2025 Audi S3 Review: Fun Without Fanfare

Talk of the death of the "attainable enthusiast car" has proved to be premature. Models like the Honda Civic Si and Type R, the Toyota GR Corolla, and the Acura Integra Type S have all amply demonstrated that provoking grins without entirely breaking banks is more than achievable. Still, where does a fan of fun on a not-excessive budget go, when it's time for something a little more serious?

Audi's S3 is one such option. Building on the upwardly-mobile entry point to the German automakers sedan range, it pairs a playful tune of the 2.0-liter turbo-four with an aesthetic that's markedly more mature than its Japanese counterparts. Heads may not turn at stop lights, when the S3 cruises to a halt, but Audi's counting on that being a boon, not a bore, to the four-door's audience.

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It's a familiar recipe for success — one we've seen played out through pretty much the whole of Audi's sedan and SUV nameplates — but this latest model year ups the ante somewhat. New hardware and some fresh options promise to bring some renewed spice to the S3, and maybe even make you forget its punchier RS 3 sibling.

The S3 slots into the middle of Audi's entry-level sedan lineup. For 2025, the regular A3 starts at $38,200 (plus destination) and gets the automaker's familiar 2.0-liter TFSI turbocharged inline-four tuned for 201 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque. 0-60 mph arrives in 6.0 seconds, Audi says, and Quattro all-wheel drive is standard.

A smudge over $10k more gets you the 2025 S3. Starting at $48,700 (plus destination), it has the same drivetrain but here tuned for 328 horsepower — 22 hp more than the previous model year — and 295 lb-ft of torque. In the process, it trims the 0-60 time to 4.4 seconds, and nudges the top speed (with summer tires) from 130 to 155 mph.

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Things take a turn for the outlandish with the 2025 RS 3. It starts at $63,500 (plus destination) and, though the core bodywork, Quattro all-wheel drive, and 7-speed dual-clutch S tronic transmission are carried over, the engine is a far more interesting 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder. That's good for 394 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, a 3.6 second 0-60 time, and a top speed of 180 mph.

The RS 3 is gleefully good fun, but that doesn't mean the S3 is lacking. In fact, at a time when crossovers and SUVs are everywhere, and each new vehicle seems to be larger than the last, a subcompact sports sedan with real personality is a rare and delightful thing.

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As is usually the case with Audi's S-badged models, the magic here is in the duality. In Comfort mode, the S3 is relaxed and refined, though the $1,100 S Sport Package — headlined by adaptive dampers — helps here with its ability to firm or relax the suspension. A shorter wheelbase than Audi's other sedans does mean the S3 can occasionally be unsettled by particularly poor-quality road surfaces, but for the most part it's only the snug rear seats that passengers might complain about.

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Switch to Dynamic, though, and things get more eager. Audi has also added a new Dynamic Plus mode, and the two have different behaviors for things like the new standard torque splitter and the ESC. Dynamic Plus also switches the rev limiter to a hard stop at the redline.

The result is punchy and charming, but — equally important — the fun feels accessible. Audi says that one of the changes for 2025 was to bump up the torque load from a standing start, and while I'd need an old S3 to fully compare them side-by-side, there's undoubtedly a puppy-like eagerness that dovetails perfectly with the diminutive dimensions. Even city driving benefits, regardless of the inevitable speed limits.

Roam further afield, though, and the S3 isn't merely "good for the price" but genuinely good, period. Power may be up, year-on-year, but we're not at endless-waves-of-torque level here: where some sports sedans leave you feeling like you're wasting 80% of their potential most of the time, the playful Audi surges, zips, and dances through backroads and country lanes.

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Cornering grip is plentiful, and everything is predictable and thus easy to play with. A little more yell out of the quartet of tailpipes wouldn't go amiss — it's a nice burble, but restrained nonetheless — but the S3 might be a little bit too gentlemanly for that.

Inside, its semi-recent dashboard revamp leaves the infotainment touchscreen looking more integrated, and Audi provides a healthy number of physical controls for things like adjusting the three-zone climate control and drive modes. All trims get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and an LED ambient lighting package; Premium Plus trim adds Sonos-branded audio, adaptive cruise with lane-guidance, and the Convenience package.

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Finally, the Prestige trim swaps the regular 10.25-inch digital cluster for the full 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit Plus, and adds a head-up display. Heated front seats are standard across the board, with leatherette and Dinamica trim; full Nappa leather is a $1,000 option, but there's no way to get ventilated seats.

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Space in the front is ample, but there's no denying the S3's rear legroom is tight. Such is the way of things in this segment, of course, as is the not-especially-large 8.3 cu-ft trunk. Meanwhile, it doesn't take much effort to spot a couple of places Audi has saved a little money. The black plastic grille mesh and the rear diffuser panel are the obvious giveaways on the outside, and the 18-inch standard wheels aren't — to my eyes — anywhere close to as pleasant as the optional 19-inch versions ($1,650).

Inside, some of the trim pieces feel on the cheap side. I'd say the S3's plastic paddle-shifters were a cost-cutting exercise, too, but they actually match the underwhelming switches in the far more expensive SQ7. You're only worthy of metal paddles if you cough up for an R-tier Audi, it seems.

Is the RS 3 more fun than the S3? Certainly, but then again it's also considerably more expensive. Enough, indeed, that it puts the flagship of the trio into competition with some serious rivals.

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The S3's main competition, meanwhile, arguably comes from the Acura Integra Type S. A little more expensive out of the gate — it starts at $54,095 including destination — though better equipped than a base S3, it has slightly less horsepower and slightly more torque. More important, the Acura is front-wheel drive versus the Audi's Quattro, and it comes with a six-speed manual transmission.

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Your stance on those two factors will depend on a number of things, not least your expectations for gearbox involvement and the demands of your winter weather. There's also the cachet quotient, where I suspect Audi's four rings have the edge, and fuel economy. The EPA says the S3 should manage 23 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined — though, admittedly, I fell short of that myself — versus the 24 mpg combined of the Acura.

For the S3 to hold its charm over the Acura, you need to hold your nerve in the face of Audi's options sheet. This Ascari Blue example, with the Prestige Package, Black Optic Package, S Sport Package, leather seat upgrade, and a black roof, lands at $60,840 including destination.

Not only is that more than $8k higher than the Integra, which basically comes in a single, well-equipped spec, but it's only a few thousand dollars behind the starting price of an RS 3 (admittedly before you venture into that car's options sheet). Better, I think, to start with the S3 Premium Plus trim and stick with the 18-inch wheels, then add the S Sport package and land at $53,495 all-in.

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The result may not be the wildest little sports sedan out there, but it's one that blends luxury and character without being quite so adolescent as the Acura (or a Toyota GR Corolla or Honda Civic Type R, for that matter). Sensible and refined on the commute, and giddy enough to provoke grins when you take the long route home. The S3 may be Audi's smallest sedan, but it packs an outsized punch where it matters.