Volkswagen Golf R vs Audi S3 – which is best?

They combine high performance with genuine practicality, so they’re great choices if you want something fast and family-friendly. Our guide will help you choose which is better if you're umming and ahhing between the VW and Audi.

VW Golf R vs Audi S3 compared

Styling

Both of these are fairly understated in the hot hatch world. There’s no massive wings as standard like you get on the Honda Civic Type R, and no swollen arches like on the Audi RS3 or Toyota GR Yaris. Buy a grey Golf R or S3 on standard wheels and it’ll slip through regular traffic like a 1.0-litre model.

The R Performance package adds a jutting roof spoiler to the Golf, plus blue brake calipers, while red brakes are available as an option on the S3. Avoid these flourishes and these cars could easily be mistaken for R-Line and S Line equivalents. Especially as the S3 no longer has a badge on the grille.

VW’s lovely Lapiz Blue paint colour is exclusive to the Golf R, and many examples come in this colour. It’s a shame that it’s the only paint option that’s not monochrome, especially when the S3 comes in red, bright yellow and an oaky green as well as blues, whites and blacks.

Interior

Over the standard Golf, the R gets a chunky steering wheel, sports seats and blue accents. The steering wheel feels lovely and the blue upholstery lifts the ambiance a little, but the rest of the cabin is still a little plain. Cloth seats are standard, while Nappa leather is a pricey optional extra.

The S3’s interior is very closely matched to the regular A3, which means material quality is a little better than the Golf. That’s immediately obvious with the Nappa leather seats, which are standard equipment here. We’d like a few more bits that are S3-specific – the red starter button is the only sign on the dashboard that you’re in something more special than a 1.0-litre S Line.

Dimensions and practicality

While there’s a few millimetres here and there, the Golf R and S3 feel well matched in terms of size – not surprising when these cars use the same platform.

Both offer strong rear-seat space, although neither matches the pricey Civic Type R. It’s a little odd that the S3’s four-wheel-drive system has more of an impact on boot space than the Golf’s. 

The S3 offers a four-door saloon model alongside the five-door hatchback, but it’s no more spacious and has a smaller boot opening. Volkswagen, meanwhile, still offers the Golf R as an estate model at the time of writing, which gives a vast loadspace with no reduction in performance.

Engines

These two are even more closely matched under the bonnet. Both have the same 2.0-litre ‘EA888’ engine. The turbocharged petrol unit produces 333hp in latest models, for a 0-62mph time of 4.7 seconds. That makes the R the fastest Golf ever, although both are usurped by the 400hp Audi RS3 – which is nearly a second faster than the S3, but significantly more expensive.

Unquestionably, the Golf R and S3 are blisteringly fast on any type of road, and both settle down well to a cruise. But both could be more fun. Even though the S3 now has the clever Torque Splitter from the RS3, and the Golf R comes with a similar system to meter out the power to each wheel, both of these feel crushingly competent but leave you just a tiny bit detached from what’s going on.

The four-wheel-drive systems in these cars are so good at maintaining grip and reducing slip, that you always feel like you’re in control. If you want something more lively and raucous, the touring-car-like Ford Focus ST might be a better option.

Value

For brand-new cars, the Golf R is about £2,500 less expensive than the S3. Funnily enough, that’s almost the exact cost of the Nappa leather option which, as we’ve mentioned, comes as standard on the S3. You can still add almost £10,000 worth of optional extras to both these cars if you’re so inclined.

Using two 2023 models with under 15,000 miles – available for sale at Motorpoint at the time of writing – the S3 is the cheaper of the two, undercutting the Golf R by around £2,000 or £30 per month on a PCP finance deal.

Which is best?

Both of these cars are easy to live with, immensely fast and, if you use all the power available, quite thirsty. The S3 has a more premium badge and better material quality, but in day-to-day driving it feels a bit too much like a normal A3 for our liking. The Golf R is more obviously a hot hatch, and the fact that it comes as an estate automatically gains it extra practicality points.

Shop used VW Golf R cars and used Audi S3 cars for sale, or read our guide to the best hot hatches to buy now.