Audi S3 vs Audi RS5
What's the difference?

Audi S3

$73,980 - $98,888

2025 price

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Audi RS5

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2021 price

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Aston Martin Vanquish

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Mercedes-Benz A35

Mercedes-Benz A45

Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLA250

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E53

Mercedes-Benz EQS

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

Summary

2025 Audi S3

2021 Audi RS5

By Emily Agar

By Andrew Chesterton

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 2.0L

Twin Turbo V6, 2.9L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

7.9L/100km (combined)

9.4L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Athletic and sporty in all the right places
Improved engine outputs
Gorgeous cabin space

Potent engine
Supermodel looks
Premium and polished interior

Dislikes

Tiny back seat
Missing some premium features
Lots of road noise

Tight rear seat in Coupe
Gearbox can feel fidgety at speed

2025 Audi S3 Summary

In a world where car upgrades often feel like saying, “Can I upsize that?”, it’s refreshing to hop into the updated Audi S3 Sportback.

The flagship RS 3 may still be the holy grail of hot hatch dreams, but with boosted engine outputs and upgraded tech, the S3 is stepping up.

Is the S3 Sportback the smarter pick over pricier rivals? It delivers serious performance and polish without stretching into RS 3 territory. With fierce competition in the segment, let’s see what this contender brings to the table.

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2021 Audi RS5 Summary

Audi's A5 Coupe and Sportback have always been good looking cars. Yes, yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that, but seriously, just look at one and tell me it's not handsome.

Happily, the just-updated RS5 doesn't just build on the looks of its more sedate sibling, but on the performance, too, adding near-supercar speed to those supermodel looks.

Sounds like a pretty good match, right? Let's find out, shall we?

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Deep dive comparison

2025 Audi S3 2021 Audi RS5

Verdict

The updated Audi S3 Sportback is a fun-sized dynamo with impressive outputs and athletic road manners. It’s missing a few premium features, but its compact size paired with a gutsy engine makes it a compelling option for drivers who don’t want to compromise on performance (just space).

Verdict

Good looking, good to drive, and good to simply sit in, the Audi RS5 range ticks plenty of premium boxes. Whether you can live with the practicality pitfalls of the Coupe is up to you, but if you can't, might I suggest taking a wander over to our RS4 Avant review?

Audi S3 vs Audi RS5 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Audi S3 vs Audi RS5
What's the difference?