The Key Differences Between Audi's S and RS Models
The German automaker offers two levels of performance enhancement.
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QuickTakes:
Audi offers a variety of models in S and RS form, both of which ratchet up performance. The S specification is the gateway to more power, better handling, and more muscular styling, while the RS level is all those things amplified. The primary differences between these two sub-lineups are worth a closer look.
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Audi S Models Boast Aggressive Styling and Powertrains
Audi models with the S — for Sport — prefix boast more powerful engines or more complex electric setups than their A and Q counterparts. They also typically feature upgraded brakes, performance tires, a stiffer steering tune, and perhaps an adaptive suspension to improve handling and make the ride sportier. Larger front intakes are common, and all-wheel drive comes standard across the board.
Shoppers can expect to step into a swanky interior, often decked out with carbon-fiber trim and quilted-leather-wrapped seats with contrast stitching.
Such enhancements — available on all Audi models except the e-tron GT sedan and the Q3 and Q4 crossovers — add a considerable amount to the bill, though the price difference between a non-S and S variant varies widely. For example, the base Audi A4 costs about $12,000 less than the S4, while the SQ7 demands about $31,000 more than the base Q7.
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S Line Is Not the Same as S
Found on several Audis, the S Line is an appearance package that makes an A or Q model look more like an S variant. The changes generally comprise some fascia revisions, unique wheels, and perhaps some rocker-panel trim, but it may also signify more power.
Take a look at the Q5 lineup. The middle offerings — Q5 45 and Q5 55 — offer 60 and 161 horsepower more than the base Q5 40 and sport an S Line exterior that largely mimics the SQ5's.
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RS Models Bring Even Better Performance
Audi's RS designation stands for RennSport, which is German for racing sport. Models with these letters — found in the A3, A5, A6 wagon, A7, e-tron GT, and Q8 lines — are similar to S cars in that they feature adaptive suspensions, sporty steering, large brake rotors, and grippy rubber. But they're a step above in power, performance, and price.
The RS 3, for example, has a 401-hp five-cylinder engine versus the S3's 306-hp four, and it provides quicker runs to 60 mph, but it starts at about $63,000 while the S3 opens at $48,000. Such models also tend to feature more prominent aerodynamic addenda — rear diffusers, front splitters and such — vibrant paint options, black exterior trim in place of silver, and model-specific cockpit designs.
