America may be the world’s second-biggest car market, behind only China, but that doesn’t mean we get access to the broadest selection. Automakers pick and choose what cars come to America based on sales trends and market demographics, leading to us missing out on some cool stuff. Forbidden fruit, we often call it, lamenting how we’d love to see certain cars in the US. As compact hatches and sedans make way for crossovers, we’ve witnessed the petering out of the hot hatch in the US, and while we might get a few select hot hatchbacks, we don’t get one of the coolest of them all: the Audi RS3 Sportback.
To see whether we’re missing out on much, we spent some time driving one in the UK, coming away with a list of positives and negatives. The US may get the RS3 Sedan, but after a week behind the wheel of the hatchback, we have the overwhelming desire to park one in our garage.
The Award-Winning 5-Cylinder Sounds Better In The Hatchback
At the heart of the RS3 is an award-winning engine; we know and love the 2.5-liter TFSI five-cylinder, and as a nine-time Engine of the Year winner, it seems the rest of the world does too. But that five-cylinder, renowned for its similar sound to the V10, sounds even better in the RS3 Sportback than it does in the sedan. There’s technically no mechanical difference aside from European models having only 394 horsepower to America’s 401 hp, but where the sedan has a muted exhaust note, the lack of a separated trunk compartment in the RS3 Sportback means you get more exhaust note resonating through the cabin.
It’s not the bassy induction noise that’s amplified, but rather a turbocharged whoosh, adding another layer to the complexity of the engine’s soundtrack. The American RS3 already sounds better because it doesn’t have the same particulate filter European cars are stuck with, but I can’t help but imagine it would sound better still if there weren’t a rear bulkhead muting that exhaust note.
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The problem is the RS3 eggs you on to enjoy that five-cylinder symphony, and when driven like it begs to be, it’ll have you spending way too much time at the gas station, drinking premium gasoline.
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Audi RS3 Performance Specs |
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Engine |
2.5-liter turbo inline-5 |
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Transmission |
7-speed DCT automatic |
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Drivetrain |
All-wheel drive |
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Power |
401 hp @ 6,500 rpm |
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Torque |
369 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm |
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0-60 MPH |
3.6 seconds |
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*US specification |
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The Most Engaging RS3 Audi’s Ever Built
We’re not going to tell you the Sportback handles better or worse than the sedan, because the differences are truly negligible. Back-to-back, there are slight differences, like the hatch feeling a little spikier at the limit, but a dozen or more factors could change how either version feels on a given day. What we are certain of is the RS3 is one of the few modern premium cars that keeps getting better with each passing generation, unlike a few other German performance compacts we’ve driven.
Much of the credit here belongs to the torque-splitting rear differential with its clutch packs that can apportion power independently to the left or right rear wheels. Select ‘RS Torque Rear’ drive mode, and the RS3 will even light up the tires in full smokey drifts by diverting torque to the outer rear wheel. We’ve toyed with this function several times before, and it never fails to put a dumb grin on our faces, but forgo the gimmicks and hustle the RS3 Sportback down a twisty country lane, and the torque-shifting capabilities on the rear axle – plus wider front track and optionally wider front tires – make this a lively experience with a rear end that wants to rotate. It’s a palpably better driving experience than previous RS3s, even though much of the handling is curated (read: simulated) by smart software and even smarter hardware.
Compact Body Is Perfect For City Living
We’re often told that customers demand the space and practicality of crossovers over hatchbacks, but exposed to a variety of settings, including tight British cities, in the RS3 Sportback, we can’t help but feel this is all the car most buyers will ever need. We’re not going to pretend you don’t have your own unique circumstances that necessitate more space, and this won’t really suit a typical American family, but for a couple with a single young kid, it’s perfect. Without the added length of the trunk, it’s easier to park and place in tight environments. It’s practical enough for most small families.
That said, the trunk isn’t the biggest, so the RS3 Sportback is very much a lifestyle-dependent vehicle. On paper, its trunk of circa 10 cubic feet might seem bigger than the RS3 Sedan’s 8.3 cubes, but that’s assuming you pack it to the proverbial rafters, which isn’t always practical. The usable trunk space is smaller than you think, and while you can fold the rear seats of the hatchback, that’s not always a viable option if you have passengers in the back.
Audi Gets The Balance Of Aggression Right Without Being Overwrought
Trying to design modern performance cars is tricky. The world no longer wants understated sleepers; people want to show off what their hard-earned money has got them. This has led to a pandemic of over-designed cars that are aggressive without actually looking good. Taste is always subjective but to my eye – and those of many on the CarBuzz team – the RS3 strikes the right balance of aggression and class. The car we drove was the pre-facelift version, meaning it should technically look dated given the arrival of the facelifted 2025 variant but I still think it looks good.
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The body kit of the RS3, both pre- and post-facelift, is aggressive without being overbearing, sporting wide front fenders and an angular front end that lends it presence well beyond its compact classification. It does enough to stand out from the S3 but without being over-the-top, and even the 19-inch alloy wheels on the car we drove weren’t too much for the overall aesthetic.
They presented another issue, though, and with the RS3’s square stance and low-profile tires, the risk of curbing wheels felt all too high. Perhaps I’m just not used to compacts costing this sort of money (the RS3 Sedan starts at $62,300 in the US), but to me, driving a compact shouldn’t have you fearing for your bank balance every time you navigate in or out of a tight spot.
A Perfect Audi Interior
We maintain that Audi is king of the modern interior, combining high-quality materials with a sleek layout and design that feels more expensive than it is. Every touchpoint is soft, every control easily within reach, and it looks and feels like an occasion every time you get behind the wheel. Plus, the RS3 in its current form hails from an era before screens took over completely, so the touchscreen infotainment and digital instrumentation still feel apt and not overwhelming. Not to mention there are still physical controls for climate.
A Sublime Performance Hatchback With One Thing To Hate
This segment of the market is an odd one, as not every brand has an entrant that can be compared. In the US, Mercedes-AMG’s CLA 45 is a four-door coupe while the BMW M2 is a traditional two-door coupe. The Audi RS3 is a sedan, as is the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, and the Acura Integra Type S is a hatchback, but one that’s FWD and down on power to compete against the German trio. Because body styles differ so vastly, much of a buyer’s decision here hinges on how they feel about a car, and on feel, the RS3 is at the top of its game.
The Caddy might be sharper, but it doesn’t feel as premium or sound as good as the RS3. And the Mercedes-AMG might handle similarly, but a four-cylinder could never rival the Audi five-pot. And the M2? Well, call it personal preference, but I preferred the old one; this new one is too big and clunky for my liking. The Audi is a Goldilocks performance car in this segment, and after driving the RS3 Sportback for a week, the only thing I can find to hate about it is that America doesn’t get it.
