2017 Audi RS3

The hot cars created by Audi’s performance division (formerly known as Quattro GmbH, now called Audi Sport) often have been as expensive as they are awesome. Witness the $55,450 2017 RS3 sedan, the entry point to Ingolstadt’s go-fast inner circle. Employing an arsenal of handling hardware and a stonking inline-five engine, it is one of the most formidable—and priciest—small cars on the market. Although Audi didn’t sell previous versions of this little all-wheel-drive hot rod in the United States, the latest RS3’s feisty goodness atones for both the wait and its asking price.

We’ve already detailed the RS3, which debuted as a late-2017 model, after driving it in Oman, and we can now report that its extra wallop over Audi’s already capable S3 sedan translates just as well to our Midwestern environs.

The Goods

The RS3’s mechanicals and MQB platform are largely shared with the $65,875 Audi TT RS, including the thrilling, 400-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder. The kicker for shelling out roughly $11K more than for a 292-hp four-cylinder S3, the five is revised and now features an aluminum block (versus the previous version’s cast-iron piece) and both port and direct fuel injection. The upshot is that the engine is more powerful and 57 pounds lighter than before, removing critical weight from the car’s nose for a front-to-rear weight bias of 57.7/42.3 percent. Put your foot down and there’s a brief pause before the transversely oriented engine’s honking turbocharger spools up a maximum of 19.8 psi of boost, helping to deliver 354 lb-ft of torque at just 1700 rpm. The five-pot then yowls excitedly to its 7000-rpm redline to churn out its full complement of 400 horsepower.

The standard seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission fortifies the RS3’s flexibility on the road, being both effortlessly smooth when cruising and happy to sharply rifle through the gears to keep the engine on boil when the car is driven aggressively. And its highly effective launch-control system makes the wee Audi a stoplight-racing champ: Simply toggle the transmission and the stability-control system to their Sport modes, floor both pedals until the engine is holding at about 3500 rpm, and release the brake to catapult off the line as quickly as some Porsche 911s. Audi doesn’t quote specific front-to-rear torque splits for the rear-biased Quattro all-wheel-drive system, but the quickness with which it shuttles power fore and aft makes the RS3 eminently controllable at its handling limit.

Despite a 277-pound weight penalty, this sedan sacrifices almost nothing to the TT RS coupe in terms of raw performance: The RS3 is but 0.1 second slower to 60 mph (a blistering 3.5 seconds) and covers the quarter-mile with similarly disorienting verve (11.9 at 117 mph). The numbers also make it 0.3 and 0.4 second quicker (and 4 mph faster) than its primary rival—the Mercedes-AMG CLA45 sedan—and place it well ahead of a BMW M2.

Our 3547-pound example’s respectable 0.98 g of lateral grip around the skidpad was just a tick less than the TT RS achieved, and a solid 157-foot stop from 70 mph trailed the coupe by only 3 feet. However, those figures fall short of the 1.00-g and 150-foot performances of the last CLA45 we tested and are even further behind those of the humbly priced Honda Civic Type R hatchback.

A Playful Whippersnapper

The black oval cannons poking out of our test car’s rear bumper came with its sport exhaust system, which is part of the $1450 Dynamic package that also includes red brake calipers and Pirelli P Zero PZ4 summer performance tires on 19-inch aluminum wheels. At cruising speeds, the big pipes help produce a deep, guttural thrum reminiscent of the Audi R8’s naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V-10. But open the taps and the inline-five sings an unmistakable odd-cylinder warble at up to 88 decibels, punctuated by muffled snorts on hard upshifts. Our delight in listening to the 2.5-liter’s melody ensured that our observed fuel economy—19 mpg, equal to the EPA city estimate—was less than stellar. But stretching its legs on our 75-mph highway test loop allowed the Audi to return 30 mpg, topping its EPA highway figure by 2 mpg.

