2016 Audi S3 Stage 2 tuned versus 2019 RS3 stock - personal experience

[billk1967]

Ive owned my 2016 for 1.5yrs now (got it with 20,000kms) and had it tuned a couple months after purchasing it. First went with stage 1 (APR) ECU and TCU tune then quickly moved to Stage 2 with the downpipe added and modified the intake. It definitely made a HUGE improvement on the performance and have enjoyed the performance of the car now for about 30,000kms. It is a daily driver so for the most part Im happy with the power although I find wanting a bit more pull at the top end as it seems to drop off at the higher end.

Fast forward to the recent holidays and I thought I would start looking at the RS3 to move to and found the one I wanted so went and for the first time actually test drove a RS3. Just to set the stage it was a brand new 2019 with 90kms on it. After taking it out onto the highway and putting it through the same driving conditions I put my S3 through on the way to the dealership I found myself very unimpressed with the performance of it. Dont get me wrong the power is there but in a very different manner. No strong pull from the lower end and marginally better at the top end of the rpms. Overall I was finding it hard to justify the $51k difference in price (they offered me $24k for mine) to move to a car that was essentially not as fun as mine from a power performance perspective. I basically came to the conclusion that if I were to move to a RS3 I would immediately need to tune it to get the bump I was looking for and Im not interested in giving up 4 yrs of warranty to do so. Needless to say I did not go through with the purchase.

So why did I post this thread you may ask. I am looking for feedback from others in a similar situation as myself and was looking if anyone has had similar thoughts on the performance between the two and ultimately if you did make the move what were the key reasons that pushed you over the edge, so I can try to convince myself to relook at this move.

[Spinnetti]

I was in the same boat. Even tried to get euro delivery on a RS3 but couldn't get an allocation at the time - but did tour the Audi factory. In the end I got a used 15' S3 and did a bunch of mods to it including stage II stuff (over the holiday I moved the battery to the trunk). Quite happy with it and glad I spent much less than 50% (including $8k in mods) of a new RS3. If I got an RS3 I'd essentially do the same sort of mods anyway, so saved myself a lot of money lol.

[billk1967]

I was in the same boat. Even tried to get euro delivery on a RS3 but couldn't get an allocation at the time - but did tour the Audi factory. In the end I got a used 15' S3 and did a bunch of mods to it including stage II stuff (over the holiday I moved the battery to the trunk). Quite happy with it and glad I spent much less than 50% (including $8k in mods) of a new RS3. If I got an RS3 I'd essentially do the same sort of mods anyway, so saved myself a lot of money lol.

Thanks Spinnetti for your feedback. Curious to know why you moved your battery to the trunk? Also, have you drove the RS3 and if so what were your thoughts on the power differences between the two.

FYI, I just found this video and this does make a good case to move to the RS for the engine and history alone....lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICPg...U#action=share

[Nor_Cal_Driver]

Nice video.

[El-Heffe]

I had a stage 2.5 GTI. Went to the S4 (mistake) and now to the RS3. Personally, I still like the RS3 better. The handling is much better. It's even more of a drivers car. Stage 1 requires no extra hardware and it will get even better, not to mention something like putting in a hybrid turbo.

What it really boiled down for me was that although my stage 2.5 GTI was stupid fast, it was no longer a great daily driver. The RS3 is still a great daily driver, as long as the roads aren't too rough. The RS3 no longer makes me occasionally miss my C6 Corvette either.

[TheContrarian]

If someone owned a recent model S3 that had been modified, I would tell them just to keep it as the RS3 isn't different enough to justify get hosed on a trade-in and moving up a price bracket.

The exception would be if you are power obsessed car enthusiast, as the ultimate potential of the RS3 is higher.

[smirk]

I think that going fro a stage2 s3 to a new RS3 would be a poor move if we do a cost to benefit analysis. You said it yourself, the performance difference between the 2 are nominal. Not to mention, the 8vs are on their way out with a refresh due in the near future. If you want to make this move, I would wait until the new gen RS3s come out so you would at least be hopping into a current gen Audi. Even brand new the current RS3 is dated featuring old tech. Once the new gen comes out, you'll experience even quicker depreciation.

