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2015 Audi S3 Sedan First Drive

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,315
edited January 2015 in Audi
image2015 Audi S3 Sedan First Drive

The 2015 Audi S3 sedan goes on sale in August 2014 and will have at least 290 horsepower on tap. Is this high-performance A3 good enough to wear the S badge?

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  • noburgersnoburgers Member Posts: 500
    Now that's how you do a good write-up. Thanks, Erin for the great details on all the aspects of this new ride.
  • gurds7gurds7 Member Posts: 28
    Looks like a great car and I would like to replace my S4 with a smaller and lighter car such as this. The deciding factor will be the availability of a manual transmission. Dual Clutch = Excluded, 6-speed manual = guaranteed purchase. I will only buy any vehicle if it is a manual transmission. If you are drag racing or constantly racing on the track, I understand the dual clutch, but there is no reason for it outside of that. Real world fuel economy (not the easily tricked EPA numbers), fun factor, and driver engagement are much better with a manual. Audi, please give us the manual.
  • duck87duck87 Member Posts: 649
    I'd be interested to see this engine in comparison to BMW's N20. It looks like a solid entry, but against the CLA45 AMG and the BMW M325i it's also somewhat plain. Attention to detail is great though- not sure how many manufacturers out there bother to shape the top of the airbox!
  • lions208487lions208487 Member Posts: 240
    @gurds7- I agree this car seems like a blast to drive. I would be curious as to some details of your current S4; meaning what year is it, how many miles, and how has the reliability on your car been?

    I ask, because I had a 2003, and that Audi was a money
  • marcos9marcos9 Member Posts: 96
    The quad tips on the 4banger Audi seem excessive, but I know it is consistent with other S models as of late. Funny how 10+ years ago the B5 S4 was a twin turbo V6 that delivered 250 hp stock. I'm sure the tuning potential on the TSFI 2.0 won't be as dramatic as the B5 S4, but still.

    I'd rather have the hatch or any avant variant though. I guess the Golf R will have to fill that role for now.
  • ramos73ramos73 Member Posts: 1
    Nice write-up. However, how is 3150lbs not lightweight? A luxurious sedan with 300 horsepower and all wheel drive? Is there a current production car that checks all those boxes and comes in lighter?
  • joefrompajoefrompa Member Posts: 64
    3150 pounds and ~290 hp/280 torque is Subaru WRX STI realm.

    That's some seriously impressive weight with AWD in a semi-luxo sedan.

    I'm very intrigued. When is this coming out again?
  • themandarinthemandarin Member Posts: 436
    Appears to have been designed in the 80s
  • desmoliciousdesmolicious Member Posts: 671
    39 photos. 38 by Audi of America. A photo of a wheel by Edmunds.

    Did u really go to Monaco and drive the car?

    ;)
  • andres3andres3 Member Posts: 13,729
    For me, no 7-speed DSG = no purchase. Ditch the 6-speed and put the 7-speed in!
    '15 Audi Misano Red Pearl S4, '16 Audi TTS Daytona Gray Pearl, Wife's '19 VW Tiguan SEL 4-Motion
  • darthbimmerdarthbimmer Member Posts: 606
    Very handsome sheet metal, much better than the ungainly proportions and squat shape of the hatchback. Cabin interior looks tastefully rich. I wish they wouldn't put 19" wheels on cars this size-- I have them on my 135 and the ride is too harsh over crumbling city streets and pockmarked highways. I loved the 17s on my e36 M3.
  • dmclone1dmclone1 Member Posts: 17
    After owning a GTI with DSG and 7 sports/sporty cars with manuals, I'll take the DSG.
  • Santa34Santa34 Member Posts: 2
    It looks a little like the old RS4, which is a good thing. It's nice to see Audi and BMW reverting back to making smaller high performance cars. If there's enough headroom in this one, I'll definately consider it.
  • subytrojan_2subytrojan_2 Member Posts: 79
    You missed the engine bay and MMI screen photos, desmolicious. ;) Fight On, my friend.
  • patinthecitypatinthecity Member Posts: 40
    The dashboard design is going to hurt the sales of this. You're average customer that would be interested in a premium nameplate, will be turned off by it. It's far too minimal and sporty and doesn't look luxurious enough for what your average Audi customer would expect. It's going to hurt the sales of this newest model. The GTI has a more "luxurious" dash. I love the way the dashboard looks, but that's because it doesn't look like a typical sedan interior it reminds me more of the TT and that's why I like it. But, again, that concept will go right over the heads of your average customer and they'll just be turned off by the sophisticated minimal design. Which is why Audi should make a manual tranny standard on every trim-level for people like me who may want to graduate from a GTI or MINI and still want a sporty non-sedan feel inside.
  • tbone85tbone85 Member Posts: 27
    I get what you're saying, and I love manual transmissions. However, I'd like to see some data that backs manual EPA figures being more accurate than automatic.
  • duck87duck87 Member Posts: 649
    @tbone85: For manual transmissions in EPA testing you are required to shift at a specific point. Whereas for automatics they are allowed to shift whenever. With low load conditions, this typically means that automatics are allowed to shift to high gear as
  • stovt001_stovt001_ Member Posts: 799
    Its a shame a perfectly good car was compromised by giving in the wrong body style because most American car buyers have rubbish taste.
  • s3fans3fan Member Posts: 1
    edited October 2014
    White S3

    I wonder if Edmunds actually drove this car. To say "out on the road you won't be blown away by its acceleration" leaves me to believe that they haven't. I just purchased one and I have to say that it's truly impressive. A minimalistic cockpit doesn't take anything away from what this car has to offer. As for performance goes, this car beats out the 2015 Subaru WRX STI with very little turbo lag, less weight, and impressive torque. It looks like a sleeper going down the road, which is a great surprise to others when they want to give me a run.
  • tommikeletommikele Member Posts: 1
    edited January 2015
    Almost 14 months after most of the comments above and ...

    I've had my S3 with the performance package for three months and the car is perfect. No regrets I didn't go for the MB CLA45 AMG. No regrets on the DSG either. The transmission is a gem. The funniest part of some many of the comments above is none of them have ever gone near the car or any car in it's class. I laugh when I read all these armchair QB comments. If you haven't put the car through its paces for at least two weeks you are just blowing hot air and I doubt more than one or two of you have driven the car.
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