Key considerations
- Available for £39,000
- 2.5-litre turbo five-cylinder, all-wheel drive
- Immensely fast, capable and characterful
- Gives the lie to ‘boring Audis’ trope
- Cabin not quite in tune with the price
- Not cheap new or used but there are reasons for that
In 2019 we published a buyer’s guide on the 8P model of Audi’s RS3 Sportback, a 340hp/332lb ft five-door hatch described – quite accurately as it turned out – by Audi as ‘a car built to deliver raw pace and power, which is also entirely suitable for everyday driving’. We followed that up in 2021 with a guide on the 2015-20 RS3 8V, which was available in both hatch and saloon formats and was for a time (until Mercedes hiked its A45 AMG up by 21hp to top it) the world’s most powerful production hatchback with 367hp and 343lb ft from its 2.5-litre turbo five.
Now we’re taking the RS3 story to the next stage by looking at the third-generation 8Y model that was announced in 2020 for UK sales starting in late 2021. The new RS3 continued to be available as either a saloon or a hatch (gen-two and gen-three respectively), and it also continued to be powered by Audi’s high-character EA855 TFSI 2.5-litre turbo five, a nine-time category winner in the International Engine of the Year awards. In the 8Y it was producing 400hp and 369lb ft, enough to bring the 0-62mph time down by half a second over the 8V and into the three-second bracket for the first time in RS3 history.
When it was first announced the basic spec 8Y was supposed to be priced at £50,900 in Sportback guise or £51,900 for the Saloon, but by the time Audi UK got around to talking about first deliveries starting in November ’21 the on-the-road prices had gone up to £53,830 for the Sportback and £54,830 for the saloon. Standard equipment on the base model included quattro permanent all-wheel drive and a new electronic RS Torque Splitter on the rear axle with one multi-plate clutch on each side that increased torque going to the loaded-up wheel, reducing understeer and boosting stability in high-speed corners. If you fancied a spot of drifting, that was on the menu too with the RS Torque Rear driving mode (one of seven), which applied power to only one of the rear wheel, but you did have to learn to ignore the warning screen reminding you not to use RS Torque Rear on the public highway.
Also standard on the basic car were a dual-branch RS exhaust with twin oval tips, staggered-width wheels, RS bodystyling, sports seats, LED lights, ambient lighting with ‘RS’ ground projection, MMI Nav Plus with a 10.1-inch screen, an RS-specific 12.3-inch virtual cockpit, a squared-off leather-wrapped steering wheel, bigger than usual ‘aluminium look’ gear paddles and a driver assistance suite that could include cruise control, park assist, lane departure warning, hill-hold assist, autonomous emergency braking, collision avoidance, and pedestrian/cyclist detection. Standard seats were in Dinamica microfibre and artificial leather with the RS honeycomb/rhombus motif, but you could get them in Nappa leather with black, red or green stitching.
There were three more RS3 specs on offer in the UK, all with the same 0-62mph time of 3.8 seconds. The £58,480 Carbon Black added an RS sports exhaust, Matrix LED headlights, dynamic indicators, gloss black mirror housings, carbon trim inlays, side skirts and engine cover, a black roof and matt black wheels. Launch Edition cars, only 96 of which made it to the UK, sold out immediately at £59,830 a go, a £6,000 premium. They came with Bang & Olufsen 3D sound, adaptive suspension, adaptive cruise assist with lane centre guidance, red brake calipers (RS logoed at the front), a reversing camera, an Advance key which let you enter and start your Audi with the key in your purse or pocket, Audi Phone Box (a wireless charging cradle in the centre console), panoramic sunroof, camera-based traffic sign recognition, head up display, electric tailgate and a new top speed of 174mph. For those who missed out on the Launch Edition, the £61,080 Vorsprung was effectively the same spec but with graphicked black wheels and 360-degree cameras.
There was an even madder RS3 that we didn’t get in the UK. The Performance Edition had 407hp, a 186mph top speed, ceramic brakes and carbon seats, but you could only get it in Germany and you had to be quick there too as only 300 examples were built.
Back in the UK, for another £5,500 on the basic model (or for £5,000 on Carbon Blacks and Vorspungs) you could add the RS Dynamic package. This included adaptive suspension with Audi drive select, which enabled you to fine-tune the operating characteristics of the torque splitter, adaptive suspension, engine, transmission and exhaust; a sports exhaust if you were putting the RS package onto a standard RS3 that didn’t have one as standard; ceramic brakes at the front; and a new top speed of 180mph. One of these RS Dynamic cars went around the Nürburgring in 7min 40sec, albeit with semi-slick Trofeo R tyres that weren’t part of the UK RS3 offering. Probably just as well as they weren’t that great in the wet, and we’ve got a lot of wet in the UK.
