Long time lurker here. I was really excited when the Type S first launched and purchased my 2021 last summer. The car is undeniably sexy; however, I'm coming to the sad reality of it being "slow" to todays sport sedan standards. I also think when I first test drove the Type S it felt great, but nothing like owning a car and living with it day to day to truly see if you love it. Thinking about the RS3 as my replacement vehicle. What do you guys think?? Little background info on previous cars I've owned include:

1997 Honda Civic DX (1st car)
2011 BMW 335is
2015 VW Golf R
2018 Audi RS3
2021 Acura RDX
2021 Acura TLX Type S (current)
2011 TSX Wagon (current daily)

 

Having driven both (though the previous RS3, not the new one) I’ll have to say that they’re worlds apart. As an enthusiast car, the the 5 cylinder in the RS3 is amazing. Sounds great, power throughout the rev range, super responsive, and smooth. It’s much smaller, and you can definitely tell it’s narrower and more cramped, but legroom in the back is surprisingly decent for the size. Some of the materials on the interior feel a little cheap; it’s built in an A3 after all. I’d have to give the nod to the TLX in that department. But unless I absolutely needed a car that’s wider and bigger, I’d take the RS3 all day everyday.

 

The main question is, what are YOU looking for in a car?

 

I got a chance to sit in a 2022 A3 and I adjusted the driver seat for myself and sat right behind myself as well. I was definitely surprised when it comes to interior space, especially rear leg room. Pretty much on par if not slightly better than my Type S, which is crazy. I'm 5'9" here so I'm not giant either....

 

My question is why ask us? It’s your money. If you want to spend $64K for a supped up economy car go for, but why not jus spend that money on an S4?

 

Thats a fair question. Guess I want a fun enthusiast car that will be reliable, relatively speaking of course. Type S is great but I think the size is getting to me. Perhaps if I had Honda Accord rear space I could justify the size of it, but that's not the case. I do love the V6 though. Thats why I like to hear other enthusiasts opinions. I'm sure a lot of us watch car reviews but nothing like hearing it firsthand from previous owners and personal experiences.

 

Never liked the S4, not appealing to me whatsoever. And I do find some value in other car enthusiasts' opinions, assuming they have one. But nonetheless this is a car "community" and some people like to provide personal insight.

 

If you want “fast”, get a Model 3 Performance. You’ll have the fastest acceleration sedan in that price range by far.

 

That would definitely be fast, but I'm not ready for EV cars. I love good old fashion ICE's. Some EV's are nice, not limited to Tesla, but I still think they are soulless vehicles. Respect to those who own them, but not for me today!!

 

You can easily make Type S faster. Tune alone will resolve that, however, it sounds like you may be over it. Can't go wrong with Audi RS line. For me it's RS5, every time I see one it's a head turner. The maintenance on those beasts are next level though.

 

Yeah I was thinking about the Ktuner flash that's around the corner. I'm sure it's going to be a nice bump, but I just don't feel like risking factory warranty with such a new platform. I mean I know it's a Honda Engine, but still. We all assume the risks the moment we decide to flash or modify a car. At these prices I feel like the cars should perform well, right out of the box. I'm not saying the Type S is bad, but it seems many other platforms have just caught up and quite frankly I don't scare myself in the Type S, if that makes any sense at all.... lol. RS5 is a monster. Ideally, I'd love the RS6 Avant. Both being way more than I'd spend on a car.

 

Yep. This is the reality regarding the TLX. I owned a 2021 4-cylinder SHAWD for a few months prior to the Type-S release and planned to trade up eventually (before the supply chain issues hit). The 4-banger SHAWD was a very nice car in many respects, but I became increasingly aware of its weight and size. Then came the reviews of Type-S: Even heavier with disappointing power and gas mileage. So I passed and traded the TLX for a car that really performs and gets unbelievably good gas mileage:

 

Looking at your previous vehicles and what you like, I would checkout the current Audis. Have you test-driven a new RS3 yet?

How about a RS5 ? The S5-Prestige is nice also. As you know, they come with 2 doors or 4.

If you want one-last ICE-only Audi, now might be the time as they are supposedly being phased out.

 

I’m not sure what to suggest then. I asked what your priorities were in a car without a response. If you want a DD sedan with overall track-like performance, the CT4V BW is your best bet.

 

Do you mind sharing with us the price you paid for your M340i?

 

Couple of years ago I dropped into my local Audi dealer and there was a RS5 Sportback on the showroom floor. Absolutely beautiful vehicle with a fatal flaw. The MSRP on the car was $82,000 which here in CA equate to $90K OTD. That's a lot of money.

 

Thats a tough purchase to make when there’s an M3 or CT4V BW for less.

 

You had a previous Gen RS3. Why did you get rid of it? If it was a lease, why did you not get another S/RS? I’m one of the bigger critics of the Type-S’s performance, but if speed was one of your priorities, the TLX-S really shouldn’t have been one of your top contenders. It does many things well, but speed is not one of them.

Perhaps you’re just “bored” of the car and simply want something new and shiny. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but give it a few days or weeks and reflect on why you got the car in the first place. Like most human relationships (even with inanimate objects), we often fall in and out of love.

That being said, the RS3 is a great machine, but I would bank on there being a $10k+ ADM on any actually making it to dealers that aren’t pre-sold. I wouldn’t buy one based on that alone. Same goes for the Golf R. With how insanely terrible the interior interface is, there’s not a chance in Hell I’d pay a dollar over sticker to live with that bullshit every day.

 

I wish they'd bring the wagon body style RS3 to North America. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

 

It's is a lot of money. However, that is a lot of car. AFAIK, the RS models are akin to the MB AMG models. They are built by Audi-Sport (a private subsidiary).

