Is the 2025 Audi RS 3 a good car?

The 2025 Audi RS 3 earns a 7.83/10 expert rating, and the standout strength is Performance at 10/10. The RS 3 stands out as Audi’s sportiest take on its compact sedan formula, pairing four-door practicality with sports car-rivalling performance. It also brings updated chassis tuning for 2025 and a subtle facelift, which makes it even easier to drive fast. The trade-offs are clear: it does not offer much cargo space, and it is poor value for money. With 36.1% of listings priced as good or great deals, the market gives you some room to shop carefully.

Is the 2025 Audi RS 3 reliable?

The RS 3 is covered by the same four-year/50,000-mile new car warranty and four-year/50,000-mile powertrain warranty as other Audi models. Its performance hardware is substantial, but the chassis tuning is described as consistent and linear, and the car still feels engaging rather than over-filtered by technology. Audi also says the RS 3 can settle into a reasonably civilized daily-driver character in its softer drive modes. For used buyers, the main long-term ownership risk is that a high-performance setup can be costly to live with if prior maintenance or driving habits were not careful.

What should I look for when buying a used 2025 Audi RS 3?

Accident-free inventory is excellent at 99% — clean inventory, standard diligence applies.

You should still run a history report and prioritize a pre-purchase inspection, especially because this is a performance sedan with expensive hardware. Focus on overall condition, signs of hard use, and whether the car has been maintained consistently. Pay extra attention to tires, brakes, and any evidence of track-style driving.

Key things to evaluate:

• Trim level: The RS 3’s exterior and interior are aggressively styled, with blacked-out grille treatment, large side air intakes, box fender flares, heavily bolstered front seats, Alcantara, and an RS-specific steering wheel. The optional Carbon Optic Package adds a carbon fiber rear spoiler, mirror caps, and trim pieces for the side sills and front air intakes.
• Powertrain: You get a unique turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and AWD. Output is 394 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, and Audi estimates 3.6 seconds to 60 mph.
• Safety package: Standard driver-assistance features include adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, Park Assist Plus automated parking assistance, a 360-degree camera system, and automatic lane-centering. There is not a hands-free option.
• Infotainment: The cabin uses a standard 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Wireless device charging and a 15-speaker Sonos audio system are standard, too.
• Fuel efficiency: It is EPA-rated at 23 mpg combined (20 mpg city, 29 mpg highway), and observed fuel economy was 22.8 mpg.

Which 2025 Audi RS 3 trim should I buy?

The 2025 Audi RS 3 is offered in 1 trim level: RS 3.

Here's the short version:

The RS 3 is the one to buy because there is only one trim, and it already includes the core RS hardware that defines the car: the unique five-cylinder engine, AWD, dual-clutch transmission, adaptive damping, and the RS Torque Splitter. It also brings the high-quality interior, strong infotainment setup, and the full standard driver-assistance suite. If you want the most complete version, the optional Dynamic Plus Package adds summer tires and available carbon-ceramic front brakes, while the Carbon Optic Package is mainly for appearance.

The safety package is standard across the RS 3.

Is now a good time to buy a used 2025 Audi RS 3?

This looks like a moderate, selective buyer’s market, so you can shop with some leverage if you are patient.

• Deal availability: 36.1% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Inventory: There are 97 listings available.
• Clean inventory: 99.0% of listings are accident-free.

Is the 2025 Audi RS 3 safe?

At press time, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hadn’t released safety ratings for the current-generation Audi RS 3. It earns a 7/10 safety score from our experts.

The RS 3 comes standard with adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, Park Assist Plus automated parking assistance, a 360-degree camera system, and automatic lane-centering. There is not a hands-free driving option. The main caveat is that you do not have published crash-test results for this model year.

Should I buy a 2025 Audi RS 3 or consider a different year?

If you're weighing the 2025 against nearby model years, here's how to think about it:

Choose the 2025 if:

• 36.1% of listings are priced as good or great deals.
• Accident-free inventory is excellent at 99% — clean inventory, standard diligence applies.
• Audi gave it updated chassis tuning for 2025, making it even easier to drive fast.

The bottom line: If you want the sharpest version of the RS 3 in this generation, the 2025 model is the one to target because it adds updated chassis tuning and keeps the car’s standout performance focus intact. If you are more price-sensitive, you should still compare listings carefully, since the RS 3 is expensive for what it is and the market includes enough deal-priced inventory to reward patient shoppers.

These recommendations are based on CarGurus' proprietary market data from August 28, 2026, CarGurus experts' opinions, and generative AI.