2022 Audi RS3

Volkswagen is no stranger to packing big performance into little packages.  Same goes for the Audi side of the business. But when Audi shoehorns oversized performance into their tidy hardware, they also wrap it up in extremely appealing fashion. Well, time to unwrap up our Audi RS3 and find out why its beauty is much more than just skin deep.

We love driving supercars and crazy-fast EVs as much as then next guy, but we reserve a special place in our high-performance hearts for small machines that deliver big performance. So, this 2022 Audi RS3 is exactly our cup of Schwartztee. The 3 is, of course, part of Volkswagen’s recently upgraded MQB Evo family, along with the Volkswagen Golf; and this 2nd generation RS version gets just enough aggression to add an edge without retracting from its smooth and luxurious form.  

RS indicates the highest performing Audis and the RS3 sedan is the gateway unit. This means a wider front fascia with unique blacked-out grille and larger air intakes. Wheel arches are flared out to cover its wider track and 19-inch aluminum wheels; highlights in back include a subtle rear lip spoiler and more aggressive diffuser with big oval exhaust tips. And just to show how purposeful a design it is, front tires, at 265mm, are actually wider than 245 rears.  

Quattro all-wheel-drive is standard and gets a new RS Torque Splitter which puts a separate multiplate clutch on each rear axle, with the ability to send full available torque to only one rear wheel. It comes with 2 additional RS-specific drive modes; Performance, which prioritizes lowering both oversteer and understeer, and Torque Rear mode, which allows for controlled amounts of oversteer. Both front and rear suspension get a lot more than just a retune, as there’s a completely new front subframe, plus upgraded spindles, hubs, and controls arms, sitting 10mm lower than the S3. Standard Dynamic Chassis Control gets recalibrated as well.   

No 2.0-liter turbo-4 here, the RS3 adds an inline-5 cylinder.  Practically a unicorn in the automotive world, this turbo-5 puts out 401-horsepower and 369 lb-ft. of torque and sounds unlike anything else on the road.  No manual transmission option, just a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.     

We felt that hitting the Shenandoah Circuit of Summit Point Motorsports Park, would be a great way to get to know the RS3 a little better; and around this fun and technical track, it felt like a little rocket, both faster and gnarlier than we expected. We praised its platform-mate Golf R for the mature nature of its performance, but Audi seems to have taken a different route, with the RS3 feeling more raucous than refined. Quattro grip is always appreciated, but we were able to overcome it a little too easily, as the tendency is to understeer early; though the Torque Rear setting does allow you to throw it around with full confidence. As always seems to be the case, there are very clear and noticeable differences between Audi’s drive modes; they’re definitely not just gimmicks. The engine sounds fantastic inside the car, making great use of its 400-plus horsepower; and it feels more than that when you get on it coming out of a corner, as torque steer is always easy to find.  

Bottom line, it’s a handful in all the right ways, and a fun car for sure; some stickier tires would improve things dramatically. Brakes are upgraded steel units, but they did fade on us, and we could use more initial bite as well. Still, in straight-line testing, we averaged short 101-foot stops from 60. Now, as for getting to 60 as fast as possible, there’s launch control which keeps revs hovering at 4,000 RPM until you release the brake and pounce of the line with a slight wiggle.  From there, it was all grip and rip. Just 3.5 seconds to hit our mark. There are some nice pops through the exhaust as you work through the first few gears, but barely an interruption in power delivery; clearing the ¼-mile in 12.0-seconds flat at 116 miles-per-hour.  

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 20-City, 29-Highway, and 23-Combined.  We averaged a great 27.5 miles-per-gallon of Premium. That rates an average Energy Impact Score, with use of 12.9-barrels of oil yearly, and CO2 emissions of 6.3-tons.

Starting price for the RS3 is $59,995.

Like so many high-performance Audis before it, the 2022 Audi RS3 is fun and sporty when you want it, and a comforting luxury ride when you want that.  Turns out split personalities aren’t always a bad thing, and it’s actually the very thing that makes the RS3 such a winner!