Compare the Audi RS3 vs Mercedes-Benz AMG A45

Sensible family hatch, with a rocket of an engine
Carwow’s own expert rating out of 10 - how our reviewers rate this car overall for value, comfort, kit and driving experience
wowscore
9/10
A fast family hatchback, and a straight line hero
Carwow’s own expert rating out of 10 - how our reviewers rate this car overall for value, comfort, kit and driving experience
wowscore
9/10

AI generated from our expert reviews

If outright practicality matters, the Mercedes-Benz AMG A45 delivers more power as well as a larger boot, offering extra capacity both with the rear seats up and with them folded. Even so, carrying three passengers across the rear bench is a squeeze in both cars. Both feature slick infotainment systems that are simple to navigate on the move, but you will notice differences from behind the wheel. The Audi RS3 proves a bit more fun in the bends on twisty roads than the Mercedes-Benz, balancing its smaller luggage area with an especially entertaining drive.

AI results may contain inaccuracies. Please check the details before making any financial decisions.

'From' prices stated are for the lowest priced version of the car. Price may vary based on the selected version.

'From' prices stated are for the lowest priced version of the car. Price may vary based on the selected version.

Compare the specs

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Standard RS 3 TFSI Quattro 400 S Tronic Petrol Automatic

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AMG S A45 S 4Matic+ Plus Auto Petrol Automatic

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Standard kit

  • Android Auto
    Mirrors your Android phone's apps, like maps, music and messages, onto the car's touchscreen.
  • Apple CarPlay
    Mirrors your iPhone's apps, like maps, music and messages, onto the car's touchscreen.
  • Cruise control
    Holds a steady speed on the motorway without keeping your foot on the accelerator.
  • Heated seats
    Warms the seat itself on cold mornings.
  • Leather seats
    Leather (or leather-look) seat upholstery instead of cloth.
  • Navigation
    Built-in sat nav on the car's own screen, no phone needed.
  • Parking Camera
    A rear (sometimes 360°) camera that shows what's behind you while parking.
  • Parking Sensors
    Beeps that get faster as you get closer to something while parking.
  • Touchscreen infotainment
    A touch-operated screen for media, settings and (often) navigation.
  • Android Auto
    Mirrors your Android phone's apps, like maps, music and messages, onto the car's touchscreen.
  • Apple CarPlay
    Mirrors your iPhone's apps, like maps, music and messages, onto the car's touchscreen.
  • Climate control
    Automatically keeps the cabin at a set temperature, rather than a manual heater dial.
  • Cruise control
    Holds a steady speed on the motorway without keeping your foot on the accelerator.
  • Heated seats
    Warms the seat itself on cold mornings.
  • Leather seats
    Leather (or leather-look) seat upholstery instead of cloth.
  • Navigation
    Built-in sat nav on the car's own screen, no phone needed.
  • Parking Camera
    A rear (sometimes 360°) camera that shows what's behind you while parking.
  • Parking Sensors
    Beeps that get faster as you get closer to something while parking.
  • Touchscreen infotainment
    A touch-operated screen for media, settings and (often) navigation.

Key information

Body type Hatchbacks Body type Sports cars
Available fuel types Petrol Available fuel types Petrol
Number of seats 5 Number of seats 5
Boot space, seats up 282 litres (2 suitcases) Boot space, seats up 370 litres (3 suitcases) Best
Boot space, seats down 1,104 litres Boot space, seats down 1,210 litres Best
External dimensions (L x W x H) 4,389 mm x ?? mm x ?? mm External dimensions (L x W x H) 4,453 mm x 1,850 mm x 1,414 mm
Towing capacity — Towing capacity 1,500 kg
First year tax rate £3,420 First year tax rate £3,420
Fuel economy
This measures how much fuel a car uses, according to official tests. It's measured in miles per gallon (MPG) and a higher number means the car is more fuel efficient.
30.1 mpg
Fuel economy
This measures how much fuel a car uses, according to official tests. It's measured in miles per gallon (MPG) and a higher number means the car is more fuel efficient.
30.7 mpg Best
Drive type Four wheel drive Drive type Four wheel drive
Insurance
The insurance group the car sits in, from 1 to 50. The lower the group, the cheaper it usually is to insure.
—
Insurance
The insurance group the car sits in, from 1 to 50. The lower the group, the cheaper it usually is to insure.
Group 40 · very high
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Drivetrain & power

