Used Audi S3 for Sale nearLancaster, CA

How much does the Audi S3 cost in today's market?

Used Audi S3 prices span a wide range depending on model year. Here's what the market looks like right now:

The Audi S3's current nationwide average price is $35,703, and its nationwide average price reached a low of $28,479 over the past year. Recently, prices have come down for the 2016 and 2023 models, making now a good time to shop recent model years.

Is the Audi S3 a good car?

Yes — the Audi S3 earns strong marks from owners across the full model-year spread, and the newest expert review highlights a car that blends performance, comfort, and approachable tech in a way that broadens its appeal. The all-generations owner rating is 4.9/5 across every model year in the data.

Expert reviews rate the 2022 model among the highest across all years.

The main trade-offs called out in recent expert coverage are slight delay in power delivery, limited cargo space, and higher pricing as you move up the trim ladder.

41.4% of listings are priced as good or great deals.

Are Audi S3 models reliable?

Owners consistently give the Audi S3 top marks, and the expert review of the 2022 model praises its smooth power delivery, excellent ride quality, and easy-to-use technology. Across the model years in the data, the S3 also draws repeat praise for being fun to drive and comfortable enough for daily use.

• Owners rate the Audi S3 between 4 and 5 out of 5 stars across all model years in the data.

For used buyers, that combination points to a car with strong owner satisfaction and a reassuring long-term ownership profile.

What should I look for when buying a used Audi S3?

Across all model years, accident-free inventory is solid at 79.8% — always verify the vehicle history report.

Older model years carry meaningfully higher accident rates, so always verify the vehicle history report on pre-2020 models.

Key things to evaluate:

• Safety package: frontal collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, and rear parking sensors; the Premium Plus trim adds blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control.
• Infotainment: a smaller touchscreen with an appropriate amount of physical switches, plus standard Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity.
• Fuel efficiency: 23 mpg city, 32 mpg highway and 27 mpg in combined driving.

Which Audi S3 trim should I buy?

The 2022 Audi S3 offers these trims:

• Premium: This is the entry trim and the best-value starting point, with summer tires, LED headlights, a digital instrument cluster, leather upholstery, a sunroof, and heated front seats.
• Premium Plus: This is the trim to target if you want the strongest balance of features and value, adding adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and a wireless charging pad.
• Prestige: This top trim adds a head-up display and upgraded Matrix LED headlights.

What Audi S3 do most buyers choose?

The Audi S3 years with the most listings are 2024, 2023, and 2016.

Higher-volume years tend to be the easiest places to shop because you get more inventory to compare and a better chance of finding the right color, mileage, and condition. They also tend to attract more deal opportunities simply because there are more listings in the market.

What is the Audi S3's resale value?

The price movement shown here points to softening values for both model years, which can work in your favor if you're shopping used. The larger drop suggests one recent model year has moved down more sharply than the other, while the smaller decline shows a gentler shift. Overall, the pattern favors buyers looking for a better entry point.

The 2016 and 2023 model years have held their value best, with the smallest year-over-year price changes.

Is the Audi S3 safe?

• 2022: 7/10

The base S3 comes standard with frontal collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, and rear parking sensors. Stepping up to the mid-grade Premium Plus trim adds blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control.

For the safest used buy, the 2022 model posts the highest confirmed score of 7/10.

Should I buy a used Audi S3 now or wait for the next model?

Buy now if:

• Price trend: The 2023 model is at −8.87% versus a year ago, and the 2016 model is at −3.49%.
• Deal availability: The 2023 model has 42.9% good and great deals, and the 2016 model has 44%.
• Sweet-spot year: The 2024 model has the most listings. The Audi S3 offers a balanced mix of sharp handling, everyday comfort, and a sporty but understated character.

Consider waiting if:

• Powertrain/efficiency: The 2022 Audi S3 is built for fun, sporting a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive (AWD) system.
• Tech: The S3 sticks with a smaller touchscreen and keeps an appropriate amount of physical switches, and a digital instrument cluster is standard.
• Safety: The base S3 comes standard with frontal collision mitigation, lane-departure warning, and rear parking sensors, while the mid-grade Premium Plus trim adds blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control.
• Starting price: The 2022 Audi S3 has a starting price of $46,895 (including destination) for the base Premium trim.

If you're buying used today, the 2024 model year offers the best mix of value and availability. If you want the latest tech and features, it may be worth waiting for the next model year's inventory to build up.

How does the 2022 Audi S3 compare to the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R?

Expert Pros & Cons (per CarGurus review team)

2022 Audi S3:

• Pros: Fun to drive, Great ride quality, Easy-to-use technology.
• Cons: Slight delay in power delivery, Not much cargo space, Pricey in higher trims.

2022 Volkswagen Golf R:

• Pros: Fun to drive, Standard all-wheel drive.
• Cons: Uninspired styling, Unintuitive technology.

Our experts score the 2022 Audi S3 7.7/10 and the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R 8.2/10. The Audi S3 brings a more polished ride and easier tech, while the Golf R counters with a bit more horsepower and standard all-wheel drive. The S3 also has the stronger deal share in the data, while the Golf R posts the higher accident-free share.

Read our full side-by-side expert comparison here.

These recommendations are based on CarGurus' proprietary market data from November 10, 2026, CarGurus experts' opinions, and generative AI.