Driven: 2018 RS3 vs S4
Hi Everyone,
I was recently in the market to upgrade my 2015 S3 to something more. Two of the vehicles I had the luxury to drive as potential replacements were the 2018 RS3 and 2018 S4. Part of me is doing this review just to share my thoughts, but I also wanted to share this review as I found a few articles of people asking "RS3 or S4?". Some of the information in these articles were good, some were not, and you rarely found people that had spent wheel time behind both cars back to back. I am hoping this post provides a good read, and helps those that will ask the question of "which car? RS3 or S4?"
Details
-RS3 driven was loaded minus the dynamic plus package.
-S4 driven was a prestige with every option minus the dynamic steering.
-Both cars were driven back to back on the same roads. The drive had city/around town, highway, and back road spirited driving.
Exterior
Winner: RS3
This is completely subjective so I will keep this short. I prefer the looks of the RS3 more than the S4. The RS3 has added lines to the body that lend an extra level of aggression that the S4 lacks. It is also worth noting that the dual oval black exhaust outlets, diffuser, and black optics package really set the RS3 off. It lets you know there is something to this car without being over the top like the Civic Type R is.
Interior
Winner: S4
This is not to say the RS3 has a bad interior because it doesn't. The RS3 has an interior worthy of its price tag, and areas like the cockpit feel I actually preferred in the RS3 over the S4. Still the RS3 loses here for two reasons. One, there are some key issues in the RS3's interior. Things like power seats (to be fair they adjust better than some power seats), and no home link on a car in this price range blows my mind. Especially when it's little brother, the S3, has a home link. Two, when I thought about which car looked like a $63K+ interior the S4 is what came to mind more. The S4 makes better use of its extra carbon fiber in the option carbon fiber inlay package. The interior aesthetic is better, the technology is better, and the B&O sound system is a little better as well. Both cars should make most parties happy, but the S4 takes the win here hands down in my book.
Driving & Livability
Winner: RS3
To be clear the S4 is a heck of a car. It is smoother, quieter, and more compliant than the RS3 while still being very capable in performance. So how does the RS3 get the win for this segment? Well for starts the RS3 is dangerously close to the S4 in terms of compliance, and smoothness. During both the around town, and highway driving I was shocked as to how well the RS3 handled bumps, poor winter road patch jobs and etc. Having daily driven an S3 for 3 years I actually preferred how the RS3 took rough road sections...go figure. It was quickly clear to me that the RS3 is a car that can easily be a compliant daily driver. You sit in the RS3 enjoying the B&O sound system, and with the radio on the only other thing you really hear is the glorious turbo 5 exhaust. The Turbo 5 is paired to a 7 speed DCT. It isn't as instantaneous as the S4's turbo 6 and ZF auto, but that is the only thing the S4's engine/tranny does better in my opinion. I found the turbo 5 to be tame below 3500-4000rpm, and the DCT shifts smoothly. I also have to admit I appreciated the versatility of the RS sport exhaust. Was nice to have the ability to set the engine sound to dynamic to hear more of that glorious exhaust note, and when you want things to be quieter you set the engine sound to comfort which leaves the baffle closed.
Being "dangerously close" shouldn't be enough to win here, and well it isn't. The final reason why the RS3 won this segment was its playful, yet lovable personality. This is a car that is fine being tame, but it will 100% tempt you to do things behind the wheel that you shouldn't do. This playful and lovable personality the RS3 has is thanks to some of its key attributes. The RS3 is quick, agile, responsive, and its engine has a heart of gold. I found myself smiling, and just having more fun behind the wheel of the RS3 when driving around town, or even on the highway. When you combine this level of fun in life's mundane driving moments, and the fact that the RS3 is very close to the S4 in terms of daily driving compliance, you get a car that just deserves to win.
To me the largest pro of the S4 in this segment was space. Space is not something to ignore but coming from an S3 for 3 years as a daily driver I knew what the RS3 could do. It can hold my rifles for range day, it can hold my golf clubs, go grocery shipping, and it can hold 4 tires for when they need to be replaced. I was also able to go on road trips in comfort with my wife in the S3, and we have double dated with two adults in the back without scuff marks on the doors when they get out. I am sure our friends would have loved some extra space, but no one complained to begin with. I am sure many people need the extra space of the S4, and that is a legit need, just not for me.
Dynamic Driving & Performance
Winner: RS3.
During my time behind the wheel I was limited with what I could do, but I was able to do enough to know that the RS3 feeds the S4 humble pie. If you remember I stated that the RS3 is a car that tries to tempt you into doing things you shouldn't do, well when you do give into temptation the RS3 acts as if Motley Crue's "kickstart my heart" started playing as it screams in joy "OH! YEAH!!" In a corner the RS3 is so eager, planted, nimble, and easy to approach its limits. The chassis is just flat out better suited for spirited driving than the S4's chassis. It doesn't stop here though. The steering is also light years better. From a driving standpoint in the S4, the steering was one of the aspects I just didn't care for. The S4 was numb, and a tad too light in dynamic (felt like my S3 in auto). The RS3 actually does try to communicate, and the weight is proper for the RS3 given what it is capable of. Between the steering and the chassis, the RS3 generates a level of confidence that dwarfs the confidence the S4 inspires.
The engine, and DCT really shine even more under dynamic situations. The S4 is one of the best ZF auto's I have touched, and it does a great job; however compared to the RS3's DCT it takes a back seat. The 7 speed DCT is extremely initiative. For a new car it provided shifts closer to where I wanted them, and it was blazing quick when a shift needed to be performed. Audi has definitely upgraded the transmission tune on the RS3 when I think about how my S3 was. The turbo 5 that burbles around town, just whales and roars over 4k rpm. During my test drive I could only go so with the engine, but enough to know it could punch my spine into the seat with incredible force. This surprise of power when I wasn't even going all out was just intoxicating. Simply put it doesn't feel just a little quicker than an S4, but in a different league of power. It should surprise no one here that the very capable S4 would be humbled here by the RS3.
Conclusion
When I got done with the S4 I was impressed, and I knew I had a real contender compared to everything else driven. The RS3 on the other hand when I had to turn it over, all I could do was my best Will Smith impression from Independence Day as I exclaimed "I have got to get me one of these!" I went with the RS3 because I felt it was a better balance of fun, sport characteristics, luxury, and compliance. The S4 may be smoother, but motortrend uses the term "smoove" for a reason to describe the S4. The S4 is luxurious, and smooth....too smooth to the point where it filters out some of the excitement. It wasn't that the S4 wasn't a good car, it is, but the RS3 was just better. I didn't care that the RS3 ran me 2-3k more than the S4 would have after discount. The RS3 just took it to the other cars that I drove. So far into my ownership with the RS3 it has continued to impressive and provide me a ton of joy while being very tame when I need it to be. I know finding an RS3 to drive is very hard; whether it is finding one to drive, or an Audi dealer to let you drive one. If you get the chance, take it as you won't regret it. If you can’t find one to drive, then take a leap of faith knowing that it is one heck of car that does indeed live up to its hype. I hope you all enjoyed this post. I hope I could help some that were curious between these two cars, and I hope I didn't offend anyone here with what was said here.
Now, here are some pics of the new ride.
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Originally Posted by meticulist
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