The 4 pot S3

[Leevr]

Am I alone in thinking the sound from the 4 pot S3 isn't the greatest around. I'm not talking about the exhaust note. I just think the engine is just a bit crummy sounding. Bit rattly sounding. Don't get me wrong I think my car is great, but for an S3 I think it should have a more meaty sound.

 

[Antjos1]

Hi
I think my s3 sounds very good.

 

[Svenedin]

Yes I agree with the OP. It isn’t the best sounding 4 banger but there are limitations with just 4 cylinders. Personally I like straight 6 engines but those are classic/vintage. My S3 still sounds pretty good to me when I put my foot down. I’m told it sounds much better from outside but I can’t hear that! Very subjective what sounds good and what doesn’t.

 

[Jassyo06]

My last 4 cars have been of the 4 cylinder variant....TYPE R-Vetec FN2, ST3 2-0 Ecoboost,PFL s3....,Face lift S3 and overall the face lift engine in conjunction with the 7 speed DSG... is the best sounding one out of them all....closely followed the Type R....when revved that is.....

Anyway l Thought you where going to get a RS3.................??pfl....is the one for if engine sound is yer bag.....or go get a V8 Mustang.....


Besides engine sound aint one of my priorities ....

 

[Leevr]

My last 4 cars have been of the 4 cylinder variant....TYPE R-Vetec FN2, ST3 2-0 Ecoboost,PFL s3....,Face lift S3 and overall the face lift engine in conjunction with the 7 speed DSG... is the best sounding one out of them all....closely followed the Type R....when revved that is.....

Anyway l Thought you where going to get a RS3.................??pfl....is the one for if engine sound is yer bag.....or go get a V8 Mustang.....


Besides engine sound aint one of my priorities ....

Had a white RS3 pfl. Had nothing but problems. Ideally if I come into cash I'd get a FL one in a heart beat. Great sounding engine. Had mitsubishi evo fq340 a couple of cars ago and that didn't have a great sounding engine either. Need to get myself a V6 or V8. Few guys where i work have an RS5 and a RS6 and a BMW M4, they sound amazing.

 

[Jassyo06]

Had a white RS3 pfl. Had nothing but problems. Ideally if I come into cash I'd get a FL one in a heart beat. Great sounding engine. Had mitsubishi evo fq340 a couple of cars ago and that didn't have a great sounding engine either. Need to get myself a V6 or V8. Few guys where i work have an RS5 and a RS6 and a BMW M4, they sound amazing.

M4 cp sounds amazing and better than a 5 pot to my ears...but a RS6 is THEE King.....especially the RS6 performance with the Akrapovic exhaust....drove one a FL few years ago....Wee can but dream

 

[Rayner_1704]

Hate to say it and I hate this first one but iv always thought Astra vxr sounds really good and the A45 for a 4 pot that is

 

[simonali]

M4s sound pants if you listen to them from the outside. Inside the sound's all generated through the hifi like all the other go faster Beemers.

Of course, the S3 and all his cousins have their soundaktors, but how is it that the Golf R sounds the best of the bunch?

 

[Shawn8V]

^^Agreed, the s55 engine in the m3/4 sounds horrible for a straight 6, yes it’s loud and the overrun burbles are okay but from the engine alone it’s not a nice sound.

 

[msdmjb]

All inline 4cyl engine sounds are pants, some exhausts cover the pantness though. Things like a boxer4 still sound good. I have quite a few bikes lying around and just realised not a single inline 4 amongst them.........singles/v-twins (45 & 90 deg)/v-fours.
Nowt beats a smooth V8, try to listen to a VXR V8 GTS on start up.

 

[wab172uk]

I don't think the S3 sounds too bad TBH. Sounds better than most 4 pots out there

 

[Antjos1]

Hi all
The son in law got this beauty last year this is the video he sent me sorry there is no exhaust sound but it had just been delivered he waited 4 months for the car.
He told me he was very keen on the m4 but decided to get the mustang.
It sounds amazing.

 

[Snake Pliskin]

4 pots are always going to be limited in the sound department ... the only exception I know of is the Type R like Jassy mentions.
I had a bread van shape Type R back in 2004 and I loved that thing lol ... they look horribly dated now though lol

 

[Ron240]

The son in law got this beauty last year this is the video he sent me sorry there is no exhaust sound but it had just been delivered he waited 4 months for the car.
He told me he was very keen on the m4 but decided to get the mustang.
It sounds amazing.

Now that is a brute of a car....definitely not for shy and retiring types.
The M4 blends in with the crowd, but this certainly doesn't! And yes that V8 does sound amazing!
Just one thing though....tell your son in law to hold his phone in landscape when taking videos like this.

 

[Paul finch]

Got a 2019 s3 and it sounds absolutely....................pants!

 

[simonali]

I'd add the Renaultsport Clios to the good sounding 4 pot gang. I test drove a FN2 CTR and found it a bit gutless in comparison to the Clio 197 I ended up buying. That sounded great and revved nearly as high as the Civic.

 

[SuperKid]

My 2018 S3 sounds good for a 4 cyl. I actually like that it is not screamingly loud or "I've modified my exhaust" like. The sounds it makes are not easily replicated and love the DSG gear change noise.

 

[simonali]

Parp.

 

[Shawn8V]

All inline 4cyl engine sounds are pants, some exhausts cover the pantness though. Things like a boxer4 still sound good. I have quite a few bikes lying around and just realised not a single inline 4 amongst them.........singles/v-twins (45 & 90 deg)/v-fours.
Nowt beats a smooth V8, try to listen to a VXR V8 GTS on start up.

The engine in the old s3 8p, golf r mk6 and gti ed35 all sound actually decent, and better with an exhaust. It’s just the ea888 which doesn’t sound nice at all, but performance wise it’s probably the best in the 4 cyl department.