Engine name RS 3 TFSI Quattro 400 S Tronic Engine name A45 S 4Matic+ Plus Auto
Engine size 2.5 L Petrol • 400 BHP Engine size 2.0 L Petrol • 421 BHP
Body type Hatchbacks Body type Sports cars
Fuel type Petrol Fuel type Petrol
Transmission Automatic Transmission Automatic
Drive type Four wheel drive Drive type Four wheel drive
Forward gears 7 Forward gears 8
Acceleration 3.8 s (0-60 mph) Best Acceleration 3.9 s (0-60 mph)

Dimensions & space

Number of seats 5 Number of seats 5
Number of doors 5 Number of doors 5
Boot (seats up) 282 litres Boot (seats up) 370 litres Best
Boot (seats down) 1,104 litres Boot (seats down) 1,210 litres Best
Length 4,389 mm Length 4,453 mm
Width — Width 1,850 mm
Height — Height 1,414 mm
Wheelbase 2.63 m Wheelbase 2.73 m
Turning circle 12.0 m Turning circle 11.54 m

Full features list

  • 19" 10 cross spoke silk matt grey alloy wheels
  • Audi 1 year extended warranty: up to 4 years or 75,000 miles whichever is exceeded first
  • Audi 2 year extended warranty: up to 5 years or 90,000 miles whichever is exceeded first
  • Audi exclusive matt paint
  • Audi exclusive paint
  • Black roof rails
  • Body colour exterior mirrors
  • Dinamica microfibre/leather - Black/Black stitch and honeycomb pattern and RS logo on the front seat backrests/RS bucket seats
  • Dinamica microfibre/leather - Black/Express Red stitch with honeycomb pattern and RS logo on the front seat backrests/RS bucket seats
  • Dinamica microfibre/leather upholstery with honeycomb pattern and RS logo on the front seat backrests/ RS bucket seats
  • Fine nappa leather with honeycomb pattern - Black with contrast stitching in black + RS embossing front sport seats
  • Fine nappa leather with honeycomb pattern - Black with contrast stitching in express red + RS embossing front sport seats
  • I-size and top tether child seat mounting for the outer rear seats
  • Metallic paint
  • Panoramic roof
  • Pearlescent paint
  • RS ceramic brake system with brake calipers in anthracite grey
  • RS ceramic brake system with brake calipers in blue
  • RS ceramic brake system with brake calipers in red
  • Rear side airbags with head airbag system
  • Red brake calipers with RS emblem in front
  • Special metallic paint
  • Tool kit and Jack
  • Anti theft alarm
  • Anti-theft wheel bolts
  • Electronically operated child locks
  • Immobiliser
  • Remote central locking
  • Acoustic glass windscreen
  • Audi beam LED projection of RS logo on ground as you exit
  • Auto dimming frameless rear view mirror
  • Black door mirror housings
  • Body colour roof spoiler
  • Electrically adjustable, heated and folding + automatically dimming exterior mirrors
  • Exterior model badging
  • Front electric windows
  • Heat insulating glass windscreen
  • LED 3rd brake light
  • Light and rain sensors
  • Memory function for door mirrors
  • Privacy glass - dark tinted rear window, rear door and side windows
  • RS sport exhaust system - dual branch with flap control and gloss black oval tailpipe trims
  • Rear electric windows
  • Rear side wing doors
  • Rear wiper
  • Solid paint
  • 12V socket and storage compartment in front centre console
  • 3 Spoke flat top and bottomed black leather multi function steering and gear shift paddles
  • 3 seat bench in 2nd row
  • 3-zone deluxe automatic air conditioning
  • 4 way electrically adjustable lumbar support for driver and front passenger
  • 40/20/40 split folding rear seat bench
  • Black cloth headlining
  • Black front and rear floor mats
  • Electrically adjustable front seats with driver memory
  • Fine nappa leather upholstery with honeycomb pattern + RS embossing front sports seats
  • Front and rear headrests
  • Front centre armrest
  • Front door sill trims with RS 3 logo
  • Heated front seats
  • Height and reach adjustable steering wheel
  • Interior door handles,door trim,door power latching and steering wheel trim in Vanadium look
  • Luggage compartment lid with convenience opening
  • Rear centre armrest with cupholder
  • Single front passenger seat
  • Stainless steel pedals and front footrest in black
  • i-Size child seat mounting on the front passenger side and outer rear seats, i-Size and top tether on the outer rear seats
  • Active front assist system
  • Adaptive cruise control (ACC)
  • Adjustable speed limiter
  • Audi connect emergency call and service with audi connect remote and control
  • Audi drive select comfort, auto, dynamic and efficiency
  • Automatic start/stop system with recuperation
  • Bluetooth interface
  • Camera based traffic sign recognition
  • Collision avoidance assistant
  • Driver attention and fatigue detection
  • Fully digital 11.9" Audi Virtual Cockpit plus with additional RS layout
