Cars are getting faster and faster by the day. Each decade seems to bring a certain feature or style of a vehicle that is in high demand. It can be easily said that we are in the decade (or decades) of performance. This is not to say that automakers and buyers alike in the past have not valued speed and power in their vehicles. Things have just heated up quickly in recent years on who can have the fastest vehicle in the segment and has the looks to go with it.
There are many places to look for a fast car in 2022. You can even get a Jeep Wrangler with a performance V8 in it now. There aren’t many places you can look now without some performance variant being available. But when it comes to the absolute cream of the crop, some of the best fast vehicles to buy today are the ones that seamlessly blend luxury and power. But also these days you don’t have to liquidate all your assets to get behind the wheel of something fast. This is why the Audi RS3 is the best fast car to buy in 2022. This small performance vehicle puts speed at the top of its priority list.
Here is what makes the Audi RS3 the best fast car to buy this year.
It Is A True Performer Through And Through
The A3 lineup is Audi’s smallest offering here in the States. This makes it a perfect candidate to stuff it with as powerful of an engine as possible – which is exactly what Audi engineers have done. The engine in the 2022 RS3 is an evolution of what has been in pervious generation RS3s rather than a complete overhaul of the powertrain. But this is ok due to Audi largely building off of perfection. The engine that the RS3 sports is a turbocharged five-cylinder engine that has an output of 401-hp and 369 lb-ft of torque.
Albeit, there are other performance vehicles out there that have more horsepower and thus are faster. But the RS3 being a small car, 401-hp is more than enough to get the job done well. Audi’s rating of 0-60 for the 2022 RS3 is a mere 3.8 seconds. But this is most likely conservative rating since older and less powerful RS3s have achieved a 0-60 time of only 3.5 seconds.
For 2022 Audi has included an upgraded exhaust system that is music to a speed demon’s ears. This is thanks to its new active exhaust. This echoed from the exhaust pipes lets all nearby know that this little five cylinder means business.
Features At The Right Price Point
The whole A3 lineup has been revamped for the 2022 model year. This adds a sharper style that puts the A3 more in line with the rest of the Audi lineup in terms of styling. The interior boasts Audi’s excellent virtual cockpit which in the RS3 is a large 12.3-inch screen that is also highly customizable. This is paired with a new 10.1 center touchscreen that gives much more of a premium look compared to the smaller screen in older A3s that would pop out of the dash.
Depending on who you talk to, some may gripe the parts sharing that happens among the Volkswagen group. Although not extremely obvious, there are some things in the RS3 that are shared across Volkswagen’s other brands. The most noticeable piece is the electronic shifter. Now reduced to a small switch placed in the center, it has a striking resemblance to the one found in both the new Volkswagen Golf R and the Porsche 911. Regardless of your thoughts on the matter, it fits well with the overall design and finish of the 2022 RS3.
Some may have preferences for fast vehicles that the Audi RS3 does not necessarily fit. But whatever the grievances may be, most can be forgiven given that you are getting super sedan performance from a small vehicle that starts at only $59,500. For comparison, the BMW M3 Competition starts at $73,000 and is rated at a comparable 0-60 time of 3.4 seconds for the all-wheel drive version.
The spotlight usually favors the biggest and boldest when it comes to fast vehicles. But does this mean that they are always the best option for a fast car? We tend not to think so. The 2022 Audi RS3 is small, nimble, and can keep up outperform a lot of its larger competitors. It is a nice looking car but does not scream for attention – well maybe it if you get it in bright green it does. But we believe that attention is well-deserved.