Not sure if I'm just getting grumpy in my old age but its just another soulless box to my eye.

@kdm_entertainment

Ай бұрын

Ditto

@ahorton6786

Ай бұрын

Agree, where's the flair, its like a computer did the design, to the human eye it's just another euro blob. If Audi concentrated as much on design as the fairy lights they seem to be obsessed with it'd be better.

@s.-8406

Ай бұрын

Exactly the same car again, Golf R, Audi S3, 4 cylinder w/ DSG has been the same for 10+ years.

These prices are getting out of hand

@matias7566

Ай бұрын

Yup... this car will cost around £60k in Finland

@Birmingham_racing

Ай бұрын

You mean out of pocket?

@MCorrigan

Ай бұрын

Then people need to stop buying them, simple. In my opinion it's only mugs who buy this junk.

@valerystoichkov7429

Ай бұрын

​@@MCorrigangood for europes economy if people buy these cars.

@MCorrigan

Ай бұрын

@@valerystoichkov7429 no, it's not. The only winners are the top executives of Audi and the shareholders.

Thats an S3? Looks more like a regular A3.

@doublefault8850

18 күн бұрын

Configure both cars and compare . Not as boring as you think .

£47K is nuts, but if you walked into any showroom of the German big 3 with £30K, you’d just about (with haggling) get a new base A class / 1 series / a3 and some change. And they aren’t as premium as they used to be…..good review Joe, keep up the good work!!

@thelastemperor3704

Ай бұрын

Totally agree regading the quality these days. I had a Merc C class rental car recently, absolute garbage materials and build quality. I also went to look at a BMW M240i and can't believe the materials used on part of the door cards, it is like something you'd find on a budget car and they're using the same material on the new M2 aswell. The things that used to make German premium cars stand out have been eroded.

@deshapedttv1033

Ай бұрын

I bought a C43 AMG sedan with full spec in grey matte with 3 year warranty that covers almost everything with about 40.000 km down for about 53.000€ which already was expensive bc I bought it directly from a dealership in that exact spec. You could get that car around 45K with a bit more extras, and that Audi looks so stupidly expensive compared to that. Even used RS3 facelift is about 60K

@Idk910

16 күн бұрын

The RS3 fits perfectly in its $60k-70k MSRP price bracket of high-performance cars. The S3 however, is priced about $10k too high. 333hp and a 0-60mph of 4.7 seconds out of a $50,000 4-cylinder Euro-peanut is not proportionate in the US/Canadian market. A 2024 Mustang GT in the US starts at $40k (31.5k GBP) and comes with a high-revving 5.0L V8 and 480hp... and you're still left with $10k on the table to load the mustang with options or invest in a supercharger kit warrantied by Ford. I currently have a '21 RS3 8Y sedan in Kyalami Green, love the car, and want to upgrade to the '25 refreshed RS3 unless Audi puts the MSRP over $70k. Once Audi charges above $70k I might as well just move to the G87 M2 Comp xDrive coming the end of this year with an S58 inside it.

Absolutely nuts charging M240i money for this. They should be positioning this against the M135i.

@HaruHaruman

Ай бұрын

and even so, I'd get M135i over this anyday

@Chris-hy6jy

Ай бұрын

The price for the M240i is way too high too.

@HaruHaruman

Ай бұрын

@Chris-hy6jy M240i is a wonderful machine though, its B58 engine is phenomenal whereas the Audi S3 is just boring and way overpriced.

@Chris-hy6jy

Ай бұрын

@@HaruHaruman having owned a 140i for quite a while I agree, the B58 is great. New car prices are too high though. People need to not buy unless good discounts are offered.

@ResevoirGod

Ай бұрын

@@HaruHarumanThat would be a silly thing to do

The badge on the front grill looks rubbish, can't believe that they've removed the S3 badge from the grill too, thats what gives the S3 an identity from the front otherwise its no different from a regular A3. The S3 8V facelift is by far the best looking S3 inside and out, personally I prefer the analogue dash over the virtual one, just more classic and i think it looks more classy.

@ElSumero

Ай бұрын

Chromo package (L) is reserved only for S3. You cant get it for A3.

