FAMILY CAR REVIEW: 2022 Audi S3 Sedan

How big is the boot of the 2022 Audi S3 Sedan?

The Audi S3 Sedan has a really generously sized and practically shaped boot for a family, being able to fit all sizes of twin and tandem prams in the boot.

Empty it will hold thirteen shopping bags, which is comparable to the Volvo S60 that also holds 13 shopping bags. The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe holds twelve and the Citroen C4 holds ten.

A twin pram will fit in the boot of the 2022 Audi S3 Sedan with three shopping bags.

Or a single pram will fit in the boot of the Audi S3 Sedan with four shopping bags.

Or if like us you like to travel a little lighter when it comes to prams, a compact stroller will fit in the boot of the Audi S3 Sedan with room for ten shopping bags.

The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as Bub’s lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.

Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.

I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.

If you are a family with a dog, you can't transport a dog in the boot of the Audi S3 Sedan, being a sedan it has a fixed parcel shelf.

There is a netted storage area on the left side of the boot and cargo net on the floor, both are great for popping things like lunch boxes and balls in that you don't want to roll around the boot.

How good is storage inside the 2022 Audi S3 Sedan?

Storage throughout the interior of the Audi S3 Sedan is practical.

In the front, the storage includes two cup holders in the central console, a wireless phone charging dock in front of the gears and a small central console box behind them.

A wallet and iPad fit in the glove box with the manual.

The front door bins hold a refillable water bottle.

In the back, there are two cup holders in a fold-down armrest in the central seat back that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup.

Net map pockets on the back of both front seats that will hold but not conceal children's books and iPads.

The rear door bins will hold a refillable water bottle, which is fantastic so you don't end up with your children's water bottles rolling around and leaking in the footwells!

How noisy is the 2022 Audi S3 Sedan?

Despite the four massive exhaust pipes that make you think it will be as noisy as a Hyundai i30 N, the Audi S3 Sedan s not a particularly loud car to drive with your family, if you do not count the noise of the debate/argument over who is going to drive!! It is SUCH a lovely car to drive we did have some arguments over it in our household!

The media system in the Audi S3 sedan is a really nice and modern touch screen that is easy to use and navigate, even if you are distracted with kids onboard.

The Audi S3 Sedan has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto too, which was great for easily connecting your smartphone to access its navigation, messaging and listening apps on the move.

The camera has a lovely clear view making parking and manoeuvring easy along with the small turning circle.

You can also turn the parking sensors on and off from the screen as well as being able to adjust the volume of them here too.

Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!

That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.

If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?

It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?

A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.

Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.

The windows of the Audi S3 Sedan are nice and quiet to open and close and didn't disturb my sleeping Bub.

Since becoming a mum I spend A LOT of time parked up somewhere with a nice view while my daughter is asleep in the back!

The driver display clearly tells you your distance to empty on the top left of the screen and has good door and seatbelt visuals, which are all great BabyDrive features.

The cruise controls are on a stalk on the left behind the steering wheel. I found them quite easy to use and it is incredibly accurate at high speeds on motorways as well as at slower speeds on bendy roads.

How many child seats fit in the 2022 Audi S3 Sedan?

I could install two Infasecure child seats in the back of the 2022 Audi S3 Sedan. I tested the Infasecure Aspire More forward-facing and the Infasecure Attain More rear-facing. You could of course put any two Infasecure child seats in the back seats. I found three child seats would not fit as the S3's seats themselves are quite sculpted so three across didn't work for me.

There are top tether anchorages for all three rear seats, clearly labelled in the fixed parcel shelf behind all three rear headrests.

The Audi S3 Sedan has the second nicest ISOFix in any car I have tested! They are in both the outer rear seats and the plastic cover rolls in around the back so you do not have to detach them. It is small, seamless details like this that really set cars apart when directly comparing them.

Legroom is very good in the 2022 Audi S3 Sedan and we could fit a 186cm driver or passenger in front of this child seat combination on either side.

You can learn more about the child seats used in this review by following this link.

I found posting Bub into their rear-facing child seat to be good from outside of the car in the 2022 Audi S3 Sedan. The roofline is lower than in say an SUV but I didn't find it an issue.

The ceiling is high enough inside that posting Bub into their seat from inside is easy too. There are handles above both the rear doors to hang a child's toy from.

Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!

There is plenty of room to feed Bub in the back if you only have one child seat installed, the interior is very spacious.

How comfortable is the 2022 Audi S3 Sedan? And How good is the Audi S3 Sedan to drive?

The front seats of the Audi S3 Sedan are very comfortable. They are sculpted and feel fitted which I like when driving. The headrests are not adjustable though which means you cannot wear a ponytail while driving.

I had spent hours styling my hair this morning to get this ponytail just right too… said no new mum ever!!!

The seats are electronically adjusted, with controls on the side of the seat base.

The quilted leather seats with contrast red stitching are throughout the Audi S3 Sedan, they are very nice and comfortable in the front and rear but the quilting wouldn't be the easiest to keep clean if your kids have a spill!!

For a mum travelling in the back with one Bub, the seats are very comfortable, buy you wouldn't fit in the middle between two child seats in the 2022 Audi S3 and the rear central seatback is a bit firm where you have the fold-down armrest and cup holders.

For the first year of my babies lives when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with them so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!

The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down as well in the Audi S3 Sedan.

There are four air vents in the front of the Audi S3 Sedan, two on the left in front of the passenger, one in the centre of the dashboard above the media screen and one on the other side of the driver display screen.

There are vents in the back of the central console box for rear passengers too.

The aircon for front and rear passengers is easily controlled using the buttons below the media screen.

Visibility in the Audi S3 Sedan is good. Being a sedan with two child seats on board you still have the view through the central seat out of the rear-view mirror and the side windows when turning and manoeuvring.

Also, the great quality rearview camera is helpful too.

One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, the Audi S3 Sedan was a bit tricky to park but the using the cameras do help.

How safe is the 2022 Audi S3 Sedan?

The Audi S3 Sedan has not been put through ANCAP safety testing (although some Audi A3 versions do have a five-star ANCAP rating).

Six airbags come as standard in the Audi S3 Sedan; including front airbags for driver and passenger, side airbags for front seats, head level curtain airbag for front and rear.

The Audi S3 Sedan comes with Audi pre-sense front with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and pedestrian and cyclist detection, electronic stabilisation control (ESC) with ABS, ASR, EDL, tyre pressure monitoring, adaptive cruise control (ACC), traffic jam assist and emergency assist, Audi active lane assist – when activated, helps the driver stay in the lane by gentle corrective steering interventions and through steering vibration, lane change warning (side assist), rear cross traffic assist (RCTA), exit warning system – detects cars and cyclists when opening doors and provides a visual warning to occupants and emergency call.

Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub’s asleep!