The 2025 Audi S3 Is Just Damn Good: First Drive Review

There’s nothing better than a pleasant surprise. Despite many years of meh from Audi’s S and RS cars, most of the metal from that corner of Germany lately has been unexpectedly delightful. The facelifted RS3 is a banger, as are the RS6 and RS7 Performance models. The RS E-Tron GT is still solid, and the RSQ8 is officially faster and better to drive than a Lamborghini Urus.

So, this facelifted and updated 2025 Audi S3 has stout shoulders to stand on. Although its upgrades may appear minor on the surface—especially visually—the new S3 benefits from a mosaic of small changes that fit into a more cohesive whole.

First, the S3’s turbocharged 2.0-liter engine gets a bump in power: an extra 22 horsepower and 15 pound-feet of torque for a total of 328 horsepower and 310 pound-feet. Second, Audi spent considerable time doing invisible tuning work, stuff like adjusting ball joint rigidity and recalibrating the steering and suspension. But maybe most importantly, the S3 inherits its big brother’s clever torque-splitting rear differential, which allows it to send up to 100 percent of rear torque to either rear wheel.

Previously, one of the great laws of nature—a bylaw in some obscure subsection under “automotive physics”—dictated that every Audi must understeer. Save for the R8, the words “Audi” and “connected” rarely came together. But the new S3 breaks this rule handily.

Photo by: Audi

Pros: Excellent Steering Feel, Highly Connected, Much-Needed Torque-Splitting Diff

The 2025 S3 is so natural and effortlessly connected you’d think making a car drive this well was easy. The dampers soak up imperfections with accuracy, allowing S3 to glide over mid-corner bumps with impeccable body control. It’s a lovely combination of responsiveness and roll; the S3 is light on its feet but unshakeably fastened to the pavement. Best of all, the balance of grip is in the correct direction—certainly front-limited but with a willing rear axle.

The torque-splitting differential does much of the heavy lifting in terms of rotation. The S3’s diff has two modes: a normal mode and a mode similar to the RS3’s rear torque mode. Only 50 percent of overall torque goes to the rear, while the differential can send up to 100 percent of that torque to either wheel, though Audi says it’s tuned less aggressively than the RS3’s “three-wheel drive.” In practice, it’s a night-and-day difference in mid-corner, on-throttle rotation.

Photo by: Audi

Photo by: Audi

The S3 pivots well enough that I can open the steering much sooner. The crux of the connectedness lies in the new steering calibration, something I noticed but didn’t fully absorb when I drove the facelifted RS3 last year. I thought I was imagining it in the last few sporty Audis I drove, but a lightbulb flashed with the S3.

Audi did some homework here. This isn’t the same slow, numb Audi steering of years past. The S3’s helm has a nice, natural build in weight, some feedback and talkativeness as the rear differential and suspension do their work in rotating the car. It’s wonderfully judged steering ratio that’s alert but not darty. Even the on-center highway feel was resolute, with an excellent sense of straight-ahead.

Photo by: Audi

Cons: Still An MQB Underneath, Slightly Pricey

I quizzed Audi on my lightbulb moment—was there a new engineer in town? What changed? The answer was simple. Two years ago, Audi made an internal focus on “recovering its driving DNA,” which is corporate speak for identifying and unifying the Audi driving experience. During that time, Audi engineers took an opportunity to comprehensively redefine its engineering goals for what is considered “good” handling and steering. Thus, the latest round of Audi models are the fruits of that labor.

Suddenly, the newest Audi S and RS cars are not only luxury cars with lovely interiors and big power. They’re also excellent, connected things that satisfy my sports car-loving hands and feet.

Photo by: Audi

Photo by: Audi

The new S3 is something special. Yes, it’s an MQB platform underneath, and paying $49,995 (with destination) to start for a Golf-based sedan sounds like lunacy. And this one comes out to $56,195 with options. But for a small, sporty executive car, it’s one of the nicest ones to drive in the segment.

All I can say is that the new S3 is simply damn good.