RS3 used to be 40k. Now you can't even get a 4 pot S3 with plasticky interior for that. Madness. The car world has gone potty.

@ifyouarefeelingsinister

Ай бұрын

RS3s were just over 40k in 2016 which is just under 53k in today’s money, accounting for inflation. Even so that still makes this seem pretty expensive

@Ernie703

Ай бұрын

I bought a 2 year old rs3 for 32k in 2018. Felt expensive at the time but looking back I reckon I got good value

@ahorton6786

Ай бұрын

100% agree, crazy.

@milinddixit6583

Ай бұрын

​@@Ernie703 Hold onto that one if you can, I think it'll start to appreciate in value in the coming years.

@adhirsingh8614

Ай бұрын

​​​@@milinddixit6583 with that engine, most probably. I do also think (opinion) that the cars to watch for value gains in this sort of price range is the Mk3 TTRS, and the Mk3 TT Roadster Final edition, if you're from the US (TTRS Heritage as well, but less so). Could be wrong with the last one but it just looks amazing, and I don't like convertibles to begin with.

Even by pcp or hp standard £47k is a tough pill to swallow Surely anyone that wants a s3 and has 50k to spend would consider a mint late prev gen rs3 surely no?

@ineedthatcar7169

Ай бұрын

That's the challenge for the Audi sales team indeed. I still try my old mans RS3 Saloon (2017) - at 70 years old he is convinced its all the car he's ever needed and doesn't see the basis of the change to a newer model 7 years later

@scytheofvyse1264

Ай бұрын

​@@ineedthatcar7169 He is kind of right tho.... The only thing lacking in 2017 rs3 is infotainment system but for a 70 years old it doesnt matter that much I guess.

@jonodunn2592

Ай бұрын

@@scytheofvyse1264?? 2017 has same infotainment as 2018 19 20

@Bewareofthedog69

Ай бұрын

100% yes

@noneB974

Ай бұрын

or you can get a 240i brand new for same price which rivals/beats rs3, while rs3 is being priced at £61k new. Audi has gone bonkers lmao.

wow this car will never turn heads :)

The old one looks better. Would also rather buy a 2022 RS3 instead

@Account1746

Ай бұрын

Yous smarts

@eannamc

Ай бұрын

Same had the 35 TSFI

Talking about S3, I still believe the previous generation was much much better looking and I can still buy it even today.

Predecessor 8y is much more aggressive than this, especially the front part. Hyundai grill, front lights are awful and the logo rings looks like it's from some cheap store.

Just picked up my brand new S3 today. Absolutely love it. Should i have waited for the 333bhp version? Maybe, but the Audi dealership knocked about 4,000 off. Highly recommend checking out offers with Audi now as they will be trying to clear out their stock before the new model comes in.

Another fantastic review from Mr. Achilles

As always, I enjoyed this well rounded and entertaining vehicle review 👍

Different motor but for roughly the same price I would take the M240I

@kdm_entertainment

Ай бұрын

Previous gen I hope!

@geronimooo260

Ай бұрын

It’s not a better all rounder than the S3, especially as a family car

@TheEryk03

Ай бұрын

I would not. BMW sucks.

@neillgowans4350

Ай бұрын

Not a better all rounder but definitely a better family car if the +2 are adults rather than children.

Brilliant video Joe of a great car in that superb Bavarian countryside ! Really enjoyed the ride! Cheers, Tom

That steering wheel has been in use since 2016. Thought they would’ve updated that at least in the facelift!

£47k WTF 😂

@PeterSothern

Ай бұрын

Rs3 money

@geronimooo260

Ай бұрын

@@PeterSotherna brand new RS3 is a lot more expensive man !

Good to see you back Joe. I ended up cross-shopping the S3 and the m240.

Great video Joe as always. It's a lot of money, but I really like the Q-car looks and performance is ace. All the best

If you don't need backseats, you should be shopping Porsche Approved Used with that budget and looking for a Cayman. If you want a hatchback which doesn't have a bone shattering ride or isn't insanely noisy - this is probably it I guess. BMW M140i slightly cheaper? Who knows. Hatchbacks are too expensive now.

