Audi RS 3 2011 sporty version of weak A3
The last time we drove an Audi A3, back in 2006, our review fumed the German firm’s Middle East office so much that they stopped all contact with us since then, choosing to ignore the brown guys with the cute little website. While the joke is on them now, it doesn’t change the fact that the A3 is a dynamically-challenged car. After years of sitting on the market, Audi finally sees it fit to release an RS 3 version of the hatchback.
The 2011 Audi RS 3 Sportback is powered by a 2.5-litre turbocharged 5-cylinder engine with 340 hp and 449 Nm of torque, mated to a 7-speed “S-Tronic” dual-clutch automanual transmission, as well as 17 psi of boost putting down power via a “Quattro” all-wheel-drive system. This gives the RS 3 a claimed 0-100 kph capability of 4.6 seconds, with an electronically-limited top speed of 250 kph.
Other features include some cabin trim and lower suspension with new coilovers.
European deliveries of the RS 3 Sportback will begin in early 2011. It is unlikely the RS 3 will be imported to any GCC country, let alone the UAE, as is obvious by how many regular A3 models roam the streets. Maybe my Audi A3 review had something to do with it.
Keep track of updates in the Audi A3 buyer guide.
Comments
Anil
hahahahahhahhaha
Anil
i read your earlier review of the A3 but i did not find it soooo offensive that Audi had to bite their own fingers on making such a car. it was just an honest critique of the car and yes i agree that the pricing is much on the higher side which is why intelligent buyers would stay away from this model.
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
^At the time, I actually thought I gave a positive review!
Fahrer
Why is the joke on them now?
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
Because this site now has 212,000 unique visitors per month, 10 times more than CAR ME’s print and web stats combined.
marc
guys this one is a likely a great thing to drive. drove the old version and that felt pretty good..
Fahrer
Dude, no offense, you do a decent job, but come on… Car magazine or DriveArabia… Hmm. It’s not just the quantity, it’s the quality and the image, the brand that Audi wants to associate with, and Car is a huge brand.
vivek
what was so offensive in the review anyway? well, the only Audi make I have ever driven is the A6; it was indeed a fun to drive car; the 2.0 turbo was fast enough to even make an IS kinda sweat; it was good around corners too and interiors were nice..but one of the A6’s i had rented had a faulty a/c blower at just 25k kms on odo!!! probably that was just for that car..and the price they are asking for a FWD car like that was insane tooo – so insane that I would rather invest my money on a top of the line Mondeo which handles just as good with cheaper branded tyres and has much lesser braking distances all the while being as comfortable and yet priced at roughly half the price of an A6 – unless I’m looking at brand image!
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
It was never about brand association, considering Audi gives cars to Automiddleeast. CAR ME/Autocar/Evo ME/Wheels are such “big” brands yet they can’t even afford a device to measure 0-100 kph, or even report fuel economy, because it could hurt advertisers to show that manufacturer figures aren’t possible here. Either way, it boils down to who has a larger audience and therefore influence, and my target has always been car buyers, not casual magazine readers.
vivek
^^ oh yea, talking of brand image, I can get a RWD Merc E for roughly the same price range!
Bertrand Iroegbu
Choice is always best made by the chooser. Audi chooses who to associate with, CAR chooses what to publish and standards of quality, drivearabia now turns to be a bereaved or biased judge who seems to have written this out of lack of content or confusion as you seem to have confused us and yourself with this post. Are you now a judge or running a debating website?
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
^How about some full disclosure. ITP/CAR ME employee here. Thanks for your insight, brother. Indeed, I am a judge now for two car award events and yes, debates are welcome on this website.
Murf
Wheels publishes around 32,000 copies and Drive Arabia has 212,000 users and growing.
Marketing 101: Market your product where the people are. Last I checked, they are the ones buying your product.
Ashraf
Finally, some visitors emphasize your obviously biased approach which I highlighted before.
Audi will remain one of the leading car makers with sales exceeding Merc and BMW in several months during 2010. Topgear experts love it and Audi fans are growing all over the world.
However, I give it to you that you maintain your position despite recent add by VW.
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
^I think you will agree from everything I’ve written that my beef is with Audi’s Middle East office. I’ve barely even mentioned anything negative about the cars or their growth.
vivek
..and i still dont understand y ppl go for an audi fwd for 160k whn a e-class merc comes for 162k…
RayanK
^^ @ Ashraf you’re saying that Audi have better sales than BMW in 2010 – its weird how you got to this website at first place?
Benz have Maybach’s, BMW’s have Rolls-Royce, what do Audi have?
I’m a VW owner but you still have to be fair with all manufacturers.
and yes I would go for a Benz or a BMW – I have my car now for 2 months and the electric mirror already stopped working and a plastic piece on the AC unit already cracked from the hot weather 🙂
Anil
audi is overpriced to make way for VW and Skoda to fit in the lower price range.
Ashraf
To Rayank
“its weird how you got to this website at first place?”
I do not get involved in exchanging insults my friend. Civlized people put their point of view in an objective manner.
I ve been following this website and others for many years, and it provides a great service except for bias against certain brands.
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
And again we go back to the same story. There is no bias. If I reviewed the actual cars, there would be no bias. It doesn’t matter what I say in news articles based on rehashed press releases, except for certain facts that I point out. I already reviewed a Skoda, which is a Passat variant and sold by Abu Dhabi’s Audi dealer (who’ve also been influenced by this Audi argument but are at least respectful with me). All it takes is one incompetent PR person within a carmaker’s main HQ who lacks respect for “small” people to ruin a relationship, except I actually fight back. Incidentally, Rayan owns a 2011 VW Golf GTI.
vivek
well..if bias means pointing out minor and major demerits of a vehicle regardless of brand, then yes; this site is highly biased 🙂 ..the reason why there are so many visitors here in the first place, is because of this very “bias” you talk about – for that “biased points” are so true :)..Mash is definitely not some born enemy of Audi or VW; but if they have imperfections in their cars and if those get pointed out then taking the criticism positively would be their duty as it is one of their major concerns to serve the society in the best way possible – especially when their cars cost a fortune. Probably the manufacturer maybe doing it; but like Mash said, an imcompetent PR is the one who does damage!
Ashraf
I tried to highlight that you need to commit to the highest professional and ethical standards because we depend on your expert reviews.
Maybe some of the cheerleaders here are not taking this website as seriously as I do.
Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury
So far the cheerleaders haven’t said anything inaccurate, so I give them a thumbs-up!
Murf
Maybe the Audi/VW PR are the ones who need to act professional and give cars for review?