Test Drive: RS 3 Saloon
05-09-2017, 12:40 PM
#1
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Test Drive: RS 3 Saloon
Hi all
As noted earlier I had the RS 3 Sedan/Saloon for an overnight test drive last night. As it is late Autumn here most of the drive was in the dark but I've managed to take some photos and videos this morning. Hopefully I've taken photos of all things people requested, sorry if I've accidentally missed any.
Background
I'm currently driving a 2012 F30 335i M Sport M Performance (~360hp) sedan. We also have a 4M Q7 (200kw 3.0 Diesel) we purchased last year which has Audi Virtual Cockpit etc so I'm familiar with most of the Audi bells and whistles.
Test Car
This black RS 3 is basically base NZ spec, with the exception of the matt aluminium styling pack and the 255/235 wheel setup. NZ cars have a high base price but also a high basic spec (mag ride, VC, sports exhaust etc are all standard) so you may like to check out the NZ Specs here: http://www.audi.co.nz/dam/ngw/nz/MY1...March_2017.pdf
Overall impressions
It really is an awesome package. The new 5cyl engine is an absolute masterpiece. I can't imagine how anyone could want for more. Loads of low down torque and obviously plenty of power. Sounds fantastic too and has plenty of character. I have no doubt this will go down as one of the great engines of all time.
I took the car for about 60km of driving on twisty roads and was very impressed. There was no noticeable understeer (to me, at least), but I also did not manage to get the back to slip out like I did see on some of the Youtube video reviews. It's just so capable and confidence inspiring. It is very easy to go very very fast in this car, no matter what the conditions are.
Driving around town is very comfortable too. Auckland is a city renowned for terrible traffic so some of yesterday afternoon was spent sitting on the motorway and it was very pleasant. Adaptive cruise control worked as it did in the Q7.
The ride is firm, but not overly so, and comfort does make the ride slightly smoother. We have a very early 1900's concrete road where near where we live and it did feel firm on this surface. There were no noticeable rattles though.
Interior fit and finish is pretty good, just as it is in the A3 and S3. It still feels a very nice place to be but is only very slightly dated compared to the 4M Q7 which has an incredible interior. Probably unfair to compare the two cars as they're from different classes, but worth noting.
Other Comments
This car did not have a SIM slot so it would not be possible to use your own SIM for a WiFi hotspot (like we do in the Q7), I think to get this option you need to option Audi Phone Box and Audi Connect.
The MMI screen is still the older smaller screen from the A3 and it really is a bit small by today's standards, especially for things like the rear view camera etc.
These are minor criticisms though and don't detract from what is a very special car. I'm still waiting for the facelift RS 3 Sportback, available to order from next month in NZ.
Enjoy the photos and videos, let me know if you have any questions.
Photos here: https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0gJ0DiRHGZKbHw
Video - Engine start from cold:
Video - Rev non-dynamic mode:
Video - Rev dynamic mode toggled:
As noted earlier I had the RS 3 Sedan/Saloon for an overnight test drive last night. As it is late Autumn here most of the drive was in the dark but I've managed to take some photos and videos this morning. Hopefully I've taken photos of all things people requested, sorry if I've accidentally missed any.
Background
I'm currently driving a 2012 F30 335i M Sport M Performance (~360hp) sedan. We also have a 4M Q7 (200kw 3.0 Diesel) we purchased last year which has Audi Virtual Cockpit etc so I'm familiar with most of the Audi bells and whistles.
Test Car
This black RS 3 is basically base NZ spec, with the exception of the matt aluminium styling pack and the 255/235 wheel setup. NZ cars have a high base price but also a high basic spec (mag ride, VC, sports exhaust etc are all standard) so you may like to check out the NZ Specs here: http://www.audi.co.nz/dam/ngw/nz/MY1...March_2017.pdf
Overall impressions
It really is an awesome package. The new 5cyl engine is an absolute masterpiece. I can't imagine how anyone could want for more. Loads of low down torque and obviously plenty of power. Sounds fantastic too and has plenty of character. I have no doubt this will go down as one of the great engines of all time.