The 8Y was longer, wider and higher than the old 8V and 40kg heavier than the 8V in either body format, but it was still 0.3 seconds quicker over the 0-62mph run and more efficient than it, too, with a combined mpg figure of 31.4 compared to the 8V’s 28.0.
A facelift RS3 was revealed in the second half of 2024. This didn’t alter the drivetrain or the headline power, torque and performance figures, but along with the usual midlife styling tweaks – more aggressive front and rear ends, new paint colours and carbon bits on all but the base model – there were changes to the chassis, specifically mods to the calibration of the torque splitter and steering, recalibrated adaptive dampers and Pirelli P Zero R tyres. These helped to knock nearly seven seconds off the old car’s 7m 40sec ‘ring time. Nappa leather became standard at this point, with Dinamica as the option. Facelift prices started at £59,510 for the hatch and £60,510 for the saloon, a hike of nearly £6k. Carbon Blacks became £64,160/£65,160 and the Carbon Vorsprung range-topper with a panoramic roof, electrically adjustable seats and other stuff was £68,650/£69,650. Various packs were available to allow lower-spec RS3s to mimic higher-spec ones.
Nearly £70k for an Audi A3 derivative is no small sum, and although you will obviously save money by buying used, your savings won’t be spectacular. The cheapest 8Y we found for sale in the UK in February 2025 was a far from mint 24,000-mile ’22 saloon at just under £39,000. The next cheapest was a ’22 hatch with 37,000 miles for a tenner under £42k. Such strong used values will have been at least partly influenced by a supply/demand imbalance that was caused by the car’s removal from the UK configurator for the best part of a year up until August 2023, we think as a consequence of the global microchip shortage. They are also a reflection of the very warm reception the 8Y received from testers and owners and, you would think, of the car’s good reputation for quality and reliability – but we haven’t got to that part yet.
SPECIFICATION | AUDI RS3 8Y (2020-2024)
Engine: 2,480cc 20v five-cyl turbo
Transmission: 7-speed S Tronic dual-clutch auto, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 400@5,600-7,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 369@2,250-5,600rpm
0-62mph (secs): 3.8
Top speed (mph): 155 (Launch Edition 174, RS Dynamic Pack 180)
Weight (kg): 1,570
MPG (official combined): 31.4
CO2 (g/km): 205
Wheels (in): 8 x 19 (f), 9 x 19 (r)
Tyres: 245/35 (f), 265/30 (r)
On sale: 2021 - 2024
Price new: £53,830 Sportback, £54,830 Saloon
Price now: from £39,000
Note for reference: car weight and power data are hard to pin down with absolute certainty. For consistency, we use the same source for all our guides. We hope the data we use is right more often than it’s wrong. Our advice is to treat it as relative rather than definitive.
ENGINE & GEARBOX
The power peak on the 8Y arrived earlier and lasted longer than it did on the 8V, coming in at 5,600rpm and tapping out at 7,000rpm. There was a pleasing old-school step-up feeling when the torque kicked in from 2,250rpm, although you could just as easily see that as a reflection of the relative softness of the power delivery before the step.
Either way, there was no doubting the overall potency or the thrilling noise of the drivetrain, even if the dual-clutch gearbox maybe wasn’t quite as quick on the uptake as you might have hoped for when you were calling for renewed thrust after coasting into a roundabout or similar. Like many other DCTs, it wasn’t that smooth when creeping along in stop-start traffic, and there could occasionally be some hard shifts between the lower gears especially when the car was cold. It might also present you with shifts at unexpected points.
The Y’s bigger exhaust incorporated a new flap in the exhaust that opened at different revs depending on which driving mode you were in. You could separately option an RS sports exhaust to enfruiten the engine note. An RS button on the wheel gave you quick access to the RS Performance setting, which was reportedly the combination of drive system, suspension and steering that Audi used to achieve their best Nürburgring times.
