2023 Audi S3 Sedan

History/Overview

The Audi S3 is the middle child of three subcompact sport sedans, slotting in between the base A3 and hotter RS3, and has its roots in Europe’s tradition of packing a lot of performance into small cars. In North America, it’s one of Audi’s least-expensive models and appeals to shoppers looking for a more traditional alternative to small crossovers.

What’s New/Key Changes From Last Year

This year, the S3’s mid-range trim adds a garage door remote to its list of standard features, while the top trim gains the Audi Connect suite.

Available Trims

The S3 comes in Komfort, Progressiv, and Technik trims. Power is from a 2.0L turbo four-cylinder engine, a seven-speed transmission, and AWD.

Less-potent, less-expensive A3 and pricier, faster RS3 variants are covered in separate buyer’s guide entries.

Standard Features

Komfort configuration comes with 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, forward collision mitigation, rear parking sensors and passive keyless entry. Inside are heated front seats with power driver’s adjustments, dual-zone A/C, digital gauges, a panoramic roof, Apple CarPlay, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, and a 10-speaker stereo.

Progressiv trim brings ambient lighting, digital gauges, four-way front-seat lumbar, an auto-dimming mirror with integrated garage remote, rear cross-traffic alert, park assist, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, and exit warning.

Technik gains auto-dimming/power-folding side mirrors, upgraded headlights, driver’s seat memory, navigation, traffic sign recognition, Bang & Olufsen audio, and automatic high beams.

Key Options

A tech pack adds wireless phone charging, a garage door remote, and (for Komfort models) blind spot monitoring.

A Progressiv navigation package also brings upgraded gauges.

The advanced handling group gets a sport suspension with damper control, and 19-inch wheels. The advanced driver assist bundle adds adaptive cruise, active cruise assist, and automatic high beams.

Fuel Economy

The Audi S3’s fuel consumption estimates are 10.0/7.3 L/100 km (city/highway).

Competition

The Audi S3 primarily takes on sportier versions of the BMW 2 Series, Mercedes-AMG A- and CLA-Class, and the Cadillac CT4. Subaru’s WRX and the Honda Civic Type R offer competitive performance with less luxury.