 

[Jassyo06]

M4s sound pants if you listen to them from the outside. Inside the sound's all generated through the hifi like all the other go faster Beemers.

Of course, the S3 and all his cousins have their soundaktors, but how is it that the Golf R sounds the best of the bunch?

Balls av driven one dozens of times................A M4 cp.....blows the 5 pot...away

 

[Jassyo06]

Got a 2019 s3 and it sounds absolutely....................pants!

Sorry to hear this mate...............Poor Show...by Audi....no reason to mute the exhaust in the S3 as it was never that loud in the first place....................CANT UNDERSTAND IT

 

[Jassyo06]

Parp.

Is that how the RSQ3. sounds.........lol

 

[simonali]

M4 sounds like a tin of wasps!

 

[firecracker69]

Got a 2019 s3 and it sounds absolutely....................pants!

Are you saying it's changed in any way for the 2019 model, or the sound is just rubbish anyway? Just curious as I'm about to order one!!

 

[Snake Pliskin]

I’ve never heard an M4 so checked YouTube.
Can’t say I’m that impressed tbh.
It does sound very rattly & tinny
I thought it would sound a lot meatier ?



The five pot sounds way more characterful & aggressive imo



Rs5 sounds better than the BM too

 

[Paul finch]

Are you saying it's changed in any way for the 2019 model, or the sound is just rubbish anyway? Just curious as I'm about to order one!!

It's changed lots.My 2015 S3 sounded nice and rorty,my new one is bland and quiet.

 

[Deleted member 117185]

Prefl rs3. That’s the answer.

 

[Snake Pliskin]

Prefl rs3. That’s the answer.

 

[Jassyo06]

I’ve never heard an M4 so checked YouTube.
Can’t say I’m that impressed tbh.
It does sound very rattly & tinny
I thought it would sound a lot meatier ?



The five pot sounds way more characterful & aggressive imo



Rs5 sounds better than the BM too

Well mate av driven everyone of them and the every variation of the the 5 pot.................RS3/TTRS...never trust a camera mic sound

 

[Jassyo06]

M4 sounds like a tin of wasps!

Audi lover....end of

 

[Snake Pliskin]

Well mate av driven everyone of them and the every variation of the the 5 pot.................RS3/TTRS...never trust a camera mic sound

Yes I would need to hear one first hand to judge properly for sure.

 

[TYb]

Audi lover....end of

I do like the 5 pots but love the 6 cylinder pur, hence being drawn to 340/440i and gen 2 boxsters.

I don’t think the S3 sounds too bad to be honest, good balance for a daily.

 

[Mark_86]

M4 cp sounds amazing and better than a 5 pot to my ears...but a RS6 is THEE King.....especially the RS6 performance with the Akrapovic exhaust....drove one a FL few years ago....Wee can but dream

I agree the M4 CS sounds pretty awesome... I think they've changed the exhaust or something on them, as the first batch of M4's were not very nice in that dept.

M4s sound pants if you listen to them from the outside. Inside the sound's all generated through the hifi like all the other go faster Beemers.

Of course, the S3 and all his cousins have their soundaktors, but how is it that the Golf R sounds the best of the bunch?

I think the G7R and S3 sound pretty much the same, S3 has a slightly louder fart from S-Tronic changes, but otherwise pretty similar.

Balls av driven one dozens of times................A M4 cp.....blows the 5 pot...away

Wouldn't say it blows the 5Cyl away mate. That engine is glorious and is second only to a V8/V10 imo. Loved my old T5 ST... bought that mainly for the sound she made.

 

[Jassyo06]

I agree the M4 CS sounds pretty awesome... I think they've changed the exhaust or something on them, as the first batch of M4's were not very nice in that dept.



I think the G7R and S3 sound pretty much the same, S3 has a slightly louder fart from S-Tronic changes, but otherwise pretty similar.



Wouldn't say it blows the 5Cyl away mate. That engine is glorious and is second only to a V8/V10 imo. Loved my old T5 ST... bought that mainly for the sound she made.

OK a slight exaggeration but the Competition Pack M4 is very loud indeed

 

[Audi Bairn]

Am I alone in thinking the sound from the 4 pot S3 isn't the greatest around. I'm not talking about the exhaust note. I just think the engine is just a bit crummy sounding. Bit rattly sounding. Don't get me wrong I think my car is great, but for an S3 I think it should have a more meaty sound.

Coming from an S5 3.0 V6, I agree.

 

[Snake Pliskin]

Coming from an S5 3.0 V6, I agree.

The S5 did have a nice engine

 

[winrya]

It's changed lots.My 2015 S3 sounded nice and rorty,my new one is bland and quiet.

Must be loads quieter than the 310 then as that’s a fair bit more vocal than the pfl 300

 

[Bells]

The S5 did have a nice engine

Did have a nice engine? Why is there something wrong with the latest B9 S5? I wonder how I’ll find the B9 compare to an S3 as I’ve got a test drive in an S5 this week!

 

[Paul finch]

Must be loads quieter than the 310 then as that’s a fair bit more vocal than the pfl 300

Spot on fella!

 

[Snake Pliskin]

Did have a nice engine? Why is there something wrong with the latest B9 S5? I wonder how I’ll find the B9 compare to an S3 as I’ve got a test drive in an S5 this week!

Ha ha .... it was more referring to S5’s which @Audi Bairn and myself had before our currrnt cars - both the previous generation S5

I haven’t driven the new S5 but it looks a superb car in & out & I’m sure the engine is a peach again. I’d 100% consider one.

I think you’ll find it more luxurious & refined than the S3 but heavier & less chuckable. Straight line power is awesome with effortless acceleration & the cabin was a wonderful place to sit. New one looks even better