[TheDude420]

A stock RS3 isn't going to feel as powerful as a Stage 2 S3. Tuned cars always feel more aggressive, powerful, and change the driving experience. For example my APR Stage 2 S3 feels like a rubber-band being stretched and let go when I accelerate hard. A stock RS3 will not feel the same. If you tune an RS3 to Stage 2 you can get a crazy 500-600hp and destroy most Stage 3 S3's. I'd stick with the S3 for a while. Like other's have said the RS3 has greater potential but I would not get rid of a tuned S3 for a stock RS3 that I wouldn't have the money to tune. I already have better performance than a stock RS3. The extra HP the RS3 has would be great for tuning and I do like the more aggressive front-end.

[billk1967]

Great feedback folks, this is what I was looking for. Good to hear others feel the same about the performance of a tuned S3 to a stock RS3 is very similar. FWIW I am a power obsessed nut so the move to the RS3 would be for that exact reason, to tune it and get more but it would be at the cost of losing the warranty unfortuantely. As my wife said thats a lot of money for a different color car (mine is mythos black and was looking at a metallic white RS3) and a different engine:)!

I have also been toying at the idea of just picking up a 2012/3 TTRS for around $30k with low kms on it and just keeping the S3. That way I could put the dough into upgrading the TTRS to stage 2 to get the boost in power im looking for, have the 5 cylinder engine I want and enjoy a manual at the same time:)! Anyone have any insight on these cars and how they compare to a stage 2 S3?

[TheDude420]

I never liked the TT/TTS/TTRS models of the past but over the last 3 or so years Audi has improved the front-end design and I really like it. They can look like a mini R8.

[billk1967]

I never liked the TT/TTS/TTRS models of the past but over the last 3 or so years Audi has improved the front-end design and I really like it. They can look like a mini R8.

Totally agree. Ive had a couple of the MK1 series (1.8T and the 3.2 model) and had mixed emotions on the look of them. The 2012/3 models and of course the 2018 model are much more attractive IMO. Im just not sure if the 2012/3 model 5 cylinder is worthy of producing a boost in power over what I have now with my S3.

[o1turbo30v]

Some good points in here, as someone who just traded a stock s3 in on a rs3, for me it was worth the jump, got a great price on a new 2019 ($47k) and yeah stock vs stock the rs3 is tuned differently, it’s very linear, doesn’t have the Low end surge of the s3 But god man once you cross 4500rpm you’ll be like what s3? Now stage 1 s3 vs stage 1 rs3 is no comparison, rs3 will slaughter even a stage 3 s3. At the end of the day the decision is around more than just pure performance, there’s heritage in the 5cylinder if you care, stock exhaust is probably the best exhaust I’ve ever heard in 30 years, some trims can be had for under $50k again if you care about virtual cockpit or whatever you’ll pay more, do I regret buying it, no, is it a good choice for everyone, no, but I’m glad I bought one.

[dimonblr]

Curious to hear about impressions on how Stage 1 or Stage 2 S3 compares to the previous gen B8/B8.5 S4 with Stage 1 tune.

[Spinnetti]

Why not just get a used R8 for RS3 money? Regardless of speed, the experience of the R8 is totally different and totally better for me anyway. The S3 is my daily I don't mind flogging, and the R8 when I want a special experience.

PS, I moved the battery to the trunk because the S3 is WAY too nose heavy. Same reason they moved it there on the RS3 ;) With my lighter nose weight, I'd bet my S3 (with plenty of mods) probably handles better than the RS3, especially on the tighter stuff. All that said, I'd still love an RS3, its just not a value play.

[Phayl]

Why not just get a used R8 for RS3 money? Regardless of speed, the experience of the R8 is totally different and totally better for me anyway. The S3 is my daily I don't mind flogging, and the R8 when I want a special experience.

PS, I moved the battery to the trunk because the S3 is WAY too nose heavy. Same reason they moved it there on the RS3 ;) With my lighter nose weight, I'd bet my S3 (with plenty of mods) probably handles better than the RS3, especially on the tighter stuff. All that said, I'd still love an RS3, its just not a value play.

Spoken well! R8 is a very different experience, especially a v8 gated manual I bet. Where in the Dallas area are ya?

[Spinnetti]

Frisco.. Where you?

[chi_marketing]

Confirmation bias is strong in this thread. I’m glad everyone likes what they have/own, we are all better off financially because of it lol

[billk1967]

PS, I moved the battery to the trunk because the S3 is WAY too nose heavy. Same reason they moved it there on the RS3 ;) With my lighter nose weight, I'd bet my S3 (with plenty of mods) probably handles better than the RS3, especially on the tighter stuff. All that said, I'd still love an RS3, its just not a value play.

