Audi RS3 review

Unveiled to the world in August 2024, this is the facelifted version of the third Audi RS3. Yep, we may have enjoyed four generations of Audi’s venerable A3 hatchback, but the first RS3 only arrived in 2011 based on the facelifted second gen.

Oh, and we’re still only on the second generation of the RS3’s booted saloon variant (which incidentally holds the lap record around the Nürburgring for compact cars if that floats your boat).

As ever, this latest car mixes a blend of the same general ingredients – among which are the excellent 2.5-litre 5cyl turbocharged petrol engine that drives all four wheels through Audi’s quattro system and the highly respectable A3 base that makes both the hatchback and saloon versions practical everyday cars.

What changed with the facelift?

The obvious alterations are the new front and rear bumpers. Up front you get more gloss black trim, larger side intakes and a new design for all of that black plastic inside the singleframe. Aggressive, isn’t it? At the rear the oval exhausts remain but there’s now a larger diffuser and central vertical reflector that is apparently “part of the new RS DNA”. New daytime running lights at both ends too.

There are new wheel designs as well, and while we’re on the subject of looks it’s probably worth pointing out that the RS-specific paint colour ‘Kyalami Green’ is a no cost option. Yeah, you should probably spec it.

Any powertrain updates?

You still get the same 394bhp and 369lb ft of torque as you did in the pre-facelift car for a 0-62mph time of 3.8 seconds (conservative) and a 174mph top speed (if you’ve specced the Carbon Vorsprung trim), but let’s just be thankful that the five-pot remains. It should sound a little fruitier now too, because Audi has fiddled with the software to open up the exhaust flaps at lower rpms. There’s also a new ‘emotional engine start’ option that should help you wake the neighbours each morning if you don’t get on.

Of course, pre-facelift the third RS3 already had bigger intakes, wider tracks and impressively boxy arches. It’s also marginally longer, wider and taller than the second gen car, but with the same wheelbase, and comes equipped with less luggage space (by about 50 litres).

Has the interior changed?

You’ve noticed the flat new steering wheel with its easy-access performance buttons, haven’t you? In all honesty, save for some new interior lighting and a redesigned digital rev counter, that’s pretty much it for interior updates. Still, you've already got a high-quality interior with fancy materials, sports seats and a 12.3-inch digital cockpit screen so it’s not like it needed much work.

Tell me more about the fancy tech stuff…

All cars in the UK get RS suspension (10mm lower than the S3, adaptive suspension is only on the Carbon Vorsprung trim), 19-inch wheels and a 10.1-inch touchscreen inside, plus what Audi calls the ‘RS torque splitter’ on the rear axle to distribute torque between the two rear wheels. We’re told that has been updated with the facelift to add brake torque vectoring (essentially small applications of the brake to an inside wheel) that means the RS3 avoids understeer better on the entry into corners. Nice.

Oh, and there are configurable lights that can spell out ‘R… S… 3’ and then a chequered flag in 8-bit when you approach the car. Still not sure whether it’s genius or utterly appalling. You might want to blip the fob from behind a tree and make a run for the driver’s seat.

There’s a lot going on…

Yes, the RS3 is a busy little bee with lots to keep you engaged. Take the Audi Drive Select system for example, which features seven different settings (Auto, Comfort, Dynamic, Efficiency, RS Individual, RS Performance and RS Torque Rear). After that, the ‘RS Individual’ mode allows a triplet of adjustments to the drive system, suspension – where ‘Comfortable’ is a long-legged performance setting different to ‘Comfort’ – steering, engine sound, and stability control intervention thresholds. 

Does sound a bit complicated...

If you want to put the time in you can get your own fine-tuned set-up out of the car, but it’s all a bit annoying at first. Worth persevering with though, the initial bit is a faff but you can programme your settings to be applied with single presses of those red steering wheel buttons.

And is the car fun to drive? 

Overall, the RS3 is deeply impressive. The engine warbles away, grip is consistent and strong, body control just the right side of telling you what’s going on without leaning. But the best bit is the damping, because it makes all the systems feel remarkably natural: on a bumpy, unknown B-road, this would be the car to have. And we’d count supercars in there, too.

You don’t get knocked off line, the steering is very accurate, even if it’s not the most chatty of systems – and nothing skips. If the tyres are in contact with the floor, they’re working, and they work hard for the RS3. 

Any bad things? 

If we’re being very picky, the car can feel a little too front-wheel drive on very slick roads, although that’s probably the safest option, to be honest. But once you start to trust the car and give it more aggressive inputs, it becomes remarkably neutral. And heck, once it’s in RS Torque Rear mode it almost feels rear-wheel drive at times. Weirdly, in the pre-facelift car the Sportback hatch felt a bit keener on the twisty stuff, and the saloon a tad better at high-speed stability, but that could be simply preconception – it’s the same gear underneath. So far, we’ve only driven the updated saloon on the road and the Sportback on track.

The good thing is that the high-quality ride of the RS3 translates when going slowly. Yes, the ride can nibble a little at bad surfaces, but you could absolutely have this as a daily driver without compromising your spinal integrity.

So it's the best megahatch on the market?

Well, the main competition comes from the Mercedes-AMG A45 S, a similarly speedy, similarly priced 400-ish bhp AWD hatchback. But they’re actually quite different. Where the Merc is angry and pointy and hard, the Audi is more cultured, better damped and much less aggressive despite its looks. It’s certainly not slower though – and especially not on a bouncy B-road – this is probably as fast an A to B point car down an unknown road as you’re likely to get short of something with rally stickers and a roll cage.

Not sold? There’s always the Honda Civic Type R. Or VW Golf R. Or Toyota GR Yaris.

The best of the RS3 is buried under layers of customisable options, data and a capability in any conditions. The onus is on you to pick the right combination, which is a lot of pressure for both car and driver, but when you get there it’s brilliant. The RS3 is a really good car on the right kind of wrong road, and it’s usable for much more of the year than more exotic options.

It’s not as visceral as something like the A45 S – despite being the same power and also AWD – but the fact that it feels like it’s more on your side makes it just as quick. You’ll feel like you’re going faster in the Merc, but you probably aren’t particularly with the RS3’s new pointiness post-facelift.

More than that though, the RS3 now feels like it’s starting to get really comfortable in its own skin; it’s a confident, worthwhile, capable car, with a side order of madness not far off.