i'm a big proponent of getting the smallest car that meets your needs not just for price and fuel
economy but i like performance and size and weight can be a real buzz kill that's why this is one of
my favorite new cars this is the all-new 2022 audi s3 before i get into why i like this s3 so much do
us a favor hit like and subscribe below to get all of the latest videos way back when a first
generation audi a4 used to occupy my driveway that was a fun zippy little car that just seemed to be
the right size for everything i needed since then cars have been getting bigger and bigger
now this s3 for example is one inch longer and three inches wider than that first generation a4
the current a4 by comparison is a full 10 inches longer than this s3 the s3 fills the middle
ground between the more affordable a3 and the high performance rs3 it's intended for the driver who's
seeking a little more excitement than just basic transportation to get from point a
to point b but also for the driver who's maybe not willing to make the sacrifices
in comfort and price that comes with the rs3 as far as styling goes i'm a fan i like how
they've blended these smooth curves in these sharp faceted flourishes to add some visual aggression
and normally this grille is going to be chrome or silver but with the optional s sport package it
blacks them all out i think it adds something to the whole character now here down the side we have
these standard 19-inch wheels that are shot with summer performance tires these painted calipers
well they're optional but the big star down the side of this s3 are these bulging side fenders
they give them this hunkered down look that really adds some athleticism here in the back it's a lot
more conservative but it kind of matches the rest of the car down below we have quad exhaust pipes
which are one of those identifying features of the s3 overall i really like the styling of this s3
it has just enough aggression but it's not so over the top that i feel self-conscious driving it
of course styling is subjective so let us know what you think in the comments below
under the hood is the same engine as its predecessor a 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder
that's good for 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque it's paired with a 7-speed dual clutch
automatic transmission and audi's quattro all-wheel drive is standard all this combines
to get the s3 to 60 miles an hour in a quick four and a half seconds fuel economy is estimated at
23 city 32 highway and 27 in combined driving which is about what we'd expect from this class
of course those figures are only applicable if you're driving conservatively and that is not
what this s3 is about so let's hit the road the s3 is made for fun and in this regard it
succeeds on a twisty road like this the s3 has an abundance of power and the handling is excellent
i'm currently in the default comfort mode but this road calls for a little more performance so
all i have to do is reach down here in the center stack hit this button three times that brings up
dynamic mode that sharpens throttle response changes the shift schedule to maximize power
and adds some steering effort and opens up the exhaust with the optional s sport package it also
has the adaptive dampers that stiffen up the ride i'm really not wanting for more power
the sound of the engine it encourages me to actually mash the pedal down even further
power delivery is nice and smooth and the brakes well they work really well there's not a lot of
fade even when you're driving it hard and it's easy to modulate the steering is super precise
and in the dynamic mode it adds some more effort unfortunately it doesn't add any more feedback
but i feel like the effort in the wheel is appropriate but then there's the handling oh the
handling it's so good the way this thing corners it's pretty special now i'm bombing through these
turns faster than i normally do because there's so much grip from these summer performance tires
i can also get on the throttle a little earlier with a lot more aggression thanks to all that
all-wheel drive there's also a few nice little crackles and pops out the exhaust in dynamic mode
now this road isn't glassy smooth but the s3 it quits itself pretty well it's not really upset
by these mid corner bumps now you'll hear a thud coming from the suspension but otherwise the s3
remains composed and on its intended path this is such a great little car for slicing through the
canyons like this i can sort of see wanting more power if i was on a race track and for that well
you have the rs3 with 400 horsepower and that only starts 2 000 more than this particular s3
it kind of makes me wonder is it worth the sacrifices and comfort well thankfully we have
one coming in in a few weeks so we should have that answer for you so stay tuned of course none
of us spend all of our time at the racetrack or in the canyons like this well that means the f3 also
has to be good in the regular commute so let's take it out of dynamic mode get back into comfort
and things get a lot calmer the throttle gets a little lazier the steering gets a lot easier to
turn and everything quiets down quite a bit one thing that i'm not a big fan of is right off the
line now right off the line you do get a quick wake up from the auto start stop but there's a
slight delay in power delivery that makes this s3 feel a little slower than it actually is the
thing is though i've had a lot of experience with this particular transmission and other volkswagens
and it's something that you can actually get used to all things considered the s3 is as good
in the curves as it is on the commute and when you think of how well this thing handles
that's an impressive feat of course that's only part of the story so let's pull over and
talk about the interior i like the interior design of this s3 it's a great evolution of
audi's ongoing design it has that modern for the times look but still has an understated edginess