Thanks for the update on the move of the battery to the trunk. Not that much of an enthusiast to be honest, just a quick burst power guy more than anything. With regards to the R8 it would be an honor to put one of these in my garage however im not sure if it would be used as much as a TTRS. Im actually now looking to import a RS3 hot hatch from the UK, just to be different:)!

[dadurbin]

What didn’t you like about the S4? Just curious.

[billk1967]

What didn’t you like about the S4? Just curious.

I had a stage 2.5 GTI. Went to the S4 (mistake) and now to the RS3. Personally, I still like the RS3 better. The handling is much better. It's even more of a drivers car. Stage 1 requires no extra hardware and it will get even better, not to mention something like putting in a hybrid turbo.

What it really boiled down for me was that although my stage 2.5 GTI was stupid fast, it was no longer a great daily driver. The RS3 is still a great daily driver, as long as the roads aren't too rough. The RS3 no longer makes me occasionally miss my C6 Corvette either.

I take it you are replying to this post of El-Heffe's, correct?

[Brian@Unitronic]

I think its hard to compare a tuned s3 to a stock rs3

I loved my s3, but the ceiling is low when it comes to performance and value.

The rs3 has a ceiling that hasnt been even came close to being reached and it still has a ton of value.

The comment about warranty doesnt seem valid either, as you lost the warranty on the s3 by tuning it.

If you can afford the rs3, a simple stage 1 e85 tune will be faster than 99% of the s3's out there and its very reliable.

Im actually picking up an a3/s3 soon for a daily driver as they have dropped so much in price its a great value for the money being spent

Brian

[Spinnetti]

I think its hard to compare a tuned s3 to a stock rs3

I loved my s3, but the ceiling is low when it comes to performance and value.

The rs3 has a ceiling that hasnt been even came close to being reached and it still has a ton of value.

The comment about warranty doesnt seem valid either, as you lost the warranty on the s3 by tuning it.

If you can afford the rs3, a simple stage 1 e85 tune will be faster than 99% of the s3's out there and its very reliable.

Im actually picking up an a3/s3 soon for a daily driver as they have dropped so much in price its a great value for the money being spent

Brian

S3 would be a better value yet if you would turn on left foot braking in my 15' stage II tune! (been waiting more than a year now).

Its not that the RS3 isn't sweet, its just not a great value. Maybe when more of them are on the used market.

[Davethaboss]

S3 would be a better value yet if you would turn on left foot braking in my 15' stage II tune! (been waiting more than a year now).

Its not that the RS3 isn't sweet, its just not a great value. Maybe when more of them are on the used market.

I am going to get crucified for saying this but a guy by the name of Will Motivation actually returned his RS3 and bought a S3 instead for some of the reasons people have listed here. (Yes he is not a real gear head.) I also test drove an RS3 and a CLA 45 AMG. They had a very bumpy suspension and the RS3 lacked that "tune-vibe" my current S3 has at low-RPM's and lower gears and to be fair where you will be 85% of the time you drive. I am sure if I tuned the RS3 I could achieve that but, at what cost? I then realized why these small 4 cylinder cars have such an allure to them and why when I drove an older C63 AMG (I know this sounds fucking crazy) it felt almost dead to me. I have always been used to peppy low-rev limit cars that get destroyed by V6's and V8's past 90 mph. I do not give a fuck because, I have no reason to speed that high on highways, I am always in traffic, and when highways are open my car ends up getting impounded and then I get 4 tickets lol.

Audi has not done enough to differentiate the S3 to the RS3 enough to justify the money being spent IMHO. People say the engine and tranny is worth the money but, I do not know. I got over the whole "10k is worth it for a better sound" awhile ago.

As a matter of fact a lot of manufacturers make a mistake financially creating these in-between models because more and more people are buying the in between models tuning them, modifying them, and truly customizing them that it does not make sense to buy the highest performance car any more from a FINANCIAL dollar for dollar perspective. We live in the greatest time to buy cars because, the gap between performance, luxury, and features on a car is narrowing more and more every year. Everything you have in your S3 feature-wise is already in a Nissan Maxima and then some haha.

