2018 Audi S3 vs. 2018 Audi S4: Worth the Upgrade?

S3 vs. S4: A Sibling Rivalry

Audi makes some of the most luxurious and performance-driven vehicles in the world. When they take the performance knob and turn it up to 11, cars like the 2018 Audi S3 and 2018 Audi S4 are what follows.

The Audi S3 is known for its immediate acceleration, supportive front seats, and dynamic handling. The S4 is known for, well, mostly the same things. It’s slightly bigger than the S3, and it ranks higher in our luxury small car rankings. Both vehicles offer an engaging driving experience and luxurious interiors, but is one better than the other?

U.S. News ranks vehicles based on the opinions of automotive experts, as well as safety and reliability data. These scores can change over time as new information becomes available, so be sure to check back periodically to make sure you’re up to date on all the latest vehicles.

Read on to see who wins this sibling rivalry between the 2018 Audi S3 and 2018 Audi S4.

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Pricing

Winner: 2018 Audi S3

This is probably the easiest category to determine a winner in. The Audi S3 is priced at $43,650, which is about $8,000 less than the S4’s price. Both vehicles offer all-wheel drive as an option, but that doesn’t make this contest any closer.

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Reliability

Winner: Tie

As of writing, neither 2018 model has been given a reliability rating by J.D. Power. However, both vehicles received a rating of three out of five for their 2017 models, which are mechanically similar to their 2018 models. We’ll call this one a tie.

Since they’re both Audis, they both receive four-year/50,000-mile warranties.

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Safety

Winner: 2018 Audi S4

Both of these luxury small cars earned five-star overall ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

However, the S3 only earned four stars on the NHTSA’s rollover test, while the S4 earned five stars. That gives the S4 the win in this category. The S4 also offers Audi Pre Sense City, which includes forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, and automatic emergency braking. That feature is not available on the S3.

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Acceleration and Power

Winner: 2018 Audi S4

The Audi S3 offers drivers a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that pushes out 292 horsepower. It’s mated to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The S3 rides on a sport suspension. The S3 isn’t even the strongest performer in the A3’s lineup. That distinction belongs to the 400-horsepower RS3.

The Audi S4 is a little bigger than the S3, so naturally it has more power. The S4’s engine is a 354-horsepower turbocharged V6 mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. It pushes the limits of what a luxury small car can do and will give you a thrilling driving experience. Because of it’s stronger engine, the S4 takes the win here.

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Handling

Winner: 2018 Audi S3

While the Audi S4 has a bigger engine, the S3’s small size gives it the edge here. The S3’s smaller stature allows it to carve corners with ease and minimal body roll. However, this doesn’t mean that the S4 has poor handling.

The S4 is a thrill to drive on twisting roads. Its combination of power and handling make it hard to turn down. But, if you’re looking for slightly tighter cornering (with a little less power), the S3 is the vehicle for you.

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Fuel Economy

Winner: 2018 Audi S3

This round is almost a toss up. The 2018 Audi S3 gets pretty good fuel economy for a performance-oriented small car, with 22 mpg in the city and 28 on the highway. If you’re thinking of upgrading the RS3, keep in mind that it gets 3 mpg less on the highway.

The S4, surprisingly, has better highway fuel economy than the S3. It gets less in the city (21 mpg) but gets 30 mpg during highway driving. It’s a close call, but the S3 gets a combined rating of 25 mpg, whereas the S4 gets 24. 

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Interior Features

Winner: Tie

Both vehicles come standard with a 7-inch touch screen with Audi’s MMI infotainment system, a 10-speaker audio system, two USB ports, satellite radio, HD Radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a multitude of driver-assistance features.

Both vehicles can be upgraded with a bigger screen and a Bang & Olufsen audio system.

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Interior Quality

Winner: Tie

Both of these vehicles offer some of the nicest interiors you’ll ever sit in. Both luxury small cars come with heated leather seats that are power-adjustable. The cabins are covered in soft-touch materials with metallic accents.

It’s hard to pick a winner between the Audi A3 and A4, but when you compare them to rivals in the same class, like the BMW 3 Series, they both dominate the competition. You’d be hard-pressed to find a vehicle with a more luxurious interior, besides their sibling and top-ranked luxury small car, the Audi A5.

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Cargo Space

Winner: 2018 Audi S4

While other categories have been difficult to score, this one is pretty cut and dry. The Audi S3 offers only 10 cubic feet of cargo space, which is about enough to hold a golf bag or two.

The S4 offers drivers 13 cubic feet of cargo space, which is about average for the class. What helps the S4 is its trunks wide opening, which makes it much easier to store larger items. It also offers a 40/20/40-split back seat, which makes it much easier to load longer items and still fit rear-seat passengers.

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The Winner Is …

2018 Audi S4

Both of these vehicles are truly impressive. The Audi S3 offers drivers tight handling and a lower price, but the S4 is clearly the better vehicle. It can match almost everything the S3 can do and typically brings it to another level.

While both vehicles do well in our luxury small car rankings, they have a sibling that does even better. The Audi A5 sits at the top of the class, and if you’re looking to cough up a little extra money, might be worth it.

However, in this comparison, the 2018 Audi S4 comes out as the better vehicle.

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More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report

If you’re looking to get a great deal on the Audi S4, Audi S3, or any other Audi vehicle, head over to our Audi deals page. If another manufacturer is on your mind, our best lease deals and financing deals pages have all the best deals manufacturers are currently offering. You can even compare cars in our new car rankings.

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