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2022 Audi RS3 Starts at $60,000

This high-performance small sedan seems like a great value, offering loads of speed and plenty of character for a price that's not totally unreasonable.

Craig Cole Former reviews editor
Craig brought 15 years of automotive journalism experience to the Cars team. A lifelong resident of Michigan, he's as happy with a wrench or welding gun in hand as he is in front of the camera or behind a keyboard. When not hosting videos or cranking out features and reviews, he's probably out in the garage working on one of his project cars. He's fully restored a 1936 Ford V8 sedan and then turned to resurrecting another flathead-powered relic, a '51 Ford Crestliner. Craig has been a proud member of the Automotive Press Association (APA) and the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA).
Craig Cole
2 min read
2022 Audi RS3 -- front end
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2022 Audi RS3 -- front end

No doubt about it, this is an aggressive-looking small sedan.

Audi

On Wednesday, Audi announced pricing for the 2022 RS3. This rocket-quick little four-door starts at $59,995 including $1,095 in fees, making it a strong value for the speed and features it offers.

Providing boatloads of is a 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine. This odd-numbered bruiser cranks out 401 and 369 pound-feet of torque, 7 more ponies and 15 additional units of twist than its delivered. A variable exhaust capped by a pair of oval-shaped outlets allows the engine to share its unmistakable thrumming voice with the world.

Routing driveline torque to the standard Quattro all-wheel-drive is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This helps the RS3 hit 60 mph in a curt 3.6 seconds, 0.3 ticks quicker than the previous model. Improving the car's handling characteristics, the Quattro now features something called RS Torque Splitter, a multiplate clutch for each rear wheel driveshaft. This allows the torque to be varied from left to right.

Bringing things to a safe, secure stop are more capable brakes. The fronts are made of steel and have 20% greater cooling thanks to new air intakes in the and underbody. Six-piston calipers squeeze the 14.8-inch front rotors while single-pot units bite down on the 12.2-inch rear discs. For a look, all the calipers are painted red. If you're a track-day fiend, the RS3 will be offered with an ultra-high-performance ceramic braking setup that's even more potent, not to mention a whopping 22 pounds lighter.

2022 Audi RS 3 - interior
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2022 Audi RS 3 - interior

This Audi's interior is purposeful.

Audi

Visually, the second-gen RS3 wears a wider and is graced with a redesigned single-frame grille for an  aggressive look. Flared wheel arches accentuate this car's 1.3-inch wider track, while LED headlights with darkened bezels and 19-inch wheels are standard. The 2022 Audi RS3 will be offered in exterior colors, including Kyalami Green, which looks practically radioactive it's so bright.

Inside, Audi's 12.3-inch Virtual Plus digital instrument cluster is standard for an immersive feel. The car's infotainment is presented on a 10.1-inch touchscreen mounted in of the dashboard. As per usual for the four-ring brand, expect to feature plenty of materials in its cabin.  

The 2022 Audi RS3 offers a lot of performance for the money. If you like what this magnum-caliber four-door offers, you don't have to wait long to nab one. Examples are expected to start arriving at dealerships this summer, so get your down payment squared away.

2022 Audi RS3 is ready to tear it up

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