the angular and faceted dash it really blends well with the exterior design and everything is
within easy reach of the driver materials quality is good for the class but i did expect a nicer
dash topper for a car that's knocking on 60 grand there's a cleanliness about the design that really
makes it feel special and they did it without removing all the buttons and plopping a big
tablet in the middle i like how they kept a lot of these shortcut buttons because you can
use them without having to take your eyes off the road there's also a nice consistency about all of
these buttons and that's something that audi has always done it has this nice satisfying and sturdy
double click from every little button and they're all the same click it's that kind of attention to
detail that make audis feel just a little bit more special the infotainment is well placed to reduce
distraction and it's really easy to use and get acquainted to wireless versions of apple carplay
and android auto are standard equipment but there is a slight delay in response that i think is
pretty forgivable it does seem like they could have capitalized more on interior storage though
right here in the center console there's a little bit of dead space next to the gear selector
that could have been used for some kind of a slot or something but there is a nice rubberized phone
charger here that keeps your phone from sliding around and popping out cup holders and this
center armrest bin and door pockets they're kind of on the small side but it should be adequate
these seats have some pretty aggressive side bolstering to keep you well secured while you're
cornering but they're not so aggressive that you feel confined or you have to kind of loop yourself
over when you're getting in and out of the car the seat cushions they're a little firm but in
audi's defense i don't have a lot of padding back there i have a bony butt is what i'm saying
elsewhere visibility is great this a pillar right here is really nice and thin and the v out the
back is almost unencumbered of course this is a sedan so let's see how the seats are behind me
as small as the s3 is i have just enough room back here to be comfortable i'm five
foot ten and the driver's seat is set for me my head is brushing the headliner and
my thighs well they don't have a lot of support and i can't really stretch out my legs but it's
pretty much par for the course for the class so you can't really knock it that hard and we also
have some minimal amenities back here we have two usbc charge ports as well as some auxiliary vents
but you don't really have full control you do have a little bit of temperature control though
and that's pretty nice considering that you know the rear seats aren't a priority behind me though
is 8.3 cubic feet of cargo capacity and that is on the small side it's actually even less than
the a3 because this has all-wheel drive on the plus side these rear seats are 40 20 40 split
folding so it gives you some of that flexibility between passengers and cargo another added bonus
is there's a nice little drop down hook for your shopping bag so you won't come back to a giant
yard sale if you've been having fun in the canyons there aren't a lot of direct rivals to the s3
most drivers are going to cross shop it with the bmw 2 series and it's a really close battle
between them this s3 aligns most closely with the m240i x drive which is comparably priced
when you load it with similar feature content the bmw is quicker and has more power though but
personally i'm drawn more to the s3's aesthetic the mercedes-benz amg cla 35 and 45 are also
strong alternatives and benefit from one of the best infotainment systems out there outside of
the luxury brands there are more alternatives that get you a lot of bang for your buck muscle cars
like the ford mustang and chevy camaro well they trade some interior refinement for that v8 punch
there's also the bmw built toyota supra that has similar performance as well as the delightfully
compact and sprightly volkswagen golf r now while those mercedes amg class have a decent amount of
performance they are a little more old-school more focused on luxury while the bmw well that's
a little more focused on performance this s3 sort of splits the difference and i like the balance
between the two prices for the s3 start right around forty seven thousand dollars for the base
premium trim stepping up to the premium plus will set you back 50 grand and get you items like
adaptive cruise control a wireless charging pad and lane keep assist this this is the top prestige
trim that starts around fifty four thousand dollars with features that include an upgraded
digital instrument panel navigation premium audio a head-up display and upgraded headlights this
particular s3 has an as tested price of 57 440 dollars courtesy of the optional s sport package
that adds a sport suspension with adaptive dampers on top of that this slick blue paint black trim
and premium leather upholstery are also options after some inspired miles driving this 2022 audi
s3 i can confidently say it checks all of the boxes for me it's fun to drive it's comfortable
for the everyday commute it's loaded with easy to use tech and it just makes you feel special
sure the trunk is on the small side and there's a slight delay off the line but otherwise this s3
fits my lifestyle perfectly if it were my money i would stick with the mid-range premium plus
trim and add that optional s sport package that should save about seven grand off of this test
car but then again for another two grand on top of this you could get that rs3 so what would you do
stick with the s3 or spend a little more for that rs3 let us know what you think in the comments
below thanks for watching and don't forget to hit like and subscribe below also head to cargurus.com
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feature which will get you top dollar and they'll even come and pick the car up for you well that
wraps it up for this shoot but we're still on this great road so time to hit some more road time hehe
you