@hxndley2131

Ай бұрын

Can pick up a decent untouched 140 for about 20/25k nowadays so i know which id choose, or even an 8V S3, they’re about the same price

@neillgowans4350

Ай бұрын

Cayman is a great option until it needs servicing and repairs.

@BobK5

27 күн бұрын

I test drove a Cayman and hated it, noisy old tech engine, unrefined suspension, gearbox not as good as a GTi, I was very disappointed and won’t be going Porsche or BMW

Another great video Joe ,does it still sound like a 5 cylinder in any of those dynamic modes inside the car?

I agree with you on the front-end updates, and I just noticed the new "S" badge on the rear! Total mistake, especially when they use the traditional badge on the seats and other places. The rear bumper looks worse than the pre-facelift model too. Performance-wise, very nice upgrade as far as I can see in this great review. 😃

It looks like the Hyundai i30 N. Why should I not buy the Formentor VZ/5?

Brilliant vid Joe, I’ve been following you for years, ever since you convinced me to buy my first BMW, a beloved brand new M140i. Great content bud, keep them coming 👍🏼👍🏼. Just sold my ‘22 F56 JCW and will be taking delivery of a new X1 M-Sport in a few weeks. Can’t beat a Bimmer

Enjoyed the review Joe. Interested to see what the new facelift Golf R has to bring later this year in comparison 👍

No, no, nope. First of all interior quality is still terrible and for this price i would rather buy used rs3. Lets wait for new BMW 1.

What a legend. Always love a Joe drive, even if it’s an Audi 🤣

Great video, will be interesting to see what you think when you get a uk version and if its worth swapping out of the prefacelift 8Y S3.

Hi Joe, you liked the seat cupra st r which I’ve still got had it from new, should you say this would be a good replacement?

Loving the 5 spoke twin wheels not the multi spokes. Just something about them. But each to their own.

That's big improvement in driving dynamics.

Would this akrapovic exhaust fit in the older 8y s3 from 2021?

In 2016 I got a brand spanker S3 for £27k on PCP, £320pm… A rough guess in this would put it at £650pm, £10k deposit, plus tax and a decent sized petrol bill… I’m on significantly better money than I was in 2016 and I couldn’t justify spending £800+ per month on something you couldn’t necessarily call a premium motor

@shanyebyt4899

Ай бұрын

Don't forget your luxury motor tax on that too. Spec'd my 135i a smidge over 40k and tax is £600 a year. The way it's going seems like soon you won't get a car under 40k 😅

That front badge is very important.......so for me it would be a problem especially with that price it must look different from the standard A3

Also do you know if on the uk models we will be able to option the adaptive dampers on any model other than the top spec car ,this was a fail on the current out going model.

Keep the hot hatches alive ! Cheers mate

Great review Joe. Yes i get the price is expensive but that doesnt mean its a bad car. Its a good car, i see the updates but not for 47k starting.

One neighbour just bought an MG BGT and another bought a Capri 2.0S. I'm tempted to start looking for something similar. £47k is nuts!

Love this car, not sure whether to buy new pre facelift or wait for the new one, they are both great

I hear you about quality touch points like the metal padels. I spend time in hot countries and metal parked in direct sun make this a bad idea. They should have leather covers offered imo😊

Agree with you on the rings...prefer the previous.

Great video. Will be really interesting to see your back to back. £55k for one specced like you would really want is steep, especially when it still only comes with a piddly warranty.

Shocked to see the number of subscribers you have….Man, you deserve way more. Thanks for the content and please keep it up.

Did the 0-60 in a pre face-lift 2023 Vorsprung Sportback in 4.5 sec. Always quicker than the manufacturer stated times.

Must be a VAG special map! I’ve got a golf r 20 years. Which is the same 333ps engine. The best draggy I’ve done on sports tires is 4.6, and that’s on winter tires!

@24jaked24

26 күн бұрын

Audi’s Quattro just puts the power down better than 4matic

@rupertm2542

26 күн бұрын

@@24jaked24 pretty sure that’s the same diff as the new Golf R has. They no longer use the old Haldex system and have a rear diff which can torque vector. Google “new golf R diff” and read the Jalopnik write up.