  • In-car video calls
  • Intersection assist
  • Lane departure warning including emergency assist
  • MMI navigation plus with MMI touch with 12.8" MMI touch display
  • Parking system plus with distance display
  • Progressive steering
  • RS specific driving modes - RS Individual, RS Performance and RS Torque rear
  • Reversing camera
  • Service indicator
  • Smartphone interface with app store includes wireless Apple carplay, Android auto and Amazon alexa integration
  • Trip computer
  • Voice control system with natural language interaction
  • e-Call (emergency call)
  • 19" 5 Y spoke matt black alloy wheels
  • Tool kit
  • Tyre repair kit
  • Audi Phonebox light with wireless charging
  • DAB Digital radio
  • 3x3 point rear seat belts
  • Convenience key with safelock
  • Driver and front passenger airbag with passenger airbag deactivation
  • Electronic Stabilisation Control (ESC) including ABS, ASR and EDL
  • First aid kit with warning triangle and 2 safety vests
  • Front interaction airbag
  • Front side airbags with head airbags
  • Hill hold assist
  • Pre-sense front with pedestrian and cyclist detection
  • RS steel brakes with brake calipers in black and RS logo on the front calipers
  • Seatbelt monitoring
  • Tyre pressure loss indicator
  • Black dashboard
  • Inlays in black dinamica microfibre
  • Black Styling plus package - RS3
  • Extended ambient lighting package Pro with Multi-coloured contour lighting of instrument panel - RS3
  • RS exterior pack - RS3
  • RS sport suspension pack - RS3
  • Storage package - RS3 Sportback
  • Technology pack with Matrix LED headlights - RS3
  • quattro permanent all-wheel drive with torque splitter
  • Additional Two tone leather upholstery
  • Artico man-made leather/microcut microfibre - Black with contrast top stitching in yellow
  • Leather - Black
  • Leather upholstery
  • Manufaktur magno paint
  • Metallic paint
  • Two tone leather - Red pepper/black
  • Two tone leather - Titanium grey pearl/black with contrasting topstitching and segment band yellow
  • Two tone leather upholstery
  • 3 Spoke flattened lower section sporty design AMG Performance steering wheel in nappa leather/microcut microfibre
  • 3 seat bench in 2nd row
  • 40:20:40 split folding rear seats
  • AMG brushed stainless steel sports pedals with rubber studs
  • AMG centre console finished with trim in silver chrome
  • AMG floor mats
  • AMG performance seats
  • AMG sporty centre console with raised front section and integral control switched for manual transmission mode
  • AMG steering wheel buttons
  • Air conditioning - Two zone thermotronic luxury automatic climate control with display
  • Artico man-made leather/Microcut microfibre upholstery
  • Automatic child seat recognition sensor
  • Black air vents with surround in silver chrome
  • Black roof lining
  • Electrically adjustable front memory seats including lumbar support and backrest inclination
  • Front centre armrest with stowage
  • Front seat head restraints
  • Height/reach adjustable steering column
  • Illuminated AMG front door sills with changeable cover
  • Interior lighting - 64 colour Ambient lighting
  • Interior mirror with reading lamps in black and frameless
  • Rear armrest with 2 cupholders
  • Rear head restraints
  • Seat occupancy sensor for front passenger seat
  • Silver coloured aluminium gear shift paddles on steering wheel
  • Single front passenger seat
  • Stowage compartment in centre console with retractable cover
  • Sunvisors with illuminated vanity mirrors
  • Twin front cupholders
  • 10.25 inch touchscreen central media display with AMG specific, AMG start up logo, visualisation of the AMG drive programs, vehicle and engine data
  • 10.25" Digital instrument cluster display screen
  • AMG DYNAMIC SELECT with drive modes(Slippery, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Individual and Race) incl drift mode via steering wheel shift paddles+Race Start
  • AMG menu with sporty additional information - Gear indicator with yellow M symbol manual mode, Warm Up menu and Set Up menu
  • AMG speed sensitive steering with two sets of steering characteristics
  • Attention assist
  • Blind spot assist
  • Brake pad wear indicator warning light
  • Car wash mode
  • Cruise control + speed limiter
  • Direct steering
  • Driver monitoring camera
  • Dual bluetooth interfaces
  • ECO start/stop function
  • Engine start/stop button
  • Fingerprint scanner
  • Fluid level warning indicator for fuel, oil, coolant and washer fluid
  • Fluorescent jacket for driver
  • Hard-disk navigation
  • Head up Display
  • Hey Mercedes Voice activation
  • Lamp failure indicator
  • Lane keeping system
