Audi S3 - long-term review

A weather forecast that could only be described as ‘bleak’ wasn’t going to put me off. I’ve never driven an Eagle E-Type and although North Wales promised gale force winds, biblical rain and a plague of locusts (probably), I hopped out of bed at 5am with glee. The S3’s heated seats and quiet comfort meant I’d arrive relaxed and fresh, too.

I took the twistiest route possible and it’s a pretty epic drive, with at least half of the three-hour journey on brilliant and mostly deserted roads. In wet conditions the S3 is unbelievably secure, very quick and enjoyable, too. But with its four-wheel drive system and the trick new torque-vectoring rear differential, it’s a very different sort of hot hatch.

The aggressive, super-pointy set-up of old (still evident in the Civic Type R, for example) is replaced with a slightly more relaxed front-end coupled to a greater emphasis on a neutral balance under power. The S3 wants to feel more rear-driven. And if you get everything right the sensation of the outside rear tyre loading-up with torque and then a little trace of power oversteer is a lot of fun.

However, for every perfect corner there are ten where you might miss the razor-sharp turn-in of a focussed front-driver and another dozen where the S3 feels like it’s doing a slightly contrived impression of a rear-drive machine. So, no complaints about the sheer capability of the Audi - and I love its sleeper aesthetic - but at the moment it feels like it just needs a bit more bite and aggression.

Audi S3: four talking points

Akrapovic exhaust

Looks great, but the S3 is very, very quiet. We’d feel a little bit short-changed for the £4,125 outlay...

Turbocharged 2.0-litre engine

Smooth and strong with 329bhp. Chassis soaks it up, though. Maybe we’re just missing the RS3’s five-cylinder?

Dynamic Plus mode

S3 is highly-configurable and Dynamic Plus does go some way towards giving the S3 a bit of edge and excitement.

So. Much. Black. Plastic

Hard to even see the Audi four-ring logo. Seems a tad brutal for the more demure S3...