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 $31,561, and its nationwide average price reached a low of $28,417 over the past year. Recently, prices have come down for the 2023 models, making now a good time to shop recent model years.

Is the Audi S3 a good car?

Yes — the Audi S3 is a strong pick if you want a compact sport sedan that blends performance, comfort, and user-friendly tech. 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 are a slight delay in power delivery, limited cargo space, and higher pricing as you move up the trim ladder. 42.0% of listings are priced as good or great deals.

Are Audi S3 models reliable?

Owners consistently rate the Audi S3 highly across the model years in the data, and the expert review also points to a car that delivers strong everyday comfort alongside its performance character. The 2022 model’s ride quality, easy-to-use technology, and balanced driving feel stand out as recurring strengths.

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

For used buyers, long-term ownership risk looks most manageable when you focus on newer, better-documented examples and verify condition carefully.

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

Across all model years, accident-free inventory is solid at 80.6% — 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; Premium Plus 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: the base trim brings summer tires, LED headlights, a digital instrument cluster, leather upholstery, a sunroof, and heated front seats.
• Premium Plus: this is the best-value trim, adding adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and a wireless charging pad, and it pairs especially well with the S Sport package for adaptive dampers.
• Prestige: the 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 2023, 2024, and 2022.

Higher-volume years tend to draw more shoppers because they offer a stronger mix of availability and deal opportunities. That usually makes them the easiest years to compare and shop confidently.

What is the Audi S3's resale value?

The price movement shown here points to a softer used market for this model year, which can work in your favor if you're shopping for value. A drop of this size gives you more room to find a competitive deal without stretching your budget. The 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. 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 −8.53% versus a year ago.
• Deal availability: The 2023 model has 45.1% good and great deals.
• Sweet-spot year: The 2023 model has the most listings at a current average price of $35,326. The Audi S3 offers a balanced mix of performance and everyday comfort that makes it easy to live with.

Consider waiting if:

• Powertrain/efficiency: The latest model uses a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, plus a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.
• Tech: The latest model includes a smaller touchscreen, an appropriate amount of physical switches, standard Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity, and a digital instrument cluster.
• Safety: The latest model adds blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control.
• Starting price: The latest model has a starting price of $46,895.

If you're buying used today, the 2023 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 stands out for its ride quality and easy-to-use tech, while the Golf R brings standard all-wheel drive and a slightly stronger overall score. The S3 also posts better fuel economy and a larger pool of listings, while the Golf R offers more horsepower and a higher accident-free share.

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

These recommendations are based on CarGurus' proprietary market data from October 27, 2026, CarGurus experts' opinions, and generative AI.