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Volkswagen Golf vs Audi S3

What's the difference?

VS
Volkswagen Golf
Volkswagen Golf

$35,898 - $89,990

2023 price

Audi S3
Audi S3

$64,900 - $75,900

2022 price

Summary

2023 Volkswagen Golf
2022 Audi S3
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 2.0L

Turbo 4, 2.0L
Fuel Type
-

Premium Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency
7.0L/100km (combined)

7.3L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Too much road noise
  • Annoying touchscreen
  • Pricey

  • Sedan’s price premium over hatch
  • RS3 will technically trump it when it arrives
  • Looks alarmingly similar to old model
2023 Volkswagen Golf Summary

In a world where hatchbacks are being cancelled left, right and centre, it was super refreshing to get into the Volkswagen Golf GTI hot-hatch recently.

I’d driven other Mk 8 Golf models including the R flagship wagon, but this was my go in the car I’d long considered to be the best Golf for the money.

But with prices continuously cruising north - this car is now a $54,990 prospect before on-road costs - does it still make dollars and sense? And what’s it like to live with in the daily grind?

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2022 Audi S3 Summary

The moment Audi slaps an 'S' badge on any of its cars, you know you could well be looking at something a bit special. That single S has usually inferred a big jump in performance and an overall much sportier flavour than the Audi 'A' car on it's based on.

And now there’s an all-new Audi A3 coming to showrooms about now, the chance to take a deep dive into the equally new S3 was a no-brainer.

Describing the S3 as an A3 with more of everything sounds a bit trite, but it’s also accurate. And this is not new; Audi is as good as any other carmaker (and better than most) at taking a volume seller, piling on the good gear and letting it loose to appeal to a cashed-up buyer profile.

Available in both Audi’s usual Sedan and Sportback (that’s Audi-speak for a five-door hatch) the new S3 boasts more of everything from engine output, to handling, to luxury and connectivity. No surprises there, it’s pretty rare to hear of a car going backwards in any of those departments. But compared with the A3 – and this is the important bit – the S3 offers more of the attributes that appeal to buyers with more cash to splash.

While much of the car might be new, Audi fans will recognise the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. It’s been tweaked this time around for more power and, significantly, Australia gets the full-fat, Euro-spec engine, rather than the slightly detuned 'hot-weather' specification we’ve seen in this model in the past.

Other changes over the new A3 include the usual S touches including lower, firmer suspension, bigger wheels and tyres and a more industrial braking package.

Inside, there’s more connectivity and multimedia potential than ever before, and safety has been given a leg-up with the latest driver aids.

The other significant thing about the S3, of course, is that until the even hotter RS3 turns up in showrooms sometime later this year, this car will represent peak A3-platform performance.

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Deep dive comparison

2023 Volkswagen Golf 2022 Audi S3

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