Tested: 2022 Audi A3 Quattro Lacks 'S' Appeal

From the November 2022 issue of Car and Driver.

“For just a little more per month . . .” the showroom slickster begins, pressuring the unsure car shopper trying to stick to a budget. For the buyer wavering between an Audi A3 and an S3, we say give in to the upsell. The latest A3 is far less satisfying than its S-badged sibling.

Freshly redesigned, Audi’s compact sedan maintains a sensible size and is rendered in crisp sheetmetal. Inside, there’s a fantastic driving position and narrow pillars for unhindered sightlines. There’s also, however, hard plastic everywhere: the door grab handles, the upper door panels, the center console. And our test car’s Agate Gray wood inlays look like they popped out of an injection mold.

Audi apparently believes buyers can be hoodwinked by a screen-intensive interior design, one that banishes all physical knobs. But the round four-way audio-control button whose outer rim adjusts the volume is an unsatisfying substitute. So, too, is the little flipper shifter.

The screens, at least, are well rendered. All A3s have a digital instrument cluster—ours had the larger, enhanced version (part of the Technology package). Screen-based gauges are fast becoming commonplace, and Audi maximizes their potential more than most, with multiple display choices.

You probably guessed that motivation is provided by a turbo 2.0-liter inline-four driving all four wheels (front-wheel drive is standard). Now running a modified Miller cycle and boasting a 48-volt hybrid system, it’s more economical. The EPA combined figure increases to 31 mpg, a 6-mpg improvement over its predecessor. Our A3 Quattro returned 40 mpg in our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test. The snappy and responsive dual-clutch automatic makes the most of the modest 201 horses, but the 6.0-second 60-mph time trails the Mercedes and BMW entries. With 105 more horsepower, the S3 shames its weaker sibling, hitting 60 in 4.3 seconds.

Nor is the A3 as willing when the road starts throwing curves. The suspension is firm but feels underdamped on challenging pavement. The S3, particularly with its optional adaptive dampers, is much more sporting. On the skidpad, the A3 managed 0.89 g, against 0.96 g for the S3. More disappointing is the overboosted steering, which feels disconnected, and switching to Dynamic mode provides no amelioration.

No, the remedy for the A3’s mediocrity is to spend up for the S3, which not only drives better but has welcome interior upgrades. With standard all-wheel drive, the S3 is $9K dearer than the A3 Quattro. But hey, just skip eating out once a month.

Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com