Thanks to standard launch control the RS3 easily and repeatedly lived up to or bettered Audi’s 3.8 second claim for the 0-62mph. It also cracked 11 seconds for the standing quarter mile, which is very good going indeed and better than a Mercedes-AMG A45 S or Audi’s own RS4 was likely to manage. Earlier 2.5 TFSIs have been taken to 850hp and 660lb ft (or probably more that we don’t know about) but the ECU on the 8Y was locked down tight by Audi so tuning options have been harder to find.
You’re probably fed up reading about battery issues in these buying guides, but we have to mention that some 8Ys were affected by battery management issues. These didn’t just prevent the engine starting, but could also trigger warnings for other functions like park assist, stability control and ACC (adaptive cruise), which might declare itself to be unavailable. If your car threw up the right number of fault codes it qualified for a TSB (tech service bulletin) software update that was supposed to ensure a battery charging state of at least 85 per cent. Key fob batteries don’t last forever either, typically a year.
Timing on the EA855 was by chain rather than belt. Fuel injection was both direct and multipoint. Some earlier cars had injector and water pump issues but we’re not aware of those knocking on to the 8Y. The RS3’s official fuel consumption figure of 31.4mpg was achievable, but you’d need immense self-control to get it. Sadly there’s little transparency from Audi UK on servicing costs, but we think that a full service at an Audi dealer should be in the region of £450. We read that independents couldn’t do basic stuff like rear brake pad replacement because the software for it was security-coded by Audi. Whether that’s still the case, or was ever the case, we’re not 100 per cent sure. If you have any useful knowledge on that feel free to chip in on the forum.
CHASSIS
The main differences between the gen-two 8V’s chassis and this 8Y’s one were stiffer suspension with new three-valve dampers, extra wheel camber for sharper steering, wider tracks front and rear (33mm and 10mm respectively), and the addition of something called a modular vehicle dynamics controller (mVDC) that - among quite a few other things - was designed to optimise torque feed to the wheels based on side-to-side movement across the drivetrain and on what was happening with the suspension.
Another new feature for the 8Y was the replacement of the old diff by two electronically-controlled multi-plate clutches to split the torque more effectively between the two back wheels. Basically you could have up to 50 per cent of the engine’s torque at the rear wheels where it would then be divvied up to best effect between them.
Relative to the normal S3 the RS3 had a 10mm lower ride height. Relative to the basic A3 it was 25mm lower. The RS Performance mode kept the suspension quite soft, which funnily enough made it eminently suitable for British roads. The RS3 coped reasonably well in towns too thanks to its ability to traverse speed bumps and the like without knocking your dentures out. Although the lightish steering did weight up with speed, the feel of the Merc-AMG A45’s system seemed to be preferred by most testers who had driven both cars.
Whatever, the upshot was a tangible improvement over the 8V with more playfulness, more immediate turn-in, less front end plough, more obviously useful driver assistance when punching out of corners, and as much controllable drift as you wanted as long as you were prepared to commit to large throttle openings. It was a slap in the face for anyone who had long since decided that Audis were boring to drive. The RS3 was OK at motorway cruising, too, although it was difficult to resist giving it squirts of power just for the hell of it.
Bigger six-piston brake calipers in black with RS logos on the fronts clamped ventilated and drilled discs (375mm front, 310mm rear) with what Audi said was 20 per cent better cooling. If you chose 380mm ceramic brake discs for the front axle (signalled by gloss anthracite grey calipers) Audi would tweak the feel of the brake pedal to suit, but even the steel brakes would stop the car in not much more than 30 metres from 60mph, an impressive result. Brake squeal at low speeds has been reported though.
As mentioned in the Overview, some markets had the option of semi-slick P Zero Trofeo R tyres, but the UK wasn’t one of them.
BODYWORK
The 8Y’s model-exclusive bodywork (wider by 3cm at the front and by 1cm at the rear) included new outlets behind wider wheel arches to flow air along the side of the car and a roof-edge spoiler on the Sportback. The big black grille in either matt or gloss ran into the assemblies for the headlights which, as an option, could be matrix LEDs. The sill covers, rear ‘diffuser’, honeycomb rear bumper trim strip, boot badges, Audi rings and door mirror housings were all in black, and you could have the roof painted to match them.
There were some great paint schemes available for the 8Y RS3, including Turbo Blue, Mythos Black, Tango Red, Glacier White, Python Yellow and Daytona Grey. Like one of the two new 8Y colours, Kyalami Green, these were all £575 options. The other new 8Y colour, Kemora Grey, was the only no-cost option. Custom ‘Exclusive’ paints like Solar Orange, Merlin Purple and Olive Green were £2,400 a pop and you had to wait for up to two years to get them.
