Audi RS 3 vs. Audi S3
iSeeCars' unbiased and data-driven comparison of the Audi RS 3 and Audi S3 contrasts the two cars across a broad spectrum of vehicle specifications to determine which car is better. In addition to comparing pricing and specs, iSeeCars uses all the ratings, rankings, and insights from its comprehensive analyses of each vehicle model, including calculations of reliability, safety, depreciation, value retention, and the vehicle's projected lifetime recalls (based on analyzing over 25 billion data points). This in-depth evaluation is used to identify which vehicle represents a better overall choice for shoppers who are considering both the Audi RS 3 and the Audi S3.
In comparing the Audi RS 3's and the Audi S3's specifications and ratings, the Audi RS 3 has the advantage in the areas of resale value and base engine power. The Audi S3 has the advantage in the areas of new vehicle base pricing, typical lower range of pricing for one- to five-year-old used cars, and fuel efficiency. The Audi RS 3 and Audi S3 have the same interior volume. Based on this comparison of the Audi RS 3's and the Audi S3's specifications and ratings, the Audi S3 is a better car than the Audi RS 3.
Pricing: A used 2024 Audi RS 3 ranges from $64,992 to $74,899 while a used 2024 Audi S3 is priced between $46,971 to $58,315. For a new model, the Audi RS 3's price is between $65,355 and $72,025, with the Audi S3 priced between $53,402 and $62,353.
Resale/Retained Value: Looking at the 5-year depreciation rate for both models, the Audi RS 3 loses 38.8 percent of its value and the Audi S3 loses 42.8 percent of its value. This means the Audi RS 3 retains 4 percentage points more of its value and has the advantage of higher resale value versus the Audi S3.
Engine Power and Fuel Efficiency Comparison: For engine performance, the Audi RS 3’s base engine makes 401 horsepower, and the Audi S3 base engine makes 306 horsepower. The RS 3 is rated to deliver an average of 23 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 421 miles. The S3 is rated to deliver an average of 26 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 464 miles. This gives the Audi S3 the fuel efficiency and maximum range advantage over the Audi RS 3. Both models use premium unleaded.
Safety Ratings: The Audi S3 has an average safety rating of 5 out of 5 Stars based on NHTSA's crash test ratings.
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
$65,355 - $72,025
Starting MSRP:
$62,300
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
$58,130
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
$38,800 - $98,950
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
$53,402 - $62,353
Starting MSRP:
$47,400
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
$58,130
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
$38,800 - $98,950
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
$70,269
Price Range:
$64,992 - $74,899
Category Avg Price:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
$67,794
Category Avg Price Range:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
$47,250 - $119,964
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
44
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
2,315
# Good or Great Deals:
5
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
$53,116
Price Range:
$46,971 - $58,315
Category Avg Price:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
$67,794
Category Avg Price Range:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
$47,250 - $119,964
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
29
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
5,319
# Good or Great Deals:
2
5-year Depreciation
Depreciation $:
$24,900
Depreciation %:
40%
Resale Value $:
$37,400
Residual Value %:
60%
Typical Category Depreciation %:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
42.7%
Category Depreciation Range:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
40% - 44%
5-year Depreciation
Depreciation $:
$20,851
Depreciation %:
44%
Resale Value $:
$26,549
Residual Value %:
56%
Typical Category Depreciation %:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
42.7%
Category Depreciation Range:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
40% - 44%
Audi RS 3 Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
Not available
Reliability:
Not available
Retained Value:
8.1 / 10
Safety:
Not available
Audi S3 Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
8.1 / 10
Reliability:
6.6 / 10
Retained Value:
7.8 / 10
Safety:
10.0 / 10
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Audi RS 3
Avg Life Expectancy (years):
Typical Category Life Expectancy:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
11.2
Category Life Expectancy Range:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
11.1 - 13
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Audi S3
Avg Life Expectancy (years):
11.1
Typical Category Life Expectancy:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
11.2
Category Life Expectancy Range:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
11.1 - 13
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
1.8%
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
2.1
Typical Category Recalls:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
3.2
Category Range for Recalls:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
2.1 - 10.4
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
2.2
Typical Category Recalls:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
3.2
Category Range for Recalls:
(Luxury Subcompact Cars)
2.1 - 10.4
Audi RS 3 Rankings
Ranking
5 out of / 36Ranking
8 out of / 36Ranking
10 out of / 36Ranking
28 out of / 31Ranking
33 out of / 36Ranking
35 out of / 36Audi S3 Rankings
Ranking
8 out of / 36Ranking
9 out of / 36Ranking
10 out of / 36Ranking
15 out of / 36Ranking
18 out of / 31Ranking
19 out of / 36Ranking
23 out of / 36Ranking
32 out of / 36Ranking
34 out of / 36Available Body Styles
Sedan
Available Body Styles
Sedan
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Audi RS 3 Trim Levels
2.5T quattro
Audi S3 Trim Levels
2.0T quattro Premium, 2.0T quattro Premium Plus, 2.0T quattro Prestige
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
4 years
