2023 Audi RS Q3 Sportback Edition 10 Years Review

Audi is a company known for its ‘S’ and ‘RS’ performance models, which transform regular Audi cars into something a lot more special and fun. Unbelievably, it’s been 10 years since the first RS-badged SUV, the RS Q3, was released onto the market and keen to remind us of that, Audi released a special edition. Dubbed the ‘Edition 10 Years’, the limited edition RS Q3 features special paint, wheels and trim, none of which dilute its performance potential. Is the 2023 Audi RS Q3 Sportback Edition 10 Years the ultimate performance SUV? Let’s find out.

When Audi launched the first generation RS Q3, it was one of the first performance focused small SUVs but fast forward to now and there are a few options to choose from. This includes the BMW X1 M35i xDrive and the Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG S as direct rivals, while other options include cars like the Cupra Formentor VZx, Mercedes-AMG GLA35, BMW X3 M40i and VW Tiguan R. What separates the RS Q3 from the rest?

How much does the 2023 Audi RS Q3 Sportback Edition 10 Years cost to buy?

The 2023 Audi RS Q3 is priced at $99,250 plus on road costs (around $111,000 drive away) and the popular Sportback coupe-like bodystyle is priced $3,000 higher at $102,250 +ORC. Choosing the RS Q3 Sportback Edition 10 Years special edition (which is only available as a Sportback) adds $3,800 to the cost to a total of $106,050 plus on-road costs or around $118,000 drive away.

RS Q3 Edition 10 Years standard equipment:

• 21-inch alloy wheels with a tyre repair kit
• Gloss black exterior styling package (grille and window surrounds, exhaust tip and mirror caps)
• Dusk- and rain-sensing automatic all-LED exterior lighting with scrolling rear indicators
• Automatic wipers
• Suede and nappa leather upholstery
• Heated front seats
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• 12.3-inch ‘Virtual Cockpit’ digital driver’s display
• 10.1-inch touchscreen
• Wireless and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Satellite navigation
• Live services with live traffic, weather and parking information
• AM/FM/DAB+ digital radio
• Wireless smartphone charging
• LED ambient cabin lighting
• 680-watt 15-speaker Sonos sound system
• Selectable driving modes (eco, normal, comfort, Dynamic, RS 1 and RS 2)
• Rear privacy glass
• Keyless entry with push button start
• Electric tailgate with kick-to-open functionality
• Auto-dimming rear mirrors
• Heated and auto-folding exterior mirrors with puddle lamps and automatic passenger side kerbside dropping in reverse
• Electric parking brake with auto hold
• Audi RS valved exhaust system
• 4x USB-C ports

RS Q3 safety equipment:

• Six airbags
• Adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality
• Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection
• Low-speed automatic reverse braking
• Emergency assist (slowly and safely stops the car if the driver becomes incapacitated)
• Lane keep assist
• Lane departure warning
• Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Front and rear parking sensors
• 360-degree surround view camera
• Self-parking capability
• Driver attention monitoring
• Matrix adaptive high beam

The 2023 Audi Q3 range earned a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2018 with scores of 95 per cent for adult protection, 88 per cent for child protection, 76 per cent for pedestrian protection and 85 per cent for safety assist. That doesn’t apply to the RS Q3, unfortunately, thanks to differing mechanicals but it’s safe to say – pun intended – that it’s a safe car.

RS Q3 Edition 10 Years equipment in addition to regular RS Q3:

• Diamond stitched ‘RS’ bucket seats with carbon fibre trim and manual adjustment
• Alcantara steering wheel
• Double six-spoke 21-inch alloy wheels
• Gloss black exterior trim and badging

RS Q3 Edition 10 Years options:

• Panoramic sunroof: $2,700

RS Q3 Edition 10 Years colour options:

• Chronos Grey: (fitted to our test car)
• Dew Silver Matte: $8,900

The main rivals for the RS Q3 are the $90,900 plus on-road costs BMW X1 M35i xDrive and the $121,900 +ORC Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG S. They sit either side of the Audi in performance although the BMW gains over the Audi an extra airbag, walk away locking, a telemetric monitoring service, more sophisticated safety systems, electric front seats with memory settings, a heads up display and road sign recognition. The Mercedes-Benz adds three airbags, an alarm system, a telemetric monitoring service, road sign recognition, a heads up display and electric front seats with memory settings over the Audi. We think that the BMW is definitely the best value out of this trio, though it doesn’t offer as much performance as its rivals.