I agree with Spinnetti. Once more RS3's populate the market and they drop in price, THEN they will be worth it. I love that car. I hope they can truly differentiate it to justify the price in 2021. The RSQ3 is the car to get in the future if it ends up coming to the states.
Then again what the fuck do I know. I was thinking about selling my car for a C63 or a C43 for better performance and interior.

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[wezzy785]

Frisco.. Where you?

I know you where not talking to me but. I am in McKinney TX and might see you at one of the ACND car meets!

[Nor_Cal_Driver]

Interesting points Dave. I must say I miss my B7 because of the shit and get attitude of the 2.0 turbocharged setup.


There is a thrill of the higher power in my B8.5 (S4) but the small turbo motors are fun in daily life.

[Spinnetti]

I know you where not talking to me but. I am in McKinney TX and might see you at one of the ACND car meets!

I haven't been to one, but might do... You need a 034 rear sway bar? I changed mine out for an APR one... ;)

[Phayl]

Frisco.. Where you?

Carrollton/Plano. Not far from ya!

[RudyH]

I'm in the same boat with the Golf R - which isn't that much different technically from a S3, besides body and nicer finishes.

The RS3 has the different engine, beefier transmission and beefier Haldex to handle more power. That's where you will start seeing the perks of the RS3.
Once you want to push past the Stage II S3, you are starting to get into some expensive engine internals and transmission mods, to start keeping up with a RS3 /w Stage I tune. At that point, you will quickly see the diminishing returns of the 2.0T.

As mentioned, ya a Stage II or a hybrid turbo S3 would be a blast to drive and with the 2.0T you will be more then content with the lighter engine up front. If you aren't content with the power then the RS3 is easily the way to go.

That said, personally I have moved on from wanting a RS3, because yes you get the powertrain that can handle more power, but I find Stage II is plenty fun as a daily driver and can still find trouble easy with it before the 'DING (speed reminder)' goes off telling me that my drivers license is getting suspended if I get caught.

The one item, that would have really set the RS3 apart, and I am sure will be in the next generation, is a LSD to fix the nose issues. Otherwise, will hold on to the Stage II 2.0T and when I do my clutch see what Wavetrac will do for me or get out of a Haldex system all together, for something more RWD biased like in the bigger Audi's and tweak,

[RudyH]

The RSQ3 is the car to get in the future if it ends up coming to the states.
Then again what the fuck do I know.

Did you mean a RS3 Sportback? The RSQ3 compromises its handling because of its ride height. Out of all the cars to get that's not one of them lol

[mtarr07]

I am actually in this same exact boat. I have a FBO stage 2 S3 that's paid off and it's my DD. Competitive me wants to get the RS3 but would immediately have to go to stage 2 to feel like I got any value from the move up. Just doesn't seem worth it for a ~$40k price difference... but I still want it. lol I could just spend $4k for a bigger turbo, fuel, and a tune to get stage 2 RS3 numbers. But then I say, just go get the RS3! Gah the back and forth.

[Phayl]

I am actually in this same exact boat. I have a FBO stage 2 S3 that's paid off and it's my DD. Competitive me wants to get the RS3 but would immediately have to go to stage 2 to feel like I got any value from the move up. Just doesn't seem worth it for a ~$40k price difference... but I still want it. lol I could just spend $4k for a bigger turbo, fuel, and a tune to get stage 2 RS3 numbers. But then I say, just go get the RS3! Gah the back and forth.

Stage 2 FBO S3 is slightly slower than stock S3, ran my RS against a friends S3 yesterday and I was at a 11.79 vs 11.9, with 3.58 vs 3.79 0-60. Butt dyno feels no difference, but the S3 handles significantly better due to weight yet you can feel the engine straining more.

One thing he noted when we swapped cars is how much more refined the RS feels (19 FL vs 16 PFL) and completely put together it is. Combination of luxury, tech, and performance is wonderful on these cars.
What I took from it was how old the PFL interior feels (have spent lots of time in PFL cars), how much better the RS sounds, and how smooth power delivery is.

I came from a 17 A3, so the jump was worth it for me. Power is easy as a turbo swap/mpi on the A3 - but the steering feel was weak from factory and would always be a bit behind the S/RS feel. If you're in a PFL S3 I say make the jump - and FL, maybe go TTRS or a different car (Tuned e85 B9 s5/s4??) unless your heart is dead set on RS3.

Picked up my 19 RS new for roughly 15k under MSRP, so the jump was justified as I am ahead of depreciation curve.

