Compare the2023 Audi RS 3VS 2023 BMW M3

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 BMW M3 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the RS 3 and M3 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 M3’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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the RS 3. But it costs extra on the M3.

Both the RS 3 and the M3 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, 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 M3 has not been tested, yet.

As tested in Car and Driver the Audi RS 3 is faster than the M3 Competition (automatics tested):

On the EPA test cycle the RS 3 gets better mileage than the M3:

The Audi RS 3 comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the M3.

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 M3 doesn’t offer an SMG.

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 M3’s standard 40 series front tires. The RS 3’s tires are lower profile than the M3’s optional 35 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the RS 3 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch front wheels are standard on the M3.

The RS 3 is 10.3 inches shorter than the M3, making the RS 3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Audi RS 3 amounts to more than styling. The RS 3 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .31 Cd. That is lower than the M3 (.33) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the RS 3 get better fuel mileage.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The RS 3 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The M3 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Audi RS 3 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the M3.