Used RS3 vs Used RS5 Sportsback vs Used RS7

[Frieza]

Hello everyone,

First time posting here and I hoping everyone is all set to enjoy their July 4th!

I am here asking for help since I am in the midst of analysis paralysis between 3 of the most fantastic cars from Audi.

Strange are the times we live in where the used prices for an RS3/RS5/RS7 are within a couple of thousand dollars ($50K-$60k) for similar range of miles. I wanted to get folks opinion on which car would they go for in such situations.

Context:
I have a family of 4 (me, wife, kid and dog) and currently own 2 cars. A 2016 Chevy Camaro 1SS and a 2018 Audi Q5. The Q5 is my family hauler and the camaro is my weekend car. I am looking to trade-in/sell the camaro because my daugher will start her new day care soon and for that reason I will be in charge of dropping her/picking her up. Given that I cant do that well in the Camaro, I am looking at upgrading my car to a new daily driver (since I will start commuting to work 3times/week starting sept).

I started by test driving the 2021 Honda Civic Type R and was floored by it. That car is soooo good that I almost pulled the gun on it. However, my wife and family dont like the looks of the car that much and wife esp didnt enjoy the backseat and the interior of that car. She wants me to upgrade my car from being a brat (the camaro) to something more mature, which the Honda CTR didnt. The new CTR is not an option since there crazy ADMs on it and I am not a big fan of the new CTrs design (yes, i am weird in that sense that I like the looks of FK8 CTR vs FL5 CTR).

And that brings me here where I am looking for a new sports car that I can daily drive with my fam (after increasing my budget by $10-$15k). I came across the new 2022 S3 and was completely floored by its new interiors but at the price they are going, I feel a used RS3 is much more of a car than the new S3. So I started looking into the new RS3 and was almost certain on booking that as the car to buy. Until I realized that the RS5 and RS7 in the used car market are almost at the same prices which added to my confusion.

My Thoughts:
Now that I have given the context, here are my thoughts on it.

RS3:
1. Fun car that is in the leagues of the hot hatches like Type R (in terms of the size). So this is basically the right size of car for me.
2. The I5 engine is something that is to die for (I am testing driving one today hopefully)
3. Given that the used car prices for the RS3 even after 5 years are still near their original MSRP, it somehow gives me the idea that this car will hold a lot more value than the other 2.
4. I can use this for a small weekend trip but nothing more than that due to lack of space.
5. Looks are very subtle and more of a sleeper.

RS5:
1. No one can complain of more space that is available, esp when it comes with a car that looks as gorgeous as the RS5 sportsback.
2. It might be zippy but certainly not as raw as RS3.
3. More of a cruiser.
4. Sweet spot between the RS3 and RS7. It has a lot of useable space unlike RS3 but also useable power unlike the RS7.
5. Did I mention how gorgeous it looks in sportsback version? And the fact that its interiors are better looking/feeling than RS3?

RS7:
1. This is easily a like for like replacement for my camaro I feel. I look at the RS7 as the Harvey Specter of the muscle cars. It has raw power but is dressed in a suit that can turn heads.
2. However, I see it more as a straight line car than the "zippy" car that RS3/RS5 provides.
3. Looks gorgeous

I am inclining towards the RS3 and RS5 SB lot more than the RS7. But even between RS3 and RS5, I am confused as hell which one to go for. Once I test drive both cars, it might become clearer but many dealers dont allow me to test drive the RS cars for some reason. I also feel, the I5 engine of the RS3 is so unique today that it might not be available in the future and that would mean that the RS3 will hold its value much more than the RS5. Not to mention the fact that the RS3 after 5 years is still being sold at near MSRP prices (i know the market is crazy but still) while the used RS5 has seen quite a bit of depreciation. So as of now, I am thinking of RS3 over the others.

Conclusion:
What are peoples thoughts? What more insights can people with experience in all 3 cars give me. How is the maintenance on these cars?

[Stubek]

These are three very different cars. You want a DD “Sports Car” for the “Fam.” Something there doesn’t quite fit. Are thinking long term, it’s hard to say. If you have two kids in car seats and you plan to only have this car a year, then the RS3. If you have two kids of any age and plan to keep this car for 10 years, then the RS7 so there is room in the backseat for them. If your kids are 17 and 18 and moving out in a year, get the RS3 and let them lick their knees in the back seat for a year.

Also, those three cars are very different in price unless you are looking at a 7 year old RS7, 5 year old RS5 and 1 year old RS3.

If price was not an issue, I would go with the RS5 sport back. Good balance. If you need more size because you want to keep it for a long time as your daughter grows, then the RS7.
If you plan to only keep this car a year or so then grow more, save money now, get an RS3.

[philbegas]

RS3 for the engine alone. Compared to it, the RS5 and RS7 just sound like the same generic turbocharged car we have been getting for the last decade.