[Davethaboss]

Stage 2 FBO S3 is slightly slower than stock S3, ran my RS against a friends S3 yesterday and I was at a 11.79 vs 11.9, with 3.58 vs 3.79 0-60. Butt dyno feels no difference, but the S3 handles significantly better due to weight yet you can feel the engine straining more.

One thing he noted when we swapped cars is how much more refined the RS feels (19 FL vs 16 PFL) and completely put together it is. Combination of luxury, tech, and performance is wonderful on these cars.
What I took from it was how old the PFL interior feels (have spent lots of time in PFL cars), how much better the RS sounds, and how smooth power delivery is.

I came from a 17 A3, so the jump was worth it for me. Power is easy as a turbo swap/mpi on the A3 - but the steering feel was weak from factory and would always be a bit behind the S/RS feel. If you're in a PFL S3 I say make the jump - and FL, maybe go TTRS or a different car (Tuned e85 B9 s5/s4??) unless your heart is dead set on RS3.

Picked up my 19 RS new for roughly 15k under MSRP, so the jump was justified as I am ahead of depreciation curve.

I think the interior quality in this specific class compared to BMW and Mercedes is in fact the best. However, if you compare the interior quality of the S3/RS3 to any Mercedes C-Class and up, the interior is definitely bland, sterile, and way too minimalistic. You can buy some aftermarket stuff to really spruce it up but, even then it still does not compare.

It seems like a lot of the S3 guys are moving over to BMW I noticed. Particularly the M2 and M3. I was looking at the M3, C43, and C63 recently as a matter of fact. Audi does one thing really well which is it makes its cars very easy to daily drive and they do not break the bank. Even basic maintenaince is easy to do on them.

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[Davethaboss]

I am actually in this same exact boat. I have a FBO stage 2 S3 that's paid off and it's my DD. Competitive me wants to get the RS3 but would immediately have to go to stage 2 to feel like I got any value from the move up. Just doesn't seem worth it for a ~$40k price difference... but I still want it. lol I could just spend $4k for a bigger turbo, fuel, and a tune to get stage 2 RS3 numbers. But then I say, just go get the RS3! Gah the back and forth.

I am in the same camp. I was considering buying a C43/C63 AMG to maybe ease that bug I have but, something is telling me that if I go that route I am going to regret selling my car. Then again, it seems like no one here really regrets selling theirs after moving onto something else lol.

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[normcaldwell]

Ive owned my 2016 for 1.5yrs now (got it with 20,000kms) and had it tuned a couple months after purchasing it. First went with stage 1 (APR) ECU and TCU tune then quickly moved to Stage 2 with the downpipe added and modified the intake. It definitely made a HUGE improvement on the performance and have enjoyed the performance of the car now for about 30,000kms. It is a daily driver so for the most part Im happy with the power although I find wanting a bit more pull at the top end as it seems to drop off at the higher end.

Fast forward to the recent holidays and I thought I would start looking at the RS3 to move to and found the one I wanted so went and for the first time actually test drove a RS3. Just to set the stage it was a brand new 2019 with 90kms on it. After taking it out onto the highway and putting it through the same driving conditions I put my S3 through on the way to the dealership I found myself very unimpressed with the performance of it. Dont get me wrong the power is there but in a very different manner. No strong pull from the lower end and marginally better at the top end of the rpms. Overall I was finding it hard to justify the $51k difference in price (they offered me $24k for mine) to move to a car that was essentially not as fun as mine from a power performance perspective. I basically came to the conclusion that if I were to move to a RS3 I would immediately need to tune it to get the bump I was looking for and Im not interested in giving up 4 yrs of warranty to do so. Needless to say I did not go through with the purchase.

So why did I post this thread you may ask. I am looking for feedback from others in a similar situation as myself and was looking if anyone has had similar thoughts on the performance between the two and ultimately if you did make the move what were the key reasons that pushed you over the edge, so I can try to convince myself to relook at this move.

I've owned my 2016 for about the same amount of time as you've owned yours. Mods in my signature. Car is paid off.
While I know I could look at other cars; I also know I'm in a good place financially with the S3.
And, I really enjoy how it feels and performs with the setup I have. So, I'm going to really try to keep and enjoy the car for a long time (he said . . . ).

Like you, if I bought an RS3, I'd tune it right away. More power is more $$, always . . . . lol.
Best on your decision. Looks like you have a good setup with the S3, but I empathize with the urge to consider the RS3; it's a great car.

