One night, 2 full days, 300 miles, £50 Tesco Momentum later... here I am to give my full opinion on the Rs3 after a couple of days.
A small bit of background for anyone who searches this post/reads it randomly. I have a brand new S3 (5 weeks old) and it is a beautiful car and I love it, but it doesn't get me as excited as I'd like for something around 300bhp. I enquired with my local dealer, and they kindly lent me the Rs3 for a couple of days.
First Impressions & Car Spec
Sepang Blue / Matt Aluminium pack / Matt Aluminium roof rails / Electric folding mirrors & auto dimming / 19" Titanium wheels with standard width tyres / Comfort & Sound package / Tech Pack with High mobile phone prep / Lunar Silver SSS / Extended Mono. interior / Magnetic ride / Standard Exhaust.
It is an eyeful, but not over the top.. nicely flared arches, just slightly wider than the S3 at the arches, but the same width everywhere else.
The car stands so well. I didn't like the Sepang Blue on pictures before I picked up, but I found that every time I looked at the car I fell in the love with the colour more and more. It is so so nice - however I was not keen on the extended aluminium pack, I'd have specced the black pack 100% for sure. The only reason for me really is that I now associate the matt aluminium style with things like the off-road A4 avants and things and I don't think it stands out as a proper hyper-hatch. The wheels in titanium did look incredible against the blue.
Sports Exhaust or Standard?!
When I first picked it up, I was sad to realise that it didn't have the sports exhaust. However, when I dropped it off, I cannot understand what the sports exhaust must sound like as the noise from the standard exhaust is genuinely incredible. Not ridiculously loud when driving normal, but the way that Audi have played about with the ECU to give the driver a better sound experience is nothing short of brilliant. When you start the car, it revs to about 2.5-2.8k just so you get a few crackles/pops as it moves back down to idle, when you change down a gear in dynamic mode the car overfuels a tiny bit to give you crackles/pops to make it sound phoenominal. My verdict is that the standard exhaust is genuinely more than enough, however I like to take things to the extreme, so I'd be speccing the sports exhaust (Who doesn't want more noise?!
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Start up without any revs, and a warm engine. Link below -
http://vid1179.photobucket.com/albums/x386/multijfj/Rs3/IMG_1378.mp4
Mag Ride
My S3 has no mag ride, I didn't think I needed it as the suspension was hard enough. I WAS WRONG. The reason you spec mag ride is so that you can put the car in comfort mode and relax while driving. The difference between mag ride and no mag ride is incredible, you can put it into comfort, relax, and drive it like a normal A3. Whilst I appreciate this is not what most people buy an Rs3 for, for me this is excellent as I'd use it as a daily driver to commute to/from work. This is a 100% must have option for me. The side bonus is of course that the handling difference between my S3 and the Rs3 is a world apart, when in dynamic mode the Rs3 just sticks to the floor and you will always give up before the car does.
Interior & Interior Lights
Well basically the lunar silver leather was a definite no for me until I sat in this car. I took a few people in the car and the colour of the leather and the style of the SSS just creates a genuine feeling of luxury. Everybody's first comment was about the luxury interior (after talking about the noise of course!). I don't have the extended lights package in the S3, but I took a picture of the Rs3 at night when the package comes alive and it is beautiful, but not essential by any means.
Driving
I did about 70-80 miles in comfort, and the rest in Dynamic. The wife also came with me for 80% of the driving, and she drove for a good 30 miles also to get her opinion sorted. After all, she has the final say on whether we have it or don't! She absolutely loved it, but is more sensible than me when it comes to cost, so she could take it or leave it. (I want it!)
The Rs3 is absolutely ridiculously quick, it is a world apart from the pace of the S3. The throttle response is twice as good, twice as sensitive, the pick up of the power is 2-3 times fast than the S3, maybe it is due to the 5 cylinder engine I don't know but honestly the pick up at any part of the rev range is incredible.
There was 2 occasions where a gear change from 1st to 2nd was so violent it made the car jerk and made a pretty bad sound. I am fairly sure these weren't a sign of bad engineering or something is wrong with the car, more just like the car got through 1st gear so quick it wasn't sure when the next gear was coming into play. I also drive the car in manual mode whenever I put my foot down, never in automatic.
Launch Control was fun, I only tried it once as I didn't want to take the pi** with a demo car as the dealership was kind enough to lend it me for the two days. There were hints of wheelspin in this one (dry & clean road, clear weather, warm tyres) as apposed to virtually none in the S3, I think this is just down to the power.
The sound of the Rs3 is one of the best I have heard on the road. The combination of the 2.5 5cyl engine, the huge turbo whistling / dumping and the exhaust is just a recipe for perfection. I loved every second of it, and found that even the wife loved it so much we drove everywhere with the windows down. The car also had B&O sound system which I have in the S3, needless to say, it was never switched on. Complete waste of money
LED Lights
Comes as standard of course, not much to say expect they are beautifully bright and the fog light options are excellent. You put them on and they give some vision at virtually right angles to the lights, they shine great along country roads so you can see the edge of the road. However, I don't see the major benefit over Xenons. Waste of money if they weren't standard.
Missing options?
Only thing missing for me was the sports exhaust and keyless entry and start. I am sad that you have to start a £45k car with a key, when I'd rather have the key in my pocket to make it easier getting in and out the car with my latte from Starbucks !
Overall opinion
The Rs3 is an amazing car. I have test drove the A45 also and there is no contest. The noise in the Rs3 gives off a natural impression whereas the A45 seems false. The build qualities of the two cars are so far apart also, & the luxury feel of the Rs3 is much better. There is something about an RS Audi that makes you feel good inside, you own the top version of that car model, and it feels good. People looked at me everywhere I went, probably because of the noise, but I did love that despite the understated looks, people still wonder what it is.
Is it worth the extra money over the S3? Personally, I think it is, but I can also understand that some people won't be sold on it. I genuinely fell in love with the car. It is everything I want from a car, a daily driver, a properly fast and exciting car that you can get all your shopping in and maybe a child seat at some point. The S3 doesn't have anywhere near the same excitement factor at all - and it is the excitement that makes you want to buy it. However, I must say that when I got back into my S3 today, I did not feel disappointed at all.
If I can secure a decent deal from my dealer, I will order one. Colour? Mrs wants Nardo Grey, I want Sepang or the Nardo. Guess we can save £550 and that pays for the exhaust ha!
Any questions, please free to ask and sorry for long post![/QUOTE
Will the dealer get you out of the S3 as i am am I in the same predicament with my S3 should I swap for the RS?