I don't think the higher trim (and RS model) Audis have anything to do with "saving money". I do however think they are priced fairly for what you get. We might be in the minority, but when the wife and I switched to Audi, "saving money" wasn't exactly high on our list of requirements (for our respective "daily-driver" vehicles). And while Audi is fairly unapologetic about their pricing, I don't think MB or BMW are much cheaper. You can also get something like a S5-Prestige. But even as loaded as those are, there are still 5-6 options left, and you might want some of them (Ventilated seats and Black-Optics Packages comes to mind).

One last thing. While is not that hard to get "exactly what you want" just about anywhere (especially if you special order) ... our local Audi dealer seems to be particularly good at building/optioning the higher-trim vehicles for the lot. Both times, when we were ready to buy, they had the perfect new vehicles sitting on the lot just waiting for us (well, mine was in Service getting un-wrapped as it had just come off the truck). Favorite colors and everything. Buying nice new expensive cars is exciting and all, but getting EXACTLY what you want ... close to Priceless I say.

 

I understand what you're saying; however, $82K is simply more money than I'm willing to pay for a car. The $20K difference between an RS5 and let' say a Type S PMC to me would be simply a misuse of money.

 

Some would argue that paying $6k+ (and likely $20k+ after ADM) over a standard Type-S for an appearance package would be a gross misuse of money as well.

But you're also talking about completely different consumer brackets. Someone looking seriously at an RS5 isn't cross-shopping an TLX-S. This is not to bash the Type-S ... it's simply in a different tier of car. A Type-S shopper is looking at an S4/S5, not jumping up to an RS5. If you're pinching pennies to afford any car, you're misusing your money.

 

Yes, I’m in the consumer bracket where the money I’m willing to spend on an automobile runs out long before the $82K mark.

 

Curious how no one has asked and the OP hasn't volunteered what the budget is for this upcoming acquisition.

 

I did ask him what his priorities were in his vehicle purchase. I made one suggestion then was told that it wasn’t his type of vehicle. We have no idea if he wants a gas saver, large backseats, a red light racer, canyon driver, etc. *shrug* IDK what he wants so I don’t have any insight to provide.

 

To further answer your original question, I want a 4 sedan. I’ve had a coupe in the past and at this point In my life I do carry more than 1 passenger from time to time. I’m no where near any canyon roads. Acceleration is important but it’s not everything, hence me not jumping at the chance of getting an EV. In terms of cost I guess 60-70 at most. It would mainly be a fun sporty car with good handling and good looks. Again I’m not looking to get on the track or floor it from every red light every chance I get. Looking for a good looking car that’s pretty fast and fun. Something I’m pretty sure a lot of us search for. Whether or not we actually find exactly what we want is the challenge. And of course many things are subjective but I find it interesting to read others thoughts. And thank you for your recommendation’s. I’m just not an EV/ Tesla fan and I wouldn’t spend my money on a Cadillac either.

 

I actually thought about picking up an m340i even before the Type S. I’m just not in love with the way they look. The last BMW’s I loved were the e90’s. I know it’s top tier when it comes to power but I see them on the road and I don’t feel anything. Perhaps when the facelift comes out I will find it a bit more appealing. But thanks man… I definitely see why they are the benchmarks in the segment.

 

I’m with you on that 100 percent. FYI my range is from 60-70. Low 70’s.

 

I had to get rid of my RS3 because I bought a house and did a complete 2nd floor renovation. I actually forgot to list the 2018 Civic Hatchback which was the RS3 replacement vehicle at the time. Yeah I mean I’ve been calling some dealers to see whats the story and seems like these 2022’s (launch cars) are all going for well over msrp and spoken for apparently. It’s ok though I’m no rush anyway. I have definitely been thinking about my purchase lately. Maybe you’re onto something about not being 100 percent in love with the car. That’s why I’m here I guess. Just to see what experiences the community might have had. Appreciate your response man.

 

I hear you and agree. My M340xi is a handsome car, but the exterior styling is definitely conservative. It does give it a stealthy quality though. It doesn't look like the beast that it is and it's nearly identical to the 330i. Conversely, TLX-S looks like a beast, but as one reviewer put it: "The sheet metal is writing checks that the car can't cash."

 

Though I'm not certain I believe that comment was written in reference to the Aspec version of the TLX and not the Type S.

 

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Yea, it was for the 2.0T from MT. I didn’t bother to correct him/her.

 

Doesn't matter. The sheet metal of the TLX-S is also writing checks that the car can't cash.

 

Speak for yourself. Not everyone wants the same car.

 

The TLX Type S is the best looking car in its segment, and that's a positive thing. Sports sedans are supposed to look good.

 

However, that is not what you claimed initially. Nice recovery.

 

In before someone posts the “slowest car in the segment” statement. As if everyone wants a red light racer. 🏎. Some prefer handling and feeling connected to the road.

 

FFS. Go quibble your life away.

 

I agree. It's the size, weight, and piss-poor fuel economy that are deal breakers for me, but there's still plenty to like about all versions of the TLX. The list of things M340i does better is much longer, but there are a few things that TLX actually does better than M340i:

• Exterior design (duh!)
• Seats are more comfortable
• Steering feedback is better (in spite of the FWD understeer)
• Sound system is the best I've ever heard- much better than the BMW Harman-Kardon.

 

RS3 is an absolute BEAST, nothing really compares with regards to performance and sound. You will suffer on comfort and maintenance costs, but the sounds that are produces are next level especially with some exhaust upgrades. Kemora Gray RS3 is the way to go if you can get your hands on one.