[Phayl]

I think the interior quality in this specific class compared to BMW and Mercedes is in fact the best. However, if you compare the interior quality of the S3/RS3 to any Mercedes C-Class and up, the interior is definitely bland, sterile, and way too minimalistic. You can buy some aftermarket stuff to really spruce it up but, even then it still does not compare.

It seems like a lot of the S3 guys are moving over to BMW I noticed. Particularly the M2 and M3. I was looking at the M3, C43, and C63 recently as a matter of fact. Audi does one thing really well which is it makes its cars very easy to daily drive and they do not break the bank. Even basic maintenaince is easy to do on them.

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Agree with you on the interior in this class, even comparing RS3 interior to C63 interior (apples to oranges), I find the RS3 to be not that far behind - especially PFL c63s coupes without the tech. I personally find the current C class interior to feel cheap, and it creaks/rattles too much for the price of the car. Current gen E/S are great cars inside and out - will go down in Mercedes history. Not a fan of the new MB design language, and the interiors feel CHEAP - very much like the new Audi line up A6/7 & Q8 all feel very cheap until you hit prem+ and then they start feeling like previous base models used to. Can't speak much on BMW as I haven't spent time with them or owned one.

Drove a tuned 600hp M4 manual yesterday and it was just okay, while it was nice to be rowing through gears for the first time in a year - I found the sound to be lacking, and power delivery to be linear like a boring NA car. Nothing like my RWS where you really feel the NA powerband, but some VTEC on top from 6-9k RPM lol. Completely agree with how "easy" Audi is, part of the reason I love the brand.

[Davethaboss]

Agree with you on the interior in this class, even comparing RS3 interior to C63 interior (apples to oranges), I find the RS3 to be not that far behind - especially PFL c63s coupes without the tech. I personally find the current C class interior to feel cheap, and it creaks/rattles too much for the price of the car. Current gen E/S are great cars inside and out - will go down in Mercedes history. Not a fan of the new MB design language, and the interiors feel CHEAP - very much like the new Audi line up A6/7 & Q8 all feel very cheap until you hit prem+ and then they start feeling like previous base models used to. Can't speak much on BMW as I haven't spent time with them or owned one.

Drove a tuned 600hp M4 manual yesterday and it was just okay, while it was nice to be rowing through gears for the first time in a year - I found the sound to be lacking, and power delivery to be linear like a boring NA car. Nothing like my RWS where you really feel the NA powerband, but some VTEC on top from 6-9k RPM lol. Completely agree with how "easy" Audi is, part of the reason I love the brand.

The creaking is so incredibly true it is almost uncanny. I noticed the older models had that problem. Maybe bad Quality Control in the Alabama plant? Idk.

Interior-wise the S3 vs RS3 does not feel much different in my opinion. Aside from the steering wheel (I hate alcantara steering wheels. I love the perforated leather wheel on the S3.) and the gear shifter and red stitching there is not much different inside. I have heard that the new model coming out will be pretty damn different. I am looking forward to that. Or once the current RS3 drops in price I might actually consider buying it potentially.

It is interesting because, Audi really is an extension of VW which is not a bad thing. The only bad thing is when they cut costs on certain parts of the car as a result of this relationship. Maintenaince and cost of parts is relatively cheap compared to Merc and BMW though. The stereotypes of an Audi enthusiast is quite interesting though. Most of us here daily our cars, and we take them to the track, grocery store, and in traffic lol. I doubt people over at BMW and Merc are dailying their M3's and C63's and doing it reliably. As much as Audi gets a bad wrap, I have had 0 reliability issues and I drive their cars long, far, in traffic, highways, etc... I did 15k miles and it was not even a year yet and I had 0 problems.

I can not wait for the future models!

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[Ladimer]

I have a '18 Stage 1 ECU and TCU tuned S3 by Unitronic. About a month ago I hit a deer coming home from taking clients out to dinner. The car is still in the shop and I may not get it for at least another month (long story). Anyway, I've been in the same boat of day dreaming of upgrading to an RS3 to pass the time. Most online reviews of the car are very favorable. It's interesting to hear the comments from others in this thread. If I were to get the RS3 I would get a Uni Stage 1 right away. I have yet to experience any major warranty issues on my tuned Audis so I am comfortable tuning a new car. I got a screaming deal on my S3....25% off MSRP, so a jump into an RS3 would need to make sense for me. If I could score $47K or $15K off MSRP on a new one, like some of the members on this thread have stated, I would make the move. It's interesting that no one is will to deal like that right now (locally)...even on left over '19's. That's just crazy. I'll continue to monitor pricing and be more aggressive with offers once I get my car back. But hopefully the RS3 bug passes.