  • MBUX augmented reality for navigation
  • Mercedes me connect including emergency call system, accident recovery, breakdown and maintenance management
  • Mercedes me remote services
  • Outside temperature gauge
  • Owners manual in English
  • Pre-installation of private car share
  • Remote boot closing
  • Service indicator (Active Service System)
  • Smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android auto
  • Speed limit assist
  • Tailgate
  • Traffic sign assist
  • Trip computer in multifunction display with current consumption indicator
  • Wireless charging
  • 4 Electric Front and Rear windows
  • AMG A45 S bodystyling -rear apron, four vertical fins, side sill panels, roof spoiler lip, specific front apron, diffuser look and S label on boot lid
  • AMG real performance exhaust sound system
  • AMG specific radiator grille in high gloss chrome with AMG lettering
  • Adaptive brake lights
  • Beltline strips in High gloss Black
  • Body colour bumpers
  • Body colour door handles with chrome inserts
  • Body colour side skirt
  • Electric adjustable and heated door mirrors with integrated LED side indicators
  • Headlamp assist automatic headlamp activation
  • Heated glass rear windscreen + timer control
  • LED High level third brake light
  • LED daytime running lights
  • LED tail lamp
  • Multibeam LED headlamps with adaptive highbeam assist and cornering function
  • Panoramic sliding sunroof
  • Privacy glass
  • Radio aerial
  • Rain sensing windscreen wipers with two sensitivity settings
  • Rear fog lights
  • Rear side wing doors
  • Rear windscreen wiper
  • Solid paint
  • Surround lighting with logo projection
  • Two round twin tailpipe trim elements each measuring 90 mm in diameter and AMG lettering plus ribbing on the inside of the pipe
  • Valve control dependent on drive program
  • Wider wheel arches for AMG wheels
  • Window line trim strip in black
  • 3 rear 3 point seatbelts
  • 3 stage electronic stability programme
  • AMG high performance brake system with red painted brake callipers and black AMG lettering at the front, ventilated and perforated brake discs
  • Active bonnet
  • Active brake assist includes forward collision warning system with autonomous braking
  • Adaptive brake assist with hold function and hill start assist
  • Anti lock brake system with Brake Assist
  • Black seatbelts
  • Bonnet with power domes
  • Childproof locks manually operated for rear doors and electrically operated for rear power windows
  • Crash responsive emergency lighting
  • Driver and passenger head and side airbags
  • Drivers knee airbag
  • Dual stage driver/passenger airbags
  • ESP curve dynamic assist
  • Electronic Stability Program with Anti Skid Control
  • Electronic parking brake
  • Exit warning
  • Front and rear seatbelt reminder
  • ISOFIX and top tether child seat fixing points in two outer rear seats
  • Tyre pressure monitoring system
  • Warning triangle and first aid kit
  • Window airbags
  • Alarm system/interior protection/immobiliser
  • Guard 360 degree vehicle protection
  • Keyless Go
  • Keyless entry lock/unlock
  • Remote central locking and crash sensor with emergency opening function
  • AMG Driver's pack - A Class
  • AMG night pack - A Class
  • AMG performance high-end seat pack - A Class
  • Aerodynamic pack - A Class
  • Light and sight package - A Class
  • Mirror package - A Class
  • Multi-contour seat pack - A Class
  • Parking pack with 360 degree camera - A Class
  • Seat comfort pack - A Class
  • USB pack plus - A Class
  • Winter pack - A Class
  • Burmester surround sound system (590W) with Dolby atmos, speakers - 1 center+4 doors+2 in C pillars, tweeter, subwoofer, DSP amp, burmester lettering
  • DAB Digital radio
  • MBUX multimedia system
  • 19" AMG cross spoke forged wheels painted in matt black with high sheen rim flange
  • Summer tyres
  • Tirefit sealant kit
  • Wheel arches with flared AMG wings with TURBO 4MATIC+ lettering
  • AMG performance 4MATIC+ with torque control
  • AMG suspension including AMG specific axles and sporty spring/damper setup
  • Suspension with adaptive damping system
  • Aluminium AMG design black/silver interior trim

'From' prices stated are for the lowest priced version of the car. Price may vary based on the selected version.

'From' prices stated are for the lowest priced version of the car. Price may vary based on the selected version.

*Please contact the dealer for a personalised quote, including terms and conditions. Quote is subject to dealer requirements, including status and availability. Illustrations are based on personal contract hire, 9 month upfront fee, 48 month term and 8000 miles annually, VAT included.