What’s under the bonnet of the 2023 Audi RS Q3 Sportback Edition 10 Years?

The engine powering the 2023 Audi RS Q3 range is a special unit that harks its routes back to the classic rally days of the 1980s: Audi’s iconic five-cylinder engine. It measures 2.5-litres and is, naturally, turbocharged to make 294kW of power at 5,850rpm and 480Nm of torque at a pretty low 1,950rpm that ranges to when peak power hits – that puts it in the middle of the 220kW/400Nm X1 M35i and the 310kW/500Nm GLA45 S. Like its rivals, its power is sent through an all-wheel drive system via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Five-cylinder engines – regardless of make – can a wonderful sound, with a deep barking nature from most of them and despite being limited by the petrol particulate filter, the engine in the RS Q3 sounds wonderful. There is no shortage of power for this performance SUV and the 0-100km/h sprint is finished in a quick 4.5 seconds, while the top speed is an electronically limited 250km/h. The turbocharger spools up quite low in the rev range meaning a chunk of the power and torque is available from not far above idle.

The transmission in the RS Q3 is much like other dual-clutch units and can be a little jerky and unrefined from a standstill but once moving it does a fantastic job of shifting through the gears quickly. In regular drive mode, it slurs a bit through its changes but putting it in sport or manual modes and the changes harden up noticeably and it feels even sportier. Using the paddle shifters is great – especially with how quick the gearbox is in manual mode.

The claimed average fuel consumption figure for the 2023 Audi RS Q3 Edition 10 years is 8.9L/100km with CO2 emissions of 204g/km, which is reasonable given how much performance is available – in comparison, the less powerful X1 M35i uses 7.8L/100km and the more powerful GLA 45 S 9.6L/100km. Our week behind the wheel saw a good mix of urban, some highway and some spirited driving with an average fuel economy figure of 10.5L/100km, which we were still impressed with. Being a performance engine and featuring a petrol particulate filter means that the RS Q3 requires 98RON premium unleaded fuel, while it also has a 63-litre fuel tank.

How does the 2023 Audi RS Q3 Sportback Edition 10 Years drive?

Using the same ‘MQB’ platform as a big range of polished Volkswagen Group products, the 2023 Audi RS Q3 Sportback Edition 10 Years offers up a sporty driving experience. Even if you’re just popping to the shops, thanks to its firm ride, heavy steering and heavily bolstered carbon fibre bucket seats, it’s hard to escape the RS Q3 Edition 10’s sporting attitude. Around town, the RS Q3’s ride is firm and it fidgets a bit, no matter the driving mode selected. But that’s a reasonable price to pay, given how well it drives when you’re on it. While it’s not as agile as an RS3, it’s still fast in the bends – the all-wheel drive system can send up to 100 per cent of drive up to the rear in certain conditions, which can give it more of a rear driven feel than a lot of other cars that use the MQB platform.

While the steering isn’t the last word in feel, its weighting is reasonably heavy, while there’s very little body roll in harder cornering. The brakes are powerful, while the Continental SportContact6 tyres are quite grippy as well. Elsewhere in the driving experience, the RS Q3 shines – though its rear visibility isn’t great due to the Sportback body and the 11.8m turning circle is a touch large, the active safety systems are quite well tuned and make you feel safe. Road noise levels aren’t great due to the large wheels and sports tyres, but hearing the lovely five-pot engine quickly drowns out the road noise.

What is the interior of the 2023 Audi RS Q3 Sportback Edition 10 Years like?

As you’d expect for an Audi, the interior of the 2023 Audi RS Q3 Edition 10 Years feels well built, it’s well featured with tech and because of the RS badge, features enough sporty touches to know you’re not driving just a regular Q3. Material quality in the RS Q3 isn’t bad – there is a soft touch dash, soft touch portions to the doors and a nice suede portion of the dashboard as well. We would like to see more soft touch materials used on the centre console – especially where your knees rest – but the material quality is otherwise pretty good.

