Audi S3 review: the sensible hot A3 for Bahrain's daily grind
4.1/5MotorsSouq Editorial Team
The S3 does not chase the RS3's numbers and is a better car for it in daily Bahrain use — quattro traction for the causeway, a dual-clutch box that behaves in Manama traffic, and running costs that stay inside compact-executive territory rather than supercar territory. It is the performance A3 most owners should actually buy.
Pros
- 310 hp with quattro traction in a genuinely daily-usable compact sedan
- Dual-clutch gearbox that behaves smoothly in stop-start Manama traffic
- Usable rear seat and boot the RS3 hatch rivals do not offer
- Running costs stay inside compact-executive territory, not supercar territory
- Most Bahrain cars are still within or just past factory warranty
Cons
- Optional sport suspension trades away ride comfort most owners will not use the upside of
- Fuel economy climbs quickly once the turbo is worked on the causeway
- Direct-injection carbon build-up needs watching on high-mileage examples
- Overshadowed on paper by the RS3's straight-line numbers
The S3 sits in an awkward but useful spot in Audi's Bahrain line-up: quicker than any mainstream compact sedan, quattro-equipped for genuine all-weather grip, and still small enough to park in a Seef Mall multi-storey without drama. The 2.0-litre turbo four making 310 hp is shared with the Volkswagen Golf R family, and it responds the same way here — strong from just above idle, with almost no wait for boost.
The seven-speed S tronic is the right transmission for this car. It swaps gears cleanly at part-throttle in traffic and holds ratios properly under full acceleration, which is the balance a lot of dual-clutch boxes get wrong in stop-start conditions.
Living with it day to day
Rear seat space and the boot are both usable for a small family, which is the whole point of buying the sedan over the sportier hatchback shapes sold elsewhere. Ride quality on the standard suspension is firm without being punishing over Bahrain's patched secondary roads, though the optional sport suspension is worth skipping if comfort matters more than lap times.
Fuel economy in mixed Manama driving lands in the high single digits per 100 km when driven gently, which is respectable for the performance on offer, and climbs quickly once the turbo is worked hard on the causeway or the Bahrain International Circuit track days some owners use it for.
Buying used in Bahrain
Most examples here are still under or just out of the manufacturer warranty, so service history is easy to verify. The things to check are the same as any modern turbo Audi: carbon build-up on the direct-injection intake over high mileage, and confirmation that the car has not been remapped without a corresponding service record.