Compare the2023 Audi RS 3VS 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

The RS 3’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Giulia Quadrifoglio doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi RS 3 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the RS 3 and Giulia Quadrifoglio have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The RS 3 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Giulia Quadrifoglio’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The RS 3 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Giulia Quadrifoglio doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The RS 3 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Giulia Quadrifoglio doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the RS 3 and the Giulia Quadrifoglio have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the RS 3 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 101 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Giulia Quadrifoglio has not been fully tested, yet.

The RS 3’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Giulia Quadrifoglio’s (12 vs. 5 years).

There are over 2 times as many Audi dealers as there are Alfa Romeo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the RS 3’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Alfa Romeo With 13 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Audi higher than Alfa Romeo.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Alfa Romeo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 15 places higher in reliability than Alfa Romeo.

As tested in Car and Driver the Audi RS 3 is faster than the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio:

On the EPA test cycle the RS 3 gets better fuel mileage than the Giulia Quadrifoglio (20 city/29 hwy vs. 17 city/25 hwy).

The RS 3 offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Giulia Quadrifoglio doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The RS 3’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Giulia Quadrifoglio doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the RS 3’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Giulia Quadrifoglio:

The RS 3 offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The Giulia Quadrifoglio doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

For better traction, the RS 3 has larger front tires than the Giulia Quadrifoglio (265/30R19 vs. 245/35R19).

The RS 3’s 265/30R19 front tires provide better handling because they have a lower 30 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Giulia Quadrifoglio’s standard 35 series front tires.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the RS 3 is 1.5 inches wider in the front than on the Giulia Quadrifoglio.

The RS 3 is 3.8 inches shorter than the Giulia Quadrifoglio, making the RS 3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the RS 3’s power trunk can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Giulia Quadrifoglio doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Alfa Romeo. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 64% lower rating, Alfa Romeo is ranked 32nd.

The RS 3 offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Giulia Quadrifoglio doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the RS 3 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Giulia Quadrifoglio can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The RS 3’s LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the Giulia Quadrifoglio’s xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; LED headlights light instantly. LED lights also last about three to four times as long.

When the RS 3 is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Giulia Quadrifoglio’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The RS 3’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Giulia Quadrifoglio doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Audi A3/S3/RS 3 outsold the Alfa Romeo Giulia by 55% during the 2022 model year.