By Jonathan Crouch
Introduction
Audi's S3 has always championed subtlety, but over the years, some have seen this car's driving dynamics as being perhaps a touch too subtle. Those people might like this fourth generation version, examined here in pre-facelift 2020-2023-era form. It offered sharp looks, improved quattro traction and enhanced adaptive damping, along with an even more appealing cabin. All without delivering the kind of showy exuberance of some of its rivals. There's a choice of five-door Sportback or Saloon body styles and either way, you get a very complete 310PS performance package that's cool, understated and very Audi.
History
Once upon a time, a hot hatch didn't have to be a mature, sensible thing. That wasn't the point of buying one. You got a shopping rocket because it was fun - with just enough practicality to enable you to justify the purchase to your other half. With Audi's S3 though, it was different. Here was an aspirational premium GTi with a price tag to match. A hot hatch for people who ordinarily, would have grown out of hot hatches.
We first saw it way back in 1999 at a launch over-shadowed by an Audi TT sportscar that shared the S3's quattro 4WD system and got a slightly pokier version of its 2.0-litre turbocharged unit. That's a basic mechanical configuration the German brand has stuck to ever since - but of course power has spiralled since then. The early 210PS output figure was quickly upgraded to 225PS in the first generation version, then boosted again to 265PS for the MK2 model introduced in 2006. By 2013 though, it was clear that even that kind of power was going to be insufficient for admission into the premier league of hot hatches, so the 2.0-litre turbo engine was redeveloped from the ground up to make 300PS and plumbed into the lighter, stiffer MQB platform that had offered so much extra agility and efficiency to more mundane third generation A3 models.
By 2020 though, a lot had changed in the super hatch segment. Cars like the Mercedes-AMG A 35 and later versions of the BMW M135i and Honda Civic Type R by then offered buyers arguably more exciting ways to own a practical 4WD sporting car with around 300PS at this price point. So Audi took the opportunity offered with the 2020 launch of the fourth generation 8YA-era A3 to do what it could to make Sportback and Saloon versions of this S3 a lot smarter and a little more engaging to drive. This MK4 S3 sold in its original form until the beginning of 2024, when it received a facelift. It's the pre-facelift 2020-2023 versions of this model we look at here.
What You Get
There's a choice of two S3 body styles - the 5-door Sportback variant and the alternative 4-door Saloon. Compared to its predecessor, the MK4 S3 Sportback is 3cms longer and wider than before; the Saloon version, if you're interested, is 4cms longer and 2cms wider.
The front, with its silver-trimmed corner air inlets, is dominated by the usual Audi Singleframe grille with its large rhombus-patterned grille, this adornment flanked by LED headlights with LED daytime running lights. In profile, aluminium door mirror surrounds confirm membership of Audi's S Series and the silhouette is dominated by the way that the pronounced shoulder line extends from the headlights to the rear lights, below which the body curves inwards. At the rear, the larger long roof-edge spoiler makes the flatter rear screen seem lower. And width is also emphasised by the large lower diffuser with its four trademark exhaust tailpipes.
Inside, model-specific touches include a smart red-trimmed start button and S badging on the perforated leather trimmed steering wheel. But what you'll notice just as much is something common to all MK4 A3s - what back in 2020 Audi called a 'new level' of digital technology, though here it was incorporated much less self-consciously than in a comparable fast Golf. In true Audi style, black panel tech dominates, with hidden screens you don't notice until you fire the engine. At which point the 10.1-inch HMI centre screen and the 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit instrument binnacle display both spring into life.
In the rear, as with most cars in this segment, it's not particularly spacious. Still, a pair of modestly-proportioned adults would enjoy reasonable comfort, helped by a small 3mm increase in elbow room for the MK4 design. What's on offer here is directly comparable to what you'd get in either of this model's two closest premium-badged segment rivals, the BMW M135i and the Mercedes-AMG A 35. Boot space is rated at 370-litres for the saloon or 325-litres for the Sportback variant. The quattro 4WD system robs you of a little room here, that total being 55-litres less than you'd get in a front driven A3 Sportback. Push the rear bench fully flat and you'll have up to 1,145-litres of room to play with.
What to Look For
Most owners in our survey seemed happy and, unlike with some other hot hatches, few S3s tend to have been thrashed about very much. But there are various things you need to look out for. As usual with this class of car, look out for electrical system malfunctions, including problems with the powered windows, the central locking and particularly the infotainment system. These issues might be caused by faulty wiring, sensors or software glitches. Make sure that your phone Bluetooth pairs-up as it should and that the phone-mirroring systems work correctly.
We have heard of engine misfires. And a few transmission issues have been reported, including jerky shifting, delayed engagement and transmission fluid leaks. Check for all these things on your test drive. We've heard of oil leaks, attributed to issues with gaskets, seals or the oil pan. And some owners have reported clunking or rattling noises coming from the suspension system, which can be indicative of worn out components like bushings, struts or control arms. There have been a few instances of turbocharger boost pressure problems. And some owners have had concerns about the brake system, so look out for squeaking or grinding noises on your test drive. There have been a few cooling system failures and some owners have reported air conditioning and heating troubles. There have been a few exterior trim and seal problems to. If the car you're looking at has a sunroof, check for water leakage.
Otherwise it's just the usual things. Check the alloy wheels for scuffs, the interior for child damage and make sure you insist on a fully stamped-up service history.
Replacement Parts
(approx based on an S3 Sportback 2020 - Ex Vat - autodoc.co.uk) An oil filter costs in the £7-£43 bracket. An air filter's in the £11-£28 bracket. Front brake pads sit in the £24 to £62 bracket for a set; for a rear set, it's around £29-£52. Front brake discs sit in the £37-£82 bracket; for a rear pair, you're looking at around £39-£65. Thermostat prices vary widely - from £18-£48, depending on brand. Wiper blades are in the £9-£23 bracket.
On the Road
At first glance, an owner of a pre-2020-era S3 might wonder what really changed here. The EA888 2.0-litre TFSI petrol turbo powerplant was the same as that used in final versions of the previous generation model and offered the same 310PS output, with 400Nm of pulling power. You have to have this unit paired with 7-speed s tronic paddleshift auto transmission. You'll find basically the same engine and gearbox combination used right across the VW Group products from this period in models as diverse as the Skoda Octavia vRS, the Volkswagen T-Roc R and the CUPRA Ateca, usually allied to 4WD. For this MK4 S3, that quattro system was lightly revised, along with a switch in functionality for the optional adaptive damping system.
That suspension change was probably the most significant alteration here. The previous 'Magnetic Ride' set-up, Audi reckoned, was 'a bit too sporty' and was here replaced by hydraulic adaptive damping governed by a central control unit that also oversees the 4WD and torque-vectoring-by-braking systems. All of which continued to make this car superbly easy to drive quickly and precisely. 62mph from rest occupies just 4.8 seconds on the way to a top speed that has to be limited to 155mph. And the engine note changes with the mode you choose from the standard Audi drive select system - relatively hushed for everyday journeys and long distance cruising; and crisper and more bass-heavy when you select 'dynamic' for more challenging drives.
Overall
No one actually needs an S3 - but then no one actually needs a hot hatch either - so if you can afford to get yourself a shopping rocket, why not buy one that makes you feel the way this car does?
The joy of ownership here doesn't necessarily come from clipping apexes at the limit of grip, although the S3 will indulge you in that way if you want. Instead, it comes from owning something jewel-like and exclusive, a very, very quick car that doesn't overly-immerse you in the business of going... well... very, very quickly. The thinking person's superhatch? You're looking at it right here.
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