Compare the2024 Audi RS 3VS 2023 Dodge Charger SRT

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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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 Charger SRT doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the RS 3 and Charger SRT 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 Charger SRT’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 Audi RS 3 has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Charger SRT doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The RS 3 has standard Pre Sense Front, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Charger SRT doesn't offer collision warning or crash mitigation brakes.

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 Charger SRT 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 Charger SRT doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The RS 3’s lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. The Charger SRT doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.

The RS 3 has standard Parking System Plus to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Charger SRT doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

Both the RS 3 and Charger SRT offer rear cross-traffic warning, but the RS 3 with Rear Cross-Traffic Assist also has Automatic Brake Activation (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Charger SRT’s Rear Cross Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the RS 3 and the Charger SRT have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available blind spot warning systems.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Audi RS 3 is safer than the Charger SRT:

	RS 3	Charger SRT
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	71	222
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	9 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	27 cm	28 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Femur Force R/L	.9/.1 kN	3.7/3 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	1%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Tibia index R/L	.53/.48	1.21/.58
Tibia forces R/L	2.4/.9 kN	3/4.7 kN

Warranty

The RS 3 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Charger SRT’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

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

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the RS 3 has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engines in the Charger SRT.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Dodge vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 2 places higher in reliability than Dodge.

Engine

As tested in Car and Driver the Audi RS 3 is faster than the Dodge Charger SRT:

	RS 3	Charger SRT	Charger SRT Redeye
Zero to 60 MPH	3.3 sec	3.8 sec	3.5 sec
Quarter Mile	11.8 sec	11.9 sec	11.5 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

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

		MPG
RS 3
	2.5 turbo 5-cyl.	19 city/29 hwy
Charger SRT
	6.2 supercharged V8	12 city/21 hwy
	Redeye 6.2 supercharged V8	12 city/21 hwy

The RS 3 has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Charger SRT. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Audi RS 3 higher (3 out of 10) than the Dodge Charger SRT (1). This means the RS 3 produces up to 22.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Charger SRT every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

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 Charger SRT doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Tires and Wheels

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 Charger SRT’s standard 35 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The RS 3 handles at .94 G’s, while the Charger SRT Redeye pulls only .93 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The Audi RS 3 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 950 pounds less than the Dodge Charger SRT.

The RS 3 is 1 foot, 10.2 inches shorter than the Charger SRT, making the RS 3 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The RS 3 is 5.4 inches narrower than the Charger SRT, making the RS 3 easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

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 significantly lower than the Charger SRT (.3763) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the RS 3 get better fuel mileage.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the RS 3 easier. The RS 3’s trunk lift-over height is 26.7 inches, while the Charger SRT’s liftover is 30.1 inches.

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 Charger SRT doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Dodge. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 25% lower rating, Dodge is ranked 21st.

Ergonomics

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 Charger SRT doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The RS 3’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Charger SRT’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The RS 3’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Charger SRT’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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 Charger SRT can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The RS 3’s standard Audi Advanced Key allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Enter-N-Go standard on the Charger SRT doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The RS 3’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Charger SRT’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The RS 3’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Charger SRT’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

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 Charger SRT doesn’t offer headlight washers.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the RS 3 detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Charger SRT doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the RS 3 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Charger SRT doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the RS 3 has a standard Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Charger SRT doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

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. The Charger SRT doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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 Charger SRT doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the RS 3 owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the RS 3 will cost $11790 less than the Charger SRT over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Audi RS 3 will be $25964 to $33763 less than for the Dodge Charger SRT.