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Monday, 22nd of March 2010

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Audi S3 Sportback road test report

Sportback

The turbocharged, direct-injection 2.0-litre engine produces a mighty 261bhp and 258lb-ft of torque, with the turbo lag of previous versions reduced by Audi's engineers. This means that the 0-62mph sprint takes place in just 5.8 seconds, placing it up against cars such as the BMW Z4, Ford Focus RS and Lotus Elise. Top speed is electronically limited to 155mph. There are two transmission options, a six-speed manual gearbox that provides crisp and accurate changes, plus Audi's six-speed S tronic automatic ‘box. However, good though the engine/transmission combinations are, and despite a one-second 0-62mph advantage over a Golf GTI, there’s still an element of expectation that the S3 doesn’t quite match, considering how much more you're paying for the pleasure. For the kind of money being asked for, it’s not unreasonable to expect it to be in the same league as the Lotus Elise. Sadly, but perhaps inevitably, it isn't.

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Performance

Ride & Handling

Ignoring for a minute everything that places the S3 in the premium car sector and it's soon apparent that it also does the job of a hot hatch: providing an engaging and fun drive. Considering the S3's sporting credentials, the ride is compliant, especially if you opt for the Comfort setting on the magnetic ride adaptive damping system, which Audi also uses on the TT and R8. If you want a bit more stiffness in the chassis, switch to the Sport setting and you get a nice taut, sporty ride. Thanks to the Audi's Quattro system, the power is distributed to all four wheels as and when required by road conditions, so the car always has plenty of traction and high levels of mechanical grip. There is some understeer if you go hard into a corner, but if you ease off the accelerator, the car corrects itself smartly and without any real drama.

Build Quality & Reliability

The A3, on which the S3 is based, does well in customer satisfaction surveys, coming in 20th in JD Power’s league table of 100 top models. In the table of brands, Audi also comes in seventh place. The research company’s new vehicle advisor service also gives the car top marks (very good) for mechanical quality and a rating of above average for performance, exterior quality and style. Warranty Direct also gives the A3 a better-than-average rating for reliability. Audi has built a reputation for quality in recent years, which is reflected in the materials used in the interior and the way the cabin fits together. Plastics are tactile and soft to the touch, and the leather upholstery on the seats evokes a feeling of high-quality modern furniture. The new chrome accents and aluminium inlays also add a touch of modernity, making the cabin feel contemporary.

Safety & Security

Crash tests by Euro NCAP of the A3 that is the basis for the S3 have seen it awarded four stars for adult occupant protection, three stars for child occupant protection and one star for passenger impact. They’re perfectly adequate, if not great, figures, but the model has been around for some time and various improvements have been made to the recently revised model. The Audi S3 has all the active and passive safety features you'd expect from a car from a premium carmaker. There are six airbags as standard (driver and passenger front airbags, side 'bags at the front and curtain airbags), active head restraints and Isofix child seat anchor points. In terms of electronics, there's electronic stability control, ABD, electronic brakeforce distribution and electronic differential lock. And in order to prevent some boy-racer driving away with your premium hot hatch, there's a Thatcham Category 1 alarm and immobiliser.

Space & Practicality

Audi is known for putting together some of the best interiors in the business, and the new S3 lives up to that reputation. Interior improvements all work well, with the white lettering on the dials now making all the information on the instrument cluster easier to see. The sports seats in the S3 are comfortable, so long journeys shouldn't be stressful affairs. There's also the option of adding some very supportive bucket seats. There's enough room in the back for adults in the five-door Sportback versions, making it feel like one of the most spacious in the hatchback segment. Bootspace is also among the best in its class, with 370 litres in the Sportback (350 litres in the three-door)- which puts it in the same ballpark as the Golf (350) and the Focus (385). When the split folding seats are lowered, the space increases to 1,100 in the Sportback.

Ownership & Value

Audi is certainly working hard to improve the efficiency of its engines, with improvements to CO2 levels in the new S3: the 261bhp 2.0-litre TFSI now emits 18g/km less carbon dioxide, taking its figure down to 199g/km. This is hardly planet-saving, but then eco warriors tend not to drive hot hatches. Engine tweaks also mean that fuel consumption has also improved, with the S3 now returning 33.2mpg on the combined cycle. However, this figure is likely to be much lower in real-world driving, especially in the hands of a hot hatch owner. The S3 is a desirable car and, with the price of a brand new car being so high, there will always be plenty of buyers looking to save some cash and pick one up for more reasonable money. As such, the S3 has very good residuals, holding on to 58% of its value after 3 years and 30,000 miles.

Submitted: 18/05/2009 11:05:51

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