[RGT03]

I test drove an RS3 when i was at the dealer for routine maintenance. I was impressed with the car but i feel like the S3 feels so much more refined and comfortable - and dont get me started on the manual seats. I love my electric seats and they actually feel better than the sports seats in my opinion. Now, having gone stage 1 IE on the S3 the car feels just right for me. I could see going stage 2 in the future and letting that be the end of it until i get a new car (RS5! ... someday hahah). I cannot justify going back to car payments again to get an RS3.

[billk1967]

Amazing responses, thank you for confirming Im not the only one in this crazy dilemma!

I continue to find myself drawn to Autotrader and the dealers websites regardless of the confirmation that what I have is, for the most part, a stock RS3. I think for me its two things that keep me wanting it;
1 - the increased power of course and
2 - the fact that having the R infront of the S puts you as an owner into a different class.

For me being in my early 50's (btw this sickens me when stating this as I still feel in my 20's..lol) its almost like to justify having a fast car it needs to be at the right price bracket to fit in with my peers. I know its a desired youth car when my son (21) is constantly telling me to upgrade so he can have mine as its his dream car (he has a 2007 mazdaspeed with stage 2 tune on it...surprisingly fast I must admit).

I too am fortunate like some on this thread to own the car outright so to step back into payments is something that is also a factor that is holding me back a bit (not a huge one, more of the me not having to hear the wife nag at me for the next 2-3years about missing her extra trips due to a stupid car she doesnt get to drive:).

I am starting to see the used ones with low mileage starting to come down locally now. Example, 2018 with 19,000kms on it for $53kCAN ($39-40kUS). Not bad but then I don't get the 2.9% financing.

I am now thinking to jsut keep the S3, let my wife have it and then lease a new one for 3 years at $1k/mth and then buy it out if I still want it at the end. This way I keep the S3, my wife gets to drive a newer car (She currently has a 2008 A3 with the 3.2L with only 100,000kms on it) and I dont have to give my S3 away.

I have to admit this is a tough one to say the least. So many things to consider. I do love the "R" tag though, regardless of mine looking and feeling the same, it just isnt. Augggh, this is driving me nuts:)!

[Nor_Cal_Driver]

Amazing responses, thank you for confirming Im not the only one in this crazy dilemma!

I continue to find myself drawn to Autotrader and the dealers websites regardless of the confirmation that what I have is, for the most part, a stock RS3. I think for me its two things that keep me wanting it;
1 - the increased power of course and
2 - the fact that having the R infront of the S puts you as an owner into a different class.

For me being in my early 50's (btw this sickens me when stating this as I still feel in my 20's..lol) its almost like to justify having a fast car it needs to be at the right price bracket to fit in with my peers. I know its a desired youth car when my son (21) is constantly telling me to upgrade so he can have mine as its his dream car (he has a 2007 mazdaspeed with stage 2 tune on it...surprisingly fast I must admit).

I too am fortunate like some on this thread to own the car outright so to step back into payments is something that is also a factor that is holding me back a bit (not a huge one, more of the me not having to hear the wife nag at me for the next 2-3years about missing her extra trips due to a stupid car she doesnt get to drive:).

I am starting to see the used ones with low mileage starting to come down locally now. Example, 2018 with 19,000kms on it for $53kCAN ($39-40kUS). Not bad but then I don't get the 2.9% financing.

I am now thinking to jsut keep the S3, let my wife have it and then lease a new one for 3 years at $1k/mth and then buy it out if I still want it at the end. This way I keep the S3, my wife gets to drive a newer car (She currently has a 2008 A3 with the 3.2L with only 100,000kms on it) and I dont have to give my S3 away.

I have to admit this is a tough one to say the least. So many things to consider. I do love the "R" tag though, regardless of mine looking and feeling the same, it just isnt. Augggh, this is driving me nuts:)!

Go drive an S4 if you are looking for more refinement. 🤷🏻

Plus, torsen Quattro with the crown gear, more space and lower cost.