S5 SB on long trips- but, how comfortable is the highway ride and seat comfort of the RS3 on extended drives? There is a certain duality to most Audis- mild when you want it to be, or you can bring out beast mode! LOL.
Thank you again for the review. I will probably be going RS3- Daytona Grap with Alu Optic.
But its a beautiful car in any color I feel.

besttom

Russ - is that a clearmounts phone holder? How do you like it?

russbert

Yes the RS mats (front only) are a part of the design package and look really nice IMO. The pictures above have captions under them but you have to almost be Superman to read it (wish the software left a space between pics so the captions would be more visible).

russbert

Now before I start to answer your question, I will mention again that my 911 rode VERY ROUGH so the RS3 in Dynamic mode feels comfortable to me. But I had an A8 loaner while I waited for the RS3 to be prepped and it is a LIMO re: ride comfort. So much so I would be almost afraid to drive it for long distances because I would go to sleep too easily. Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Assist, seat massage, etc., etc. Going from the A8 to the RS3 in dynamic immediately did feel a little too firm at first so it is subjective based on your previous rides.

That said, I find the RS3 (in Comfort Mode) to be an absolute pleasure to drive over long distances (Dr. Jekyll) which was about 260+ miles. The cabin is very quiet, the stereo can really rock precisely and cleanly IF you want it to **OR** you can turn down the music, put the car into Mr. Hyde (Dynamic) mode and become absolutely giddy with the exhaust sounds on up shifts and especially on downshifts. Now also remember its just me and my wife so the rear seat room is of no concern to us as I will only be hauling grandchildren from time to time. That's where the S5 Sportback (and BTW, that's where my Audi search first started before landing on the RS3) will shine over the RS3 IMO. Personally I am loving the overall handling maneuverability more and more each day as I ... a) get used to handling a front engine car again, b) just acclimating overall to a newer vehicle, and c) trusting the staggered wheel / tire setup more to eliminate understeer (which is does). The license plate on the 911 Turbo was 4 CURVES for a reason; it drove like it was literally on rails! The road hugging grip it had was nothing sort of phenomenal. Basic technique was slower into the curve, steadily increasing throttle into the apex and then nailing it after passing the apex. I could actually feel it squat and pull at the same time with its all wheel drive system. I honestly thought I would be slightly disappointed with the RS3's handling after driving the 911 for so long.

While I haven't pushed it (really) yet to the level I want to, I am gradually finding the RS3 to be way better than I originally expected and I'm trusting it more and more each day to deliver the handling and maneuvering I expect from my car. So the bottom line is I have been very pleased to this point and I only have 40 miles to go to 600 miles and 5K RPMs and in the not so distant future I'll be able to see what she is really capable of in terms of cornering. But I truly don't think you would be disappointed in the RS3. I know I watched some good reviews on the S5 Sportback but I don't have any personal experience with it so I'm sorry I can't be of more help in terms of a direct comparison.

I hope this was helpful and if I didn't answer your questions (or if you have more) please let me know and I'll help the best I can.

Russ

russbert

Yes I do have it and it is AWESOME! Super simple to install (for once a video that didn't exaggerate / lie) and definitely looks OEM, not only to me but the Audi folks as well. The GM and my sales person were going to get it for their personal car(s) and perhaps buy a few for some of their customers as well.

I really love how easily and quickly I can attach my iPhone 8 to it. I truly appreciate how the phone remains BELOW the line of sight of the pop up screen and how easy it is to swivel so the focus is either on the driver, the passenger or somewhere in between. Get it!! I'm definitely glad I did

Back2BA6

LOVE THE PLATE!!!!