by Cheryl Eldridge
When you drive an Audi you feel as if you are on top of the world. As a matter of fact, when I saw my tester S3 my mind drifted off into the sweet sounds of Alicia Keys’ rendition of “This Girl Is on Fire.”
Put Audi’s new baby, the S3 in drive and the road is all yours, that is, if you like having power. The power to dream, arouse, and stand out in the crowd.
My son definitely enjoyed it.
When you think of the S3 you think luxury in a package. High class without overdoing it, I would say. The 2015 Audi S3 is an all-new model.
The 2015 Audi S3 is a higher-performance version of the A3 compact luxury sedan. It’s offered in two trim levels: Premium Plus and Prestige.
Standard features for the Premium Plus include 18-inch wheels, summer performance tires, keyless ignition and entry, selectable driving settings (known as Audi drive select), automatic xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights and taillights, automatic wipers, a sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, eight-way power front sport seats (with four-way lumbar adjustment), driver memory settings, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, leather and simulated suede upholstery, a 60/40-split-folding rear seat, auto-dimming mirrors, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity and a 10-speaker sound system with a CD player, iPod interface, HD radio and satellite radio.
The Prestige adds full LED headlights, a rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, power-folding exterior mirrors, a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, blind spot monitoring, an MMI controller mounted on the center console, Audi Connect smartphone integration and a navigation system. All these items are available as stand-alone options for the Premium Plus as well.
Available only with the Prestige is an Advanced Technology package, which adds adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, frontal collision warning and crash mitigation. Other options (for both the Premium Plus and Prestige) include 19-inch wheels, adaptive suspension dampers, rear seat side airbags and all-season 18-inch tires (no charge).
The 2015 Audi S3 is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 292 hp and 280 pound-feet of torque. All-wheel drive and a six-speed automated manual transmission (called S tronic) are standard.
Audi says the S3 will go from zero to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds using the car’s integrated launch control system. EPA-estimated fuel economy checks in at 26 mpg combined (23 city/31 highway).
On the safety side, the 2015 Audi S3 comes standard with antilock brakes, traction and stability control, front side airbags and side curtain airbags.
Optional safety equipment includes rear seat side airbags, a rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, active lane keeping assist and frontal collision warning/mitigation.
The S3 has yet to be crash tested, but the similar A3 sedan on which it’s based received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest score of “Good” in the small-overlap and moderate-overlap frontal-offset impact tests. It also earned a “Good” score in the side-impact, roof-strength and whiplash protection (seats and head restraints) tests. In government crash testing, the A3 sedan received five out of five stars for overall protection, with four stars for total frontal-impact safety and five stars for side-impact safety.
Up front, the S3’s sport seats are supportive for aggressive driving, yet pretty comfortable on longer drives. Being related to Audi’s smallest sedan, though, the S3 isn’t all that roomy. Headroom up front is adequate, but rear legroom is pretty tight for adults. (The S3 certainly has more headroom in the back than the CLA45 AMG, however.) The S3’s trunk is also quite small. Its 10 cubic feet is certainly fine for daily errands and such, but it becomes more problematic if you’re thinking about packing up for a long road trip. The rear seat does fold down in a 60/40 split, at least.
There’s nothing to fault with the S3’s overall design, though. Though some may prefer flashier cabins adorned in swaths of wood or metal, the ultramodern S3 is beautiful in its simplicity. Yet when you look deeper, beyond its broader, minimalist look, you begin to appreciate its top-notch materials and intricate details, like its ornate, jet-engine-inspired air vents, finely crafted switchgear and the fluid action of the MMI display as it rises from and lowers back into the dash.
Every S3 includes that screen, but its display size depends on whether you opt for navigation. So, too, does the rotary controller. Without nav, it’s just a knob. With it, there is a pad on top that allows you to write letters with your finger when entering a destination. It’s cool and it works. Regardless of MMI version, however, controls for the stereo and other audio systems may take some time to get used to (especially if you’re used to a car with traditional dash-mounted stereo buttons), but they eventually become second nature.
The price sticker for the S3 was $47,045 loaded.
Until next week, drive safe and buckle up, it’s the law.