Storage is also plentiful with deep door bins, a large centre console, a big glovebox, two large cupholders, a wireless charging pad to store your phone and another vertical spot in between the cupholders to store the another phone. As for other charging options, there’s two USB-C ports next to the wireless charger and two USB-C ports underneath rear air vents.

An alcantara steering wheel might not be for everybody but we like how it makes the steering wheel more grippy, though we do wish however that it was a mix of leather for the top and bottom portions and alcantara for the remaining. The alcantara and Nappa leather RS bucket seats may look uncomfortable but they will surprise you as they’re quite comfortable and hold you in very tightly in the outrageous cornering speeds the RS Q3 is capable of. Sadly, there’s only manual adjustment so getting comfortable can take some time but at least they’re heated.

The 10.1-inch touchscreen used in the RS Q3 is a joy to use with an excellent quality screen, a quick response time and an easy to use software system. It has a lot of features, including wireless smartphone mirroring, digital radio, satellite navigation and even online services for features like live traffic reporting and even weather information, including a rain radar. The standard 15-speaker Sonos sound system is superb too with a great level of punch and a lot of personalisation options.

Step into the rear of the RS Q3 and you’ll note that the rear of the front seats impedes slightly onto rear seat room, but it’s still a reasonably spacious time, even for taller adults. The Sportback bodystyle doesn’t lose much headroom compared to the regular RS Q3, with six-footers able to fit in the back. Those in the rear will enjoy a centre armrest with two cupholders, door pockets, two USB-C charging ports, a 12-volt power outlet and rear air vents, though no map pockets.

The boot of the 2023 Audi RS Q3 is power operated and opens up to reveal a healthy 530-litres of cargo space – fold the seats down and that opens up to 1,400L in total. As you’d expect for an Audi, there’s helpful practicalities in the boot like a 12V socket, cargo hooks and under floor storage. As with the regular RS Q3, the Edition 10 Years features no spare wheel, just a repair kit.

What warranty covers the 2023 Audi RS Q3 Sportback Edition 10 Years?

As with its other new cars, Audi Australia covers the RS Q3 with a five-year/unlimited km warranty with five years of roadside assistance. The RS Q3’s service intervals are once-yearly/every 15,000km – whichever comes first. Audi doesn’t quote service pricing, but a five-year/75,000km service pack for the RS Q3 costs $4,010 for an average yearly service cost of $802.

BMW and Mercedes-Benz offer the same warranty term as Audi for their vehicles – though BMW’s roadside assistance only lasts for three years. A five-year/80,000km service pack for the X1 M35i is $2,150 ($430 annually) with the same 12 month/15,000km service intervals as the Audi. A five-year/100,000km service plan on the Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG S costs a massive $6,152 (average yearly service cost of $1,230.40), though it has longer 20,000km service intervals to help with the cost.

Should I buy a 2023 Audi RS Q3 Sportback Edition 10 Years?

As you’d expect for a Volkswagen Group car, the 2023 Audi RS Q3 Sportback Edition 10 Years is an excellent all-rounder with a real dual personality: around town, it’s – relatively – quiet and comfortable, quite practical and good quality. However, as you’d expect for the RS badge, the RS Q3 Sportback Edition 10 Years takes the sportiness to 11 with its lovely five-pot engine, keen handling, big range of personalisation settings and wonderful noise. It occupies a great spot in the market too – it’s faster than the cheaper X1 M35i, yet cheaper and better equipped than the GLA45 S.

So is the Audi RS Q3 Sportback Edition 10 Years the ultimate performance small SUV? Well, considering that it’s practically sold out, we’re guessing that many people will never find out. However, the ‘regular’ RS Q3 – which is less expensive and still just as fast – sticks out to us as an even better option than the Edition 10 Years. Audi’s reputation for making special RS cars is well and truly intact with the RS Q3 and if you’re after a performance SUV, we recommend test driving it first as it’s a pretty good offering.