@rupertm2542

26 күн бұрын

@@24jaked24 having just read up on the proper Quattro setup, it seems the S3 only ever had a Haldex (4motion) anyway.

The new "S3" badge styling on the back looks so eBay spec I had to pause the video to check I wasnt seeing things. How have they managed to mess that up?

Does it still feel like a front wheel biased four wheel drive system . I have had a haldex, xdrive and a 4 matic+ and the haldex was so dull compared to the others!

Such a beautiful car.

Looks like a lot of fun! But, the grille/front seems a little incongruous, almost like it's been clipped on to to this car from another.

Great video. Mad price !,

What is the application used to measure the 0-60 miles / hr?

Good video Joe (as always), it's been a long time since I've visited the channel - apologies! As other have said, it's a fair chunk of money for the car, but sadly that is simply the state of new car prices at the moment. I do hope the new S3 is more engaging/fun to drive than the last one as I found it to be too clinical and it had a certain numbness about it. Hopefully the new Torque Splitter will help to address that. Like you, I'm not a fan off the new rings, they looks as if they've been 3D printed (they may well have been for all I know) and look a bit cheap because of it. Also, the choice of four designs for the daytime running lights seems awfully needless lol. Good news about the rev limiter, though!

I didn’t want to like the S3 but I do. It’s understated performance in a quality package.

As for the four rings on, this, its like someone nicked the chrome badging from it..

i like the color of the car it looks cool

£47K for a hot A3 is crazy, so much of the car is already made for an A3, so many decent tuning firms can improve power and torque outputs for £1K options so OTT in price, most average people just can’t afford this price range of cars these days, then they drop in price like a stone in a pond, often because hard to sell as to expensive.

I hope they resolved the SOS emergency call issue. Mine showed up after 33K. Many under 10k.

Yessss, the video I was waiting for! Planning to order one of these when the books are open on 15th May.

Odd that in the UK the S3 and the Golf R are close in price. On the « continent », there’s a 10K euros difference starting price (fully loaded Golf R vs non optioned S3)

Hi Joe - How does it compare to the M135i xDrive?

Love that exhaust noise of a 2 litre 4 pots engine. Is it real?

47k no thank you!!!

Cruising with cool confidence

Good review, personally I think it’s expensive but hey, what do I know it’s not a BMW 😂

Am I wrong in thinking that the mk8 Golf R has always had the diff that they’ve subsequently put in this? I think that was the main reason to buy that over the S3 previously. As I say, I might be wrong though! Nice video as always, Joe 😊

@davidbatty2416

Ай бұрын

correct, the mk 8 golf R has always had the same diff as the RS3 while the S3 retained the previous diff

🤯 47k wow wouldn’t go anywhere near it. Just look at what that could get you in the used market. You would have to have you head seen to if you brought it.

Where have you been? You haven’t posted in ages? I wake up at 4am for work and you, Matt, Yanni, and the kid who builds wrecked cars are my watch? !

@87Michael

Ай бұрын

Posted 6 days ago?

Cool jacket

If the new S3 is this impressive, I just know the new RS3 is going to be an absolute beast. Even more so than it already is.

Joe, where are those boots from?

Why has the S3 got a square bottom steering wheel but a round one on the Rs3

It was minus 15 degrees outside when we shot the intro?

what is with all the bot comments? To me it just looks like a cheap audi hatch back. Can't believe the cost of them. It looks no where near that value.

@JoeAchilles1

Ай бұрын

The bot comments drive me mad, I must block about 30-40 per video....

@edithwhitebrownhall

Ай бұрын

"Cheap Audi hatchback" New that's never really existed in the A3, has always been seen to be a bit more upmarket than an average hatch, I'd never really call any Audi "cheap".

Are they face-lifting the RS3? and do you (or anyone in the chat) know if the UK will get the 'performance edition' RS3? Great video Joe 👍

@jamiebell5362

Ай бұрын

Yes they are - spy shots already on line of it testing at the Nurburgring

@almac9203

Күн бұрын

There is video and photos of the facelift RS3 testing. It will probably be released either late 2024 or early 2025.

