The Key Differences Between Audi's S and RS Models

The German automaker offers two levels of performance enhancement.

Kristin Shaw | 

Jan 16, 2024 | 2 min read

Audi

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.

Audi

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.

Audi

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.

Audi

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.

Kristin Shaw

Kristin Shaw is a freelance writer specializing in automotive topics, and she uses her corporate technology experience to explain complex concepts. Currently living in her sixth state (New Jersey, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, and now Texas), she does most of her work in coffee shops around Austin. People often tell her that she has the coolest job, and she agrees.