I took the car for about 60km of driving on twisty roads and was very impressed. There was no noticeable understeer (to me, at least), but I also did not manage to get the back to slip out like I did see on some of the Youtube video reviews. It's just so capable and confidence inspiring. It is very easy to go very very fast in this car, no matter what the conditions are.
Driving around town is very comfortable too. Auckland is a city renowned for terrible traffic so some of yesterday afternoon was spent sitting on the motorway and it was very pleasant. Adaptive cruise control worked as it did in the Q7.
The ride is firm, but not overly so, and comfort does make the ride slightly smoother. We have a very early 1900's concrete road where near where we live and it did feel firm on this surface. There were no noticeable rattles though.
Interior fit and finish is pretty good, just as it is in the A3 and S3. It still feels a very nice place to be but is only very slightly dated compared to the 4M Q7 which has an incredible interior. Probably unfair to compare the two cars as they're from different classes, but worth noting.
Other Comments
This car did not have a SIM slot so it would not be possible to use your own SIM for a WiFi hotspot (like we do in the Q7), I think to get this option you need to option Audi Phone Box and Audi Connect.
The MMI screen is still the older smaller screen from the A3 and it really is a bit small by today's standards, especially for things like the rear view camera etc.
These are minor criticisms though and don't detract from what is a very special car. I'm still waiting for the facelift RS 3 Sportback, available to order from next month in NZ.
Enjoy the photos and videos, let me know if you have any questions.
Photos here: https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0gJ0DiRHGZKbHw
Video - Engine start from cold:
05-09-2017, 02:58 PM
#5
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I *heart* you, sir. :-P
Thank you for taking time to do all this and for putting up with our requests of desperation.
Youve become an overnight hero to many, I'm sure. Which since you're in NZ, does that make you a two-night hero? Not sure how that date line stuff works... :-)
Thank you for taking time to do all this and for putting up with our requests of desperation.
Youve become an overnight hero to many, I'm sure. Which since you're in NZ, does that make you a two-night hero? Not sure how that date line stuff works... :-)
05-09-2017, 03:10 PM
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There is no Akrapovic available from the factory for the RS3. You're thinking of the yet to be released 2018 VW Golf R.
He doesn't still have access to it, he had to give it back. The RS3 is 30mm lower than an S3.
He doesn't still have access to it, he had to give it back. The RS3 is 30mm lower than an S3.
05-09-2017, 03:47 PM
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Right, I've seen that referenced before, but I'm yet to find the official ground clearance for the S3 either. If you know please post it.
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05-09-2017, 04:10 PM
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Thank you so much Jono I appreciate you taking the time to get us all the images and fulfill requests!
After looking through the images something dawned on me that I guess I never expected. I assumed that on the right hand drive variants of the car that they would swap the start button & radio volume **** so that the start button would be closest to the driver. That does not appear to be the case. Not specific to RS cars I'm sure but it just wasn't what I would expect.
After looking through the images something dawned on me that I guess I never expected. I assumed that on the right hand drive variants of the car that they would swap the start button & radio volume **** so that the start button would be closest to the driver. That does not appear to be the case. Not specific to RS cars I'm sure but it just wasn't what I would expect.
05-09-2017, 04:25 PM
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Yes, sadly I dropped it back this morning. If there are any special requests I could always pop by the dealer and check them out for you. Probably not until the weekend though. The dealer is about 15mins drive away.
05-09-2017, 04:28 PM
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Thank you so much Jono I appreciate you taking the time to get us all the images and fulfill requests!
After looking through the images something dawned on me that I guess I never expected. I assumed that on the right hand drive variants of the car that they would swap the start button & radio volume **** so that the start button would be closest to the driver. That does not appear to be the case. Not specific to RS cars I'm sure but it just wasn't what I would expect.
After looking through the images something dawned on me that I guess I never expected. I assumed that on the right hand drive variants of the car that they would swap the start button & radio volume **** so that the start button would be closest to the driver. That does not appear to be the case. Not specific to RS cars I'm sure but it just wasn't what I would expect.