It's a nice car, nice engine. The engine is one of the best; and, I'm not surprised. But the cost is too high.

Great review. Price. That's where we are today. I just wished cars held their value. Seems to me we just accept 50% depreciation over 3 years. There lies the problem. You only lose money when you sell. Car looks good, 4 rings look crap. I'd take a BMW or a Cupra

Looks cheap cost lots . I’ll keep my 17 scirocco r . Get loads of appreciation comments about it and it’s only got 29000 miles on it . 47000 lol

Still take an S3 saloon 8v model

What the hell have they done with the badging? No S3 badge on the front end is a mistake. Why have they changed the S3 badge on the back? The red flag and the S3 is supposed to be integrated. It’s been that way for over 20 years. Is this so they can put the red flag on an A series because they’ve thrown on $15k of overpriced S-Line upgrades? I have a 2023 S4 and I would never consider this car , the face lift is soulless - I’m starting to wonder if a BMW is my next car. Never thought I’d say that.

only 47k? no way, they should make it more like over 67k......lol! world has gone crazy!

Grille looks kinda like a hyundai Tucson....

Im out of touch i drove past a VW place a few months ago and saw a golf for +50 thousand think it was 55k couldn't believe it 😮

wish we got this in the US but we only have the golf R and VW dealers are horrible

Once you have driven an Audi A3 , you can’t downgrade to any VW, you will always feel short changed

I used to change my cars quite regularly but given the price hikes for fairly average cars I refuse to play the game and will run my cars until they are no longer viable

Great review, as always, well documented and concise. My only issue is with the car itself. Why would I buy this one over the RS3? I will add a couple of thousands and that's that! Why go for number 2? Anyway ... that's my opinion, I'm sure there are people who say that a couple of thousands on a 47K car mean something. How much ia the RS3 .... 55K with all the discounts, blah blah?

I’ll eagerly await the new BMW135…

no definitely not worth that amount of money, car makers must be thinking wages are going up in line with inflation 😂😂😂

Nice Hyundai i30 grill

You'd have to be be a heavy Audi fanboy to buy this over m340i for 47k

@adwinadwin100

Ай бұрын

M240i list price is £48k...no brainer.

Everyone acting suprised about the price, it's a brand new car hello?

@fireworks368

Ай бұрын

The previous gen S3 to this started at £30,640 - yes inflation but fucking hell

@geronimooo260

Ай бұрын

Every new car is more expensive than it’s predecessor, even a Clio, it’s unfair, but I don’t see the fuss

@neillgowans4350

Ай бұрын

It’s not that it’s expensive it’s that it’s sooooooooo expensive.

@robsmall6466

Ай бұрын

​@@fireworks368Nothing to do with inflation. Everything to do with filling the black hole in their finances after the covid pandemic, R&D for EV models and pushing buyers away from petrol, diesel and hybrid towards electric. You then have the one model to rule them all SUV mentality. They don't want to make different model shapes and styles. The answer is to make the hatchbacks expensive. Look at Ford and getting rid of the Fiesta and concentrating on the Puma. It's about creating an environment to push the direction of travel. Make the hot hatches more expensive, FOMO them, less available. Then they will say no one wants them and buying habits have changed

Where is an S3 badge from the front?

Prefacelift S3 8y is more aggressive at the front

For £50k you can get a G82 M4 2021+ on the used market. What a farce this new car pricing has become...

I test drove the last Gen S3 and explained to the salesman that while roomy the materials are plasticky and the 4cly engine was underpowered for the price. He argued for a minute and then I mentioned the BMW M240i at almost the same price and he shut up. No emotion just like the Audi.

Used to look a lot sportier and aggressive, now looks very conventional and boring. VW keeps shtng on their costumers.

@JoeAchilles1

28 күн бұрын

Used to be dull as dishwater to drive, on a completely different level nowadays

Those that are willing to spend that on a car like this would probs splash the extra for the RS3 and those that want the S3 but not for this price could always look at the A3 S Line. Feels a bit disappointing

This or a Civic Type R? Both are similar money