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
4 years
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
Not yet available
2024 NHTSA Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2024 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2024 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2024 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
Not yet available
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
5 out of 5 Stars
2024 NHTSA Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2024 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2024 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
Not yet available
2024 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
Not yet available
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
401 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque:
369 foot-lbs @ 3500 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.110 hp per pound
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
306 hp @ 5450 rpm
Torque:
295 foot-lbs @ 3000 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.087 hp per pound
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
2.5 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
5
Transmission:
Automatic
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
AWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
19 / 29 / 23
Range (city/hwy):
276 / 421 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Premium Unleaded
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
2 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Automatic
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
AWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
23 / 32 / 26
Range (city/hwy):
334 / 464 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Premium Unleaded
Standard/Optional Features
Adaptive Cruise Control:
Standard
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Android Auto:
Standard
Apple CarPlay:
Standard
Automatic Parking:
Standard
Bench Seats:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Standard
Heated Seats
Standard
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Keyless Ignition:
Standard
Leather Upholstery:
Standard
Paddle Shifters:
Standard
Parking Sensors:
Standard
Power Lift Gate:
Standard
Power outlet:
Standard
Roadside assistance:
Standard
Satellite radio:
Standard
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Standard
Voice Recognition:
Standard
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
Standard
Internet Radio:
Available
Navigation System:
Available
Wifi:
Available
Air Suspension:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Standard/Optional Features
Adaptive Cruise Control:
Available
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Android Auto:
Standard
Apple CarPlay:
Standard
Automatic Parking:
Standard
Bench Seats:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Standard
Heated Seats
Standard
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Keyless Ignition:
Standard
Leather Upholstery:
Standard
Paddle Shifters:
Standard
Parking Sensors:
Standard
Power Lift Gate:
Standard
Power outlet:
Standard
Roadside assistance:
Standard
Satellite radio:
Available
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Standard
Voice Recognition:
Standard
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
Available
Internet Radio:
Available
Navigation System:
Available
Wifi:
Available
Air Suspension:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Safety Features
Backup camera:
Standard
Driver Attention Monitoring:
Standard
Forward Collision Warning:
Standard
Lane Departure Warning:
Standard
Lane Keeping Assist:
Standard
Pedestrian Detection:
Standard
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Blind Spot Monitoring:
N/A
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
N/A
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Safety Features
Backup camera:
Standard
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
Standard
Lane Departure Warning:
Standard
Lane Keeping Assist:
Available
Pedestrian Detection:
Standard
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Blind Spot Monitoring:
Available
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
Available
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
36.8 inches
Front Leg Room:
41.2 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
54.8 inches
Rear Head Room:
36.6 inches
Rear Leg Room:
35.2 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
53 inches
Cargo Space:
8.3 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
87.0 cubic feet
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
36.8 inches
Front Leg Room:
41.2 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
54.8 inches
Rear Head Room:
36.6 inches
Rear Leg Room:
35.2 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
53 inches
Cargo Space:
8.3 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
87.0 cubic feet
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3638 lbs
Width:
78.1 inches
Height:
55.6 inches
Length:
178.8 inches
Wheelbase:
103.6 inches
Ground Clearance:
Not yet available
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3527 lbs
Width:
78.1 inches
Height:
55.7 inches
Length:
177.3 inches
Wheelbase:
103.6 inches
Ground Clearance:
Not yet available
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
19.0 x 9.0 inches
Wheel Type:
painted aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
265/30R19
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
18.0 x 8.0 inches
Wheel Type:
aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
225/40R18
Exterior Colors
Black
Mythos Black Metallic
Blue
Turbo Blue
Gray
Daytona Gray Pearl Effect / Kemora Gray Metallic
Green
Kyalami Green
Red
Tango Red Metallic
White
Glacier White Metallic
Yellow
Python Yellow Metallic
Exterior Colors
Black
Mythos Black Metallic
Blue
Navarra Blue Metallic / Turbo Blue
Gray
Daytona Gray Pearl Effect
Green
Not available
Red
Tango Red Metallic
White
Glacier White Metallic / Ibis White
Yellow
Python Yellow Metallic
Interior Colors
Black
Black w/ Express Red Stitching / Black w/ Micrommata Green Stitching / Black w/ Super Black Stitching
Gray
Not available
Interior Colors
Black
Black w/ Rock Gray Stitching
Gray
Steel Gray w/ Anthracite Stitching
