2026 Audi RS 3 Sedan: Small Package, Massive Fun

[Source: CarScoops]

We have said it before, and we will say it again. The Audi RS 3 just might be the best RS car in the entire Audi lineup. Sure, cars like the RS 6 Avant are more powerful and more spacious than the diminutive RS 3. But it is also substantially more expensive. The whole point of an RS car is to have fun and it is tough to have more fun than when you are behind the wheel of the RS 3. That is what the folks over at CarScoops recently found out when they reviewed a 2026 RS 3.

A big part of what makes this car so special in a world full of high-performance cars is that lovely five-cylinder engine under the hood. Quick, name another car with this engine. Time is up! It gives you 394 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. That might not sound like much in the world of 1,250 horsepower Corvettes. But it is plenty for performance you can actually use on the street.

For 2026 the RS 3 gets even better thanks to updates to the torque splitter and fully variable torque distribution system. The changes not only make the car more responsive, but any hint of understeer has been dialed out and replaced with controllable and enjoyable oversteer.

If you want to have fun at a track day the RS 3 will be a willing partner for you there. The car has put down a Nürburgring lap time of 7:33.123. For reference, a 2015 Audi R8 V10 set a time of 7:32. The RS 3 sedan is within 1 second of the V10-powered Audi sports car. Impressive.

Slide inside the car and you are greeted with a few more changes for 2026. The most noticeable is the flat-topped and flat-bottomed steering wheel. The standard sport seats are fantastic and overall the interior looks great. The one gripe is the haptic buttons which are a bit of a step back compared to regular buttons.

But who cares about buttons when you are ripping from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds? The engine sounds lovely and unlike any other unit out there. There are several different drive modes available including RS Torque Rear which is your drift mode. You will be powersliding yourself silly.

The RS 3 is a fantastic little machine. CarScoops had some minor gripes about some cheap feeling plastic in the interior and a tight cabin. But overall they loved the car and summed it up by saying “It is a dynamic powerhouse that will keep up with pretty much anything along a mountain road.” We agree.