2017 AUDI S3 | WAUB1GFF7H1025782

Body Styles

The Audi S3 was available as a five-door Sportback, four-door Sedan, and two-door Cabriolet, all sharing tight proportions, clean surfacing, and subtle muscularity. The Sedan, with its short deck and pronounced shoulders, emphasized elegance and balance, while the Sportback leaned slightly more toward practicality. In both, a lowered stance, aggressive bumpers, side skirts, and quad exhaust outlets distinguished the S3 from its A3 siblings. The car sat low and wide, giving it a planted presence without over-the-top styling cues. Precise LED lighting signatures front and rear added to its sharp, modern look, and the Cabriolet variant retained similar proportions while integrating a compact soft-top and subtle structural reinforcements.

Model Name Meaning (Manufacturer)

The “S” in S3 identifies it as a member of Audi’s “S” performance line—denoting a step up in power, suspension tuning, and visual identity from regular A models. The number “3” positions it within the compact segment, directly above the A3 and below the RS3.

Body & Interior Colors and Rims

The S3 was offered in a wide spectrum of paints, including classic tones like Brilliant Black, Glacier White, and Mythos Black, but also more dynamic hues such as Sepang Blue Pearl, Tango Red Metallic, and Panther Black Crystal Effect. Exclusive S colors often included high-sheen finishes and enhanced flake content, with aluminum-look mirror caps as a signature S-model trait. Optional black optic packages replaced chrome accents with gloss black, emphasizing sportier intent.

Inside, the S3 featured S-specific sport seats in Fine Nappa leather with diamond stitching and contrasting piping, available in Black, Rotor Gray, or Magma Red. Inlays varied from brushed aluminum to dark stainless steel mesh or carbon atlas trim. Red-ringed air vents (post-facelift), flat-bottom steering wheels, and illuminated S3 door sills reinforced its premium-sport character. Cabin quality was tight and upscale, with soft-touch surfaces and crisp interfaces in both digital and analog form depending on the model year.

Wheel options ranged from 18- to 19-inch designs with performance tires. Standard wheels featured a five-parallel spoke look in silver or titanium, while optional V-spoke and rotor-style designs in anthracite or polished two-tone finishes gave the S3 a more aggressive stance. Wheel fitment was flush with the fenders, emphasizing the car’s taut, performance-focused profile.

Top Expensive Options

• S sport suspension with Magnetic Ride: $1,200
• Virtual Cockpit with MMI Navigation Plus: $2,000
• Bang & Olufsen 14-Speaker Premium Sound System: $950
• Audi Matrix LED Headlights: $1,400
• S3 Black Optic Appearance Package: $1,100
• Advanced Parking Assist with Rear Camera: $800
• S Sport Seats with Diamond Stitching: $1,500
• 19-Inch Rotor Design Wheels with Summer Tires: $1,300
• Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go: $1,200
• Carbon Fiber Interior Trim Package: $900

vs Competitors

The Audi S3 positioned itself as the sophisticated, balanced rival to the more extroverted BMW M135i/M140i and the focused Mercedes-AMG A35. While it lacked rear-wheel-drive playfulness or aggressive AMG theatrics, it compensated with better interior quality, superior fit-and-finish, and the most consistent AWD grip in varying weather conditions. Against the Golf R, it shared a drivetrain but added more premium refinement and subtle style. It didn’t try to dominate spec sheets—instead, it won hearts by combining speed and poise with mature restraint and all-season usability.

Fun Fact

Though the RS3 stole headlines with its five-cylinder roar, the S3 became the sleeper hero of the 8V platform—so well-rounded and effective that many enthusiasts preferred its lighter front end and more neutral handling, especially in challenging twisty backroads where balance mattered more than brute power.