The 2024 Audi RS3 sedan is the perfect example of the fact that you don’t need expensive supercars to enjoy pure thrill and performance. The RS3 is not your usual four-door sedan car and the way it looks says it all.
Basically, the 2020 Audi RS3 Sedan is a more performance and track-oriented Audi S3 which already is a sports version of the regular Audi A3 sedan. This new RS3 costs $13,000 more than the Audi S3 and its worth the extra money you pay for the car. If the S3 was not enough competition for the German rival, the BMW M2, the 2020 Audi RS3 Sedan will definitely be a strong contender and at times can be better than the M2. The RS3 also gets a 2.5 – liter five-cylinder turbocharged engine that puts out 394 hp mated to a fast seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and Audi’s Quatro all-wheel-drive system. This unit from Audi provides even faster acceleration to the RS3 and the performance is also improved thanks to the improved figures from the five-cylinder unit.
The 2020 Audi RS3 Sedan is also one of the few practical performance sedans out there in the market and provides tough competition to its immediate rival, the BMW M2 on that front.
But all these do cost little more than the standard A3 or the S3 sedan as the 2020 Audi RS3 Sedan starts at around $56,000. One thing which Audi could have done with the RS3 is to have given a manual transmission option which would have helped a lot in the driving experience and performance. The BMW M2 offers this but the RS3 gets Audi’s brilliant all-wheel-drive system that puts power perfectly to all the four wheels. For the 2024 model, there are no major changes both on the exterior and the interior. The RS3 is based on the A3 and thus is very similar to the A3 but with sportier design tweaks on the exterior followed by new color schemes and materials for the interior. Also, the 14 – speaker Bang & Olufsen premium sound system which was previously an option with the RS3 has been made standard now with the 2024 model. One surprising omission though is the optional Carbon – ceramic brakes on the 2020 Audi RS3 Sedan which offers improved stopping power and better braking performance for a long time like one would do on a track and you can read more about braking here. The new fully refreshed 2024 Audi A3 is around the corner and Audi will update that with its latest design language and tech features. The S3 and the RS3 will also adopt the same changes with the 2024 A3 sedan.
The 2020 Audi RS3 Sedan gets a unique, bold, and sporty front grille and the front bumper is also tweaked from the standard A3 to look sportier. The rear bumper has also bee tweaked with the addition of a faux – diffuser making it look sportier and track-oriented than the standard sports version, the S3. The wheels arches on the sides of the car are more pronounced and aggressive matching the sporty nature of the car along with a pair of oval exhaust tips. The other RS design features that come with the 2020 Audi RS3 Sedan include matte aluminum finishing on various panels around the car, around the windows, and on the side wing mirrors. Other exterior features standard on the 2020 Audi RS3 Sedan include LED headlights and taillights, dynamic indicators, and 19.0 – inch wheels. The interior of the RS3 has also been tweaked and new features have been added as standard to the car. Alcantara and ‘Nappa’ leather are present abundantly all over the dashboard and the dashboard design itself is very minimal and ergonomic helping the driver when driving. The standard interior features include dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, ambient LED interior lighting, and seat adjustment. Other factors like interior quality and build quality are up to Audi’s standards and there are no quality issues with the build. Even though a five-seater sedan, the 2020 Audi RS3 Sedan is best for four passengers and the occupants at the rear no matter what will struggle for headroom and legroom. That said, the seats themselves are very comfortable and are well suited for four passengers in the car.
With the 2020 Audi RS3 Sedan, Audi has brought the turbocharged five-cylinder engine mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and integrates very well with Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system. The engine now produces 394 hp and has 354 lb-ft of torque on offer and thus does the 0 – 60 mph sprint in just 3.9 seconds. Anyway even though getting higher power and torque figures than the Audi S3 Sedan, the 2020 Audi RS3 Sedan is still electronically limited to a top speed of 155 mph just like that of the A3 sports Sedan. These power and torque figures combine with the acceleration numbers bring the 2020 Audi RS3 Sedan very close with the BMW M2 in terms of performance which is it’s the biggest rival. When it comes to driving dynamics, the 2020 Audi RS3 Sedan may not be very fun to ride like the rear-wheel-drive BMW M2 Competition but it still is fun and is capable enough to put a smile on your face when you throw the car on corners. The steering weighs up perfectly and is also very quick and accurate sticking to the line where the driver wants the car to be. The standard magnetic dampers on the RS3 also manages to soak up most of the unduly roads but it is not the most comfortable as the RS3 is a track-oriented sports car and the suspension is mostly stiffy setup to improve driving dynamics around the corners. The only downside with the 2020 Audi RS3 Sedan is that Audi no longer provides carbon-ceramic brakes which would have elevated the stopping power and braking experience of the car.
It is no doubt that the 2020 Audi RS3 Sedan is a great sports car of its decade. It is the only car in its segment that can accommodate five passengers with a decent boot space combined with punchy performance and excellent driving dynamics. It can also be quite fun to drive around a track and the all-wheel-drive system makes sure that power is delivered to all the four wheels. The exterior and interior are also well crafted and have been tweaked to be sportier than the standard models. Even though on the expensive side, the 2020 Audi RS3 Sedan is one car that you will be happy when you drive it and it is worth all the money.
