The Volkswagen Golf R simply has the goods to back its claim as a hot hatch. But despite all its goodies, customers may prefer a sedan counterpart from VW’s Audi luxury brand – the S3. The price gap between these two cars isn’t too large, and Doug DeMuro revealed in his YouTube video why the 2022 Audi S3 would be a better buy.
Audi Equals Prestige, S3 Means Performance
Doug earlier reviewed a 2022 VW Golf R, and while impressed with the hot hatch, he had some issues against it. Essentially a performance – but not high-performance – version of the Audi A3, the S3 addresses several of the issues raised against the Golf R. In terms of power, the Golf R offers more output and torque than the S3. In terms of performance, however, the S3 is not too far behind the Golf R.
Customers, however, don’t buy the Golf R or the S3 just for their power, as there are hotter sedans and hatches around. Nonetheless, having a feature-rich S3 seems more prestigious since Audi is a premium luxury brand. Volkswagen, on the other hand, focuses on the mainstream. Status-wise, Audi commands a better choice. Price-wise, the S3 is just around $2,200 more expensive than the Golf R, but already boast more premium features at a bit lower level of performance.
Audi S3: Richer Interior, More Tech
As Doug pointed out, the Audi S3 offers a much better interior and greater tech than the Golf R. For instance, the cabin of the S3 looks more aggressive and impressive than the interior of the Golf R. The choice of materials is also more premium for the S3, with the Golf R sporting some cheaper details, which ultimately should result to better financial bottom line for VW as a brand.
During a quick drive, Doug noted that the S3 drives like the Golf R. Both have quite an astonishing acceleration, fantastic handling, communicative steering, and good balance and handling. Moreover, the S3 delivers a comfortable ride despite its power. Doug, however, noted that the S3 does lose to the Golf in terms of cargo space.
Audi S3 Offers More Premium On Small Price Gap
Doug remarked that that Audi S3 is quite a compromise between performance and comfort. It isn’t as practical as the Golf R, but the S3 offers a more premium interior and more high-tech goods. For a small price difference of merely $2,200, the S3 would be a better buy than a Golf R.
Source: Doug DeMuro on YouTube