The RS3’s daytime running lights spelled ‘RS3’ when you unlocked the car, a degree of showiness (along with the new have-a-go front-end styling) that represented a statement of intent from Audi, previous RS3s having been quite understated by comparison.
INTERIOR
The RS3 cabin was just about different enough to give you the feeling that you weren’t in one of the lesser models, but some serial RS3 owners thought that the quality of the 8Y’s interior was a little bit down compared to the preceding 8V’s. In fairness that was probably more reflective of a general industry move towards cost-cutting that has affected all car manufacturers and not just Audi.
The driving position was excellent and the sports seats (full electric in Carbon Vorsprung trim) had plenty of comfort and support. Nappa leather with coloured contrast stitching was a popularly chosen option, as was the Comfort & Sound package. Bucket seats became an option on the 2024-on refresh models at £2,500 for Carbon Black cars, or £2,000 for Carbon Vorsprungs.
The instrument panel had a 12.3-inch digital display with RS-specific graphics including RS Runway, which was designed to give you your rev data ‘in a manner that visually resembles an airplane runway’. Or, as it was otherwise sometimes known, in a manner that looked a bit daft, or puzzling at best. More usefully the panel had changeup lights and a lap timer, plus a possibly more gimmicky cornering load readout. The 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen included an ‘RS Monitor’ that showed tyre pressures plus coolant, engine and gearbox oil temperatures. The screen was easier to use than the Golf R’s but not as good as the Mercedes-AMG A45’s. Thankfully Audi maintained a decent level of physical buttonery even in the 2024 update. Not everyone was a fan of the colour-coded air vents or of the smirk-inducingly small gear selector, however.
The RS3 wasn’t as practical as lesser A3s in terms of its cargo-carrying capacity, around 100 litres having been chopped out of the boot space by the relocated battery and by the all-wheel drive gubbins which raised the boot floor. That left you with 281 litres, which was what you got in a plug-in hybrid A3 and about 100 litres less than a regular Golf.
PH VERDICT
Many thought that the 8Y would be the last RS3 to be powered by the 2.5 inline five. As it turned out it wasn’t, because the August ’24 refresh continued with that powerplant, and there has been a pretty clear suggestion from Audi that it’s going to be around for a few more years yet.
That’s brilliant news because this is one of the truly great engines, not just in terms of its character but also its strength. We weren’t able to find any common issues mechanically or indeed any outside the engine bay. The only real complaint you might have with the 8Y RS3 was the dual-clutch transmission which could be a bit slow on the uptake when getting back on the throttle and which as a result made you wonder what it might have been like with a manual gearbox.
A little bit slower, yes, but the RS3 as it stood was so blazingly fast, maybe even too fast for public roads (somebody once said that it was more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow) that it could easily have traded in two or three tenths on acceleration times without compromising the overall drive experience. In fact it might have improved it. Unfortunately the battle between Audi and Mercedes-AMG for the hot hatch/compact saloon high ground mandated a level of acceleration capable of delivering a headline-grabbing 0-62mph time, so we’re stuck with it.
You’d probably be expecting to find a lot more RS3 Sportbacks than saloons on the used market, but if PH Classifieds is any guide you’d be wrong in that expectation. Of the 45 RS3 8Ys on PH in February 2025, more than half of them were saloons. Only just, mind: it was 23 saloons versus 22 hatches. The received wisdom with this type of car is that saloons generally handle better than hatches on account of their extra structural stiffness, but many also consider that the saloons have a certain sense of style about them, as per the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45. Those Mercs arguably had cabins that fitted their price more comfortably than the RS3s, and maybe better eight-speed DCTs, but of course they missed out on the five-pot wail factor.
The most affordable 8Y RS3 on PH at the time of writing was this 2022 8,000-mile saloon in black with full leather at £43,000. The cheapest Sportback was this 9,000-miler, also in black and also with full leather, at £44,890. If you want to make a statement here’s a 14,000-mile Carbon Black hatch in Kyalami Green at £46,500. The cheapest Launch Edition was this Mythos Black saloon with Black Pack, sport exhaust, pano roof and a highish 20,000 miles on the clock at £47,990.
£49,000 would get you this 27,000-mile Sportback, the cheapest Vorsprung on PH. Another £500 would chop 4,000 miles off that in this Vorsprung, also ’22 registered.
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