2023 AUDI RS3 CANADA REVIEW
If you tend to subscribe to the mantra that life is too short to drive a boring car – and we do – then the Audi RS3 is an attractive option. The 401-hp RS3 is a steaming, bubbling bowl of oatmeal from the A3 line.
Next to the basic 201-hp A3 is cold mush and even the 306-hp S3 is just lukewarm mush. The RS3’s turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine pumps out 369 pound-feet of heat to keep up with its impressive pony herd and sends it to all four wheels via a seven-speed automatic dual-clutch and Audi Quattro all-wheel drive system.
The 2023 AUDI RS3 CANADA REVIEW exterior design, interior layout, and aerodynamic aids ooze strong bad, boy energy. It’s a clear message backed by the RS3’s excellent acceleration, deceleration, agility, stability, and ride feel.
What 2023 AUDI RS3 CANADA Interior?
Inside, the RS3’s passenger compartment is identical to the A3 and S3 but has a more aggressive set of reinforced front seats. Audi endowed all versions with a so-so-looking dashboard.
A pair of high-mounted air vents face the driver and flank the instrument panel binnacle, which houses a set of digital gauges. The RS3 is also available with a heads-up display.
INTERIOR AUDI RS 2023
Below the center touchscreen is climate control with physical buttons, and there’s a trash can underneath that’s integrated into the center console. Unfortunately, drivers must select gears via odd, beefy shifters; the paddles on the steering wheel are an alternative once the RS3 is moving.
Engine, Transmission and Performance
One of the RS3’s most distinct elements is its unusual five-cylinder engine, which Audi experts know as the brand’s Group B rally car and many of its road models in the past. The engine’s odd number of cylinders provides a unique thumping soundtrack that was enjoyable on the previous model and remains so on this new model.
The latest iteration is once again a turbocharged 2.5 liter and now produces 401 horsepower, seven more than in the previous RS3. The engine is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission which provides quick upshifts but makes quick downshifts in spirited driving best accomplished with paddle shifters.
The standard all-wheel-drive system includes a torque-vectoring rear differential with drift mode. The sportiest three have upgraded brakes compared to the lesser A3 and S3. Many revised chassis components, a stiffer suspension setup, and a unique set of wheels with stickier performance tires.
The RS3 we rode made an exhilarating sound, and the car’s aggressive nature was evident on the racetrack. Plus, it’s quiet and comfortable when driven quietly on normal roads — humming through it with a rush of urgency you can feel at all speeds.
On our test track, we clocked up a blazing fast 3.3-second run to 60 mph, and the RS3 topped the quarter-mile mark in just 11.8 seconds at 117 mph.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
Since no changes have been made to the RS3, we expect to maintain its EPA ratings of 20 mpg city and 28 mpg highway for the 2023 model year. On our fuel-efficient 75 mph route, part of our extensive testing regimen, the 2022 RS3 topped EPA estimates with a yield of 33 mpg.
READ MORE :Â New 2024 Audi R8 Review
