2023 Audi RS 3 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 5cyl Turbo 7AM)
For almost the past decade, I have been driving an Audi S4 with a manual transmission, which had been my dream car since it came out in Europe while I was still in graduate school. That S4 has been as great as I had imagined, but I now have over 150K miles on it, so I put in an order for an RS3 in Kemora Gray, as there is a 2-3 year wait list, and I wanted to get one before my S4 gave … up the ghost. Our Audi salesman called last month to let me know that someone had traded in a Kemora Gray RS3 with 16,800 miles on it and asked if I wanted to drive it. On the test drive, I was amazed at what a multitool chameleon this car is. In comfort mode, it is a very comfortable and smooth sedan, and in RS mode, it is a tight and incredibly powerful track car, thanks in part to its relatively small size. As with all of my other Audi's (this is our sixth), the MMI works wonderfully, and the B&O stereo is fantastic. For a car of its size, Audi has still made a vehicle with reasonable room in the back seats and a surprisingly large trunk. Thanks to having slightly wider front tires than rear tires and the availability of rear torque vectoring, understeer is gone, and the 2.5L inline five cylinder engine is as wonderful as advertised. I have a 250 mile commute every 4-7 days that is almost all on the interstate, and the RS3 has a smooth ride in the "Comfort" setting, and I live in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, with lots of twisty up and down backroads, on which the RS3 excels. I'm looking forward to a long relationship with this car.
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