Audi does not build many cars like the Audi S3: a 3 or 5-door hatchback / 4-door sedan with 1.8L I4 20v turbo, built from 1999 when airbags, anti-lock brakes and Japanese build quality became the world standard.
How it came about
The Audi S3 is a performance version of the Audi A3 small family car, produced by German automaker Audi since 1999. S3 variants of have been produced from the first generation through the fourth generation of Audi A3. Like all Audi S models, it is only available with quattro four-wheel drive system.
The hardware
Under the skin sits 1.8L I4 20v turbo. Kerb weight is 1495 kg. The gearbox is a 6-speed manual or S-Tronic. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Family and rivals
Where it sits in Audi's history is not in doubt: it was built at Ingolstadt, Germany. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the SEAT León, the Škoda Auto Škoda Fabia, the BMW X5. Its Audi stablemates include the Audi 200 and the Audi 225.
The money
On the used market today a Audi S3 typically changes hands for $18,900–$65,000, and running it — fuel and maintenance at its age — costs about $3,255–$5,580 a year. Insurance sits around $1,680–$3,420 a year. The figures are class-level estimates from the federal record, with the formula on the methodology page; the model-year pages carry complaints, recalls and repair costs year by year.