2016 Audi S3

The Germans have been long locked in the fierce battle for supremacy. These days, the most talked about Germans are perhaps not the AMGs, Ms or the RSs but their entry level offerings and their performance oriented counterparts. With the Mercedes unleashing their CLA45 AMG, BMW introducing the M235i, Audi had to respond with the S3.

It’s a great time to be in the market for a powerful yet efficient 4 cylinder engine and Audi has one of the best to offer. The S3 doesn’t really have any competition but if someone was to point a gun on my head and ask me to name some, then the Mercedes CLA45 AMG and the BMW M235i would come to my mind. The S3 is the least powerful of the lot producing a whopping 292 BHP and 280 lb-ft of torque which is belittled by the BMW M235i’s 320 BHP to be trumped by the CLA45 AMG producing an insane 350 BHP! All this performance crammed into a tiny 4 cylinder really gets me excited. Even though the Audi is down on horsepower, its claimed 0-60mph acceleration is a stunning 4.7 seconds. The S3 comes standard with Quattro All Wheel Drive and offers amazing grip in wet snowy conditions. Quattro also aids the S3 in a performance oriented manner making it really sure footed around bends and curves. The only transmission option is the 6 speed S tronic dual clutch which is darn good. The gear shifts are quick and smooth without any fuss. My only gripe is that Audi is not offering the 6 speed manual transmission here in the US but they do offer one on the European models. The Audi is also the cheapest of the lot starting at $41,000 and I think that this little 4 cylinder turbocharger is great bang for the money.

The Audi has been one of the best when it comes to interiors and the S3 is no exception. Audi has in fact thrown in some features in the S3 that are only available in the much more expensive Audi models like the A8 and the A6. The new Audi MMI is slick and does get time getting used to, but its amazing once you know how it works. The Navigation/Infotainment screen is the thinnest in the market and pops in and out at the touch of a button rather than been stuck on the dash as in the other Germans. You can get google maps, Napa leather, heated seats, blind spot detection, onboard wifi and all that good stuff, but ofcource at a price. Even when fully optioned, it won’t come close to a majority of the CLA45 AMGs out there in the market. It’s a 4 door saloon with usable backseats which can comfortably fit 4 adults. The boot space is sufficient at 10 cu ft, which doesn’t really sound much, but hey, this is a small car.

The cherry on the cake is the 26 MPG combined fuel efficiency that the S3 offers. Guess you really can have your cake and eat it too. The S3 is an incredible package with a perfect blend of luxury, power and efficiency. The exterior looks don’t inspire me, but hey who am I to judge aesthetics. I would greatly encourage you to get the S3 if you can afford it. If not, then give the A3 a shot which offers some of the similar features at a much lower price tag.