Long-term review

Audi S3 - long-term review

Prices from

£53,530 /as tested £58,590 /PCM £682

Published: 14 Oct 2025
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SPEC HIGHLIGHTS

  • SPEC

    Audi S3

  • ENGINE

    1984cc

  • BHP

    328.6bhp

  • 0-62

    4.7s

Does the Audi S3 now finally deliver as a driver's car?

How do you replace a Honda Civic Type R? A hot hatch of unique focus and aggression that feels engineered from the ground-up to such an extent that the ‘Civic’ part of the name almost seems like a mistake? Honestly, I don’t know. But the Audi S3 is an intriguing answer.

Similar performance but much more discreet and in its latest guise blessed with the trick RS3-sourced ‘Torque Splitter’ rear differential for a potentially more adjustable balance. It looks sober but the mechanical spec suggests the S3 is ready to let its hair down…

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There’s so much good here. Power is up from the pre-facelift model to 329bhp and 310lb ft, the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox is more aggressive and upshift times have been halved, plus there are stiffer front suspension arms and more aggressive geometry. The new Dynamic Plus setting ramps-up the drama, loosens the stability control and gives the torque vectoring rear differential license to really dictate the balance of the car.

Why so serious, then? The S3 really is a sleeper and we’ve leaned into that with District Green paint (£595) and stuck to the rather luxurious looking multi-spoke alloys. The only overtly performance option ticked is the Akrapovic exhaust, for a substantial £4,125. To be honest the S3 isn’t awash with bespoke option choices but comes with nearly everything you want and need, anyway. We added front and rear side airbags for £340, too. But nothing else. Even so, the S3 comes in at a weighty £58,590.

With that price and all the RS3-derived goodies come high expectations. So far the S3 feels very good indeed… if a little buttoned-up and conventional after the amazingly singular Type R. Having said that there are encouraging signs and my first forays into Dynamic Plus mode have revealed a lovely neutral balance and the prospect of real on-throttle oversteer. I like that. Let’s see if we can reveal the wild side of the S3 in the coming months.

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