All RS3s receive a boost in the chassis department via driver-adjustable magnetic dampers and a 1.2-inch-wider front track versus the rear, the latter necessitating slightly flared front fenders. Cars with the optional Dynamic package further improve grip by fitting wider 255/30R-19 front tires in place of 235/35R-19s that come standard at each corner. Go full hog with the $4800 Dynamic Plus package, as on our test car, and a nonadjustable RS sport suspension replaces the magnetic-ride setup, the 14.6-inch front brake rotors switch from cast iron to carbon ceramic with gray eight-piston calipers (12.2-inch metal stoppers remain at the rear), and the electronically limited top speed jumps from 155 to 174 mph.

The takeaway from all this fettling is one of the most entertaining Audis on the road. The RS3 may be highly refined and steely cool in its luxury presentation, but its quick and responsive helm, overall agility, and charismatic engine make it plenty capable of goading its driver into bad behavior. While it has the securely planted feel we expect from a car wearing a Quattro badge, the RS3’s wider nose and extra cornering bite let it rotate with enthusiasm and pull off playful little slides when its electronic watchdogs are dialed back.

We would probably save the money and pass on the firmer sport suspension if we regularly traversed cratered roads like those in Michigan, which can make the car’s ride rather taut and choppy. But even the Audi’s fully starched setup is notably more compliant than those from AMG or BMW. We’d also probably choose a humbler paint color than our test car’s orangeish Catalunya Red Metallic ($575), which negates the stealthiness of the RS3’s anabolic-jellybean shape in traffic. More annoying was the low-speed squeaking of the optional carbon brakes, as well as a back seat that’s sure to elicit complaints from adult-size occupants.

Running the Numbers

The RS3’s cabin changes little from the lesser S3 sedan’s, remaining beautifully assembled, nicely equipped, and very high tech. Specific standard upgrades include faux-suede inserts on the shift knob and the flat-bottom steering wheel, aluminum trim inlays, and excellent manually adjustable front sport seats with heaters and quilted-leather upholstery. Updates for 2018 are minimal and include new option packages: A $1400 Driver Assistance bundle features adaptive cruise control and lane-departure warning; a $1300 Black Optic pack adds black exterior trim in place of the standard aluminum-look pieces; and the $1000 RS Design package dresses up the dark interior with lots of red accents, contrast stitching, and additional USB outlets for the rear seat.

Our $66,775 example also featured $600 in RS carbon-fiber interior trim plus the comprehensive $3900 Technology package: Audi’s MMI Navigation Plus interface for the 7.0-inch central display, a configurable 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert (now standard for 2018), and a premium Bang & Olufsen stereo with 14 speakers.

Along with its gutsy five-cylinder heart, the RS3’s greater refinement and standard equipment justify its price premium over AMG’s already dear $50,945 CLA45 sedan, which can grow even pricier than the Audi with options. While the RS3’s $55K entry fee may place it in direct competition with larger, more comfortable sports sedans, committed enthusiasts will recognize it as Audi’s performance soul in a small, sensible wrapper.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

PRICE AS TESTED: $66,775 (base price: $55,450)

ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 20-valve inline-5, aluminum block and head, port and direct fuel injection

Displacement: 151 cu in, 2480 cc
Power: 400 hp @ 7000 rpm
Torque: 354 lb-ft @ 1700 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 103.6 in
Length: 176.3 in
Width: 70.9 in Height: 55.0 in
Passenger volume: 87 cu ft
Trunk volume: 10 cu ft
Curb weight: 3547 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 3.5 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 8.7 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 15.4 sec
Zero to 150 mph: 22.8 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 4.3 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 2.8 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 3.2 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 11.9 sec @ 117 mph
Top speed (governor limited, mfr's est): 174 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 157 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.98 g

C/D FUEL ECONOMY:
Observed: 19 mpg
75-mph highway driving: 30 mpg
Highway range: 430 miles

EPA FUEL ECONOMY:
Combined/city/highway: 22/19/28 mpg