ramothepharaoh

I’m starting to feel like for the money the RS3 would’ve been the better and more fun choice over my S5 Coupe. I love the interior and design but the performance of the RS3 is near super car levels from a few years ago. Anybody have an estimate as to how much switching to about a $60000 RS3 from a 2018 Audi S5 Coupe with 5500 miles that has bang and olufsen and tech package and 18” rims. Thanks in advance!

N8!

Do you own or lease?

Probably need to do it now before you rack up any more miles on your S5.

ramothepharaoh

I own the vehicle

Neon01

Have you driven or even sat in an RS3? I was on the fence about the two vehicles (though a SB S5, not a coupe) before going to see them at the dealer. I didn't even end up driving the RS3. Aside from the virtual cockpit, it felt like a step down even from the 2013 S4 I drove in with. I'm sure it would have been a ton of fun to drive, but I'd be paying essentially the same money that gives me 3-4/10ths of the features and refinement of the S5, and the S5 would probably give me 7-8/10ths of the driving enjoyment unless I planned to track it - in which case it would be no contest in favor of the RS3.

Not to rag on it, because it's a great car, but the interior felt cheap compared to the S5. Even the diamond stitched seats felt incredibly tacky. The leather felt like vinyl, not leather, and far more of the surfaces were plastic (rather than leather) than in the S5. Also, the dash is plain and utilitarian, with broad swathes of real estate where there's just...nothing. Add on top of that that you're paying $60k+ for a car with no power seats and no built in garage door opener, and it just didn't make sense to me. It didn't help that the keyfob was exactly the same as the one I had on my 2000 S4. Trivial, I know, but in the end is a total experience that sells a car.

The one thing that would have brought me so much joy every day while driving the RS3 would be the engine/exhaust note. That raspy, burbly 5 cylinder has a note that rivals my old E90 M3 V8 for sheer sonic nirvana.

Stankia

The RS3 is a VW Golf with a bigger engine.

zoepup

My exact feelings

ramothepharaoh

Thank you all for your responses I really appreciate it. Neon you honestly made me think about the car from a different perspective and I think you are completely right. I will probably keep the S5 and maybe tune it in the future if I really need the power because I truly do love the car.
Thanks and I hope you all enjoy your cars!

jjonesx86_2

I walked into my Audi dealer with a major debate going on in my head. I was stepping down from a very fast 911 Targa and wasn’t sure if I wanted the top down fun of the S5 Cab or the thrill of the RS3...what part of my 911 was I going to miss more.

I drove the S5 Cab and loved it. Fast. Topless fun. Luxury. Just what I was expecting.

I had to talk the dealership into letting me test drive the RS3 and I’m glad I did. It felt cheap to me by comparison. During a spirited test drive I thought it was a bit erratic. It was quick but not smooth at all. To me it felt like an overpowered engine matched to an anxious transmission dropped in a mid-range Jetta. Great if it was a $40K hot hatch but not for $60K+ Audi.

Perhaps im just to old to appreciate the RS3 or maybe I just can’t look past the lack of refinement and luxury but I was thrilled to be driving out in the S5.

machz

I was all set to order a RS3 and to be honest that is what first attracted me to Audi. I was all set to order but on a trip to CA I stopped in at a dealer that had both and after checking out both I got home and ordered the S5. The RS3 sounded better and I'm sure was quicker but other than that the S5 felt like a much better car. Also the interior of the RS3 felt cramped and overall the car was too small for me.

Glisse

The engine in the RS3 is worth $59,000 (every cent) but the rest of the car is overpriced.

Seriously, the cars are so different, I think very few people will have trouble working out which is the better fit for them. If you bought an S5, go the Audi Germany site and build up an S5 to US spec. Then do the same for an RS3. Forget about removing the tax and converting Euro to $, because at the moment the two cancel each other out. If you bought an S5, you will laugh. If you bought an RS3, don't do this. But I will say there is something special about an RS vehicle, but not everyone will love that. In fact, most won't. Just as well, they are limited to only 1.2% of Audi's production volume.