RS3 Turning Circle

[Jdavis37]

This may seem an oddball question, but I just read on the Audi USA website the 2022 RS3 has a 40.5 or so foot turning circle (12.34m). This caught my eye of concern. I currently drive a 2016 Volvo S60 Polestar, and while overall the car is a nice car to drive, parking it has always been a bit of a pain for me. Parking lots these days have smaller spots and the rows seem closer together, thus preventing wide turn ins. Had I tested my car in poarking before I bought it, I would not have made the purchase in all honesty. My prior car was a 2008 BMW 335i and it simply zipped in and out of parking spots.

I have been leaning toward a 2022 RS3 this Fall after going through the inevitable acceptance of EV cars (I have range anxiety) but not yet wanting to buy one. I would be interested in a smaller performance SUV if there were one I liked in the US, but that is another discussion! I thought the 2022 RS3 might well be a great car for me. Perfectly fine at daily driving while at the same time very spirited for fun driving. Smaller as well.

So I am quite curious to know from current owners or those who have driven an RS3, do they park easily in a parking garage, etc, or do they require some finagling to get into the slot? I was expecting a much tighter turning diameter than 40.5 feet.. that is SUV like. Course, it could be a mis print on Audi's web site. I doubt there will be any chance for a test drive before ordering (something I'll need to negotiate) but parking woes with my current car leads me to not want a repeat. Thx in advance. This has been posted on other Audi sites

 

[Stu-27]

I noticed the difference coming from and 8v s3. Although got used to it quickly. It’s not that bad tbh. Can navigate a Morrisons car park in Scotland I’m sure it will handle everything in the usa

 

[Jdavis37]

Thx Stu..... obviously my Polestar has stained me a bit Sounds like the RS3 is more able bodied in terms of parking. I would guess for the most part our parking spots in the US are more open, though in fairness they seem to be shrinking while our cars are increasing!

 

[8YARWY]

It is a bit wider circle than the 8V RS3 I've noticed it when moving off the driveway in a morning.....

At least your spots are as you say a good bit wider in the States, ours in the UK seemed to have stayed the same since the 1980's

 

[Add_Profile]

Sometimes, trying to fit in a car parking space in the UK be like

 

[Lucasquattro]

Immediately noticed the difference from my previous S3 8V and initially was a bit annoyed, but I got used after a few months

 

[Jdavis37]

Thanks to all. Very good reference for me and something to think about. Our parking spots here, to me, are getting tighter overall (smaller), and in many cases the width of the rows between parkiing spots is shrinking. My current car is the first I have owned where parking has been an issue for me. Had I tried parking the car when I test drove it, without question I would have likely not bought it. It is easy for me to fall in love with a car's handling, acceleration, etc., the things I truly love about driving. That said, driving like that is only part of the experience for me, and much of my driving involves short runs to various stores. and parking the car! I doubt I see any RS3's on a dealer's lot any time soon, so this might take some negotiating with a dealer, if that is possible. Tis no longer a buyer's market! Lucas.. your comments actually give me the most pause. I have gotten used to my current car's parking woes but still dislike them, and just not sure I want to start another 6 to 9 year relationship with parking issues! Cooments though have all been very appreciated and helpful. I'll just need to find a way to test drive one before making the purchase leap! I also have to verify the front of the car will clear getting into my garage!

 

[Jassyo06]

Not surprising the rs3 8y has a bad turning circle giving the width of the front tyres plus more of a Gocart front end.....TTS on 255/30/20.... had a horrendous turning circle....but Gocart like steering worse turning circle iv'e had one of my cars was my Ford Focus ST.....

 

[Jdavis37]

Not surprising the rs3 8y has a bad turning circle giving the width of the front tyres plus more of a Gocart front end.....TTS on 255/30/20.... had a horrendous turning circle....but Gocart like steering worse turning circle iv'e had one of my cars was my Ford Focus ST.....

Thx Jassy. My current car, 2016 6 cyl Volvo S60 polestar, is the only car I have owned that has given me parking issues. Always the chance it is just me, but since I am the one driving it, I do not want a repeat of this. I don't take my cars out on tracks, etc. but do love acceleration and handling. However, I don't want a car to be so made for racing that regular grocery errands become a pain. I could easily live with the RS3 not having a staggered tire size setup as an example. I understand RS3s will start to appear in the US this summer though I have no real hopes of one coming in unclaimed. I would have to "test park" one before I would buy.

I still remember test driving the polestar and finding it fun to drive. I still enjoy it on the open road. However, I did not "test park" it before buying, and now 5 years later I often cringe when entering parking lots. Given your examples, there must be something to the wide turning on these cars.

 

[Jassyo06]

Thx Jassy. My current car, 2016 6 cyl Volvo S60 polestar, is the only car I have owned that has given me parking issues. Always the chance it is just me, but since I am the one driving it, I do not want a repeat of this. I don't take my cars out on tracks, etc. but do love acceleration and handling. However, I don't want a car to be so made for racing that regular grocery errands become a pain. I could easily live with the RS3 not having a staggered tire size setup as an example. I understand RS3s will start to appear in the US this summer though I have no real hopes of one coming in unclaimed. I would have to "test park" one before I would buy.

I still remember test driving the polestar and finding it fun to drive. I still enjoy it on the open road. However, I did not "test park" it before buying, and now 5 years later I often cringe when entering parking lots. Given your examples, there must be something to the wide turning on these cars.

The self parking function on the likes of the RS3 8Y and on my TTS makes me laugh given how poor their maneuverability is lol

 

[Jdavis37]

The self parking function on the likes of the RS3 8Y and on my TTS makes me laugh given how poor their maneuverability is lol

Oh no! I assume it struggles? My car just never feels like the rear end is actually following the front end when I am trying to pull forward into a parking space. It feels like the *** end is at an angle. In addition, the front just does not really maneuver. I can turn the wheel all the way til it locks and the front never is quick to turn. It is almost like parking a big truck!

 

[Spinstorm]

I am going to play devil's advocate (insert wagatha christie reference here - on a side note why would they go to court over such an irrelevant idiotic thing).

I have no issues with the turning circle at all. I have no issues parking or driving around. The steering feels different to the 8V - like there are fewer turns lock to lock and the auto parking works great.

I really don't know what the complaints are about. And in the US you will be able to park even easier than here in the UK. This is much ado about nothing.

 

[Jdavis37]

I am going to play devil's advocate (insert wagatha christie reference here - on a side note why would they go to court over such an irrelevant idiotic thing).

I have no issues with the turning circle at all. I have no issues parking or driving around. The steering feels different to the 8V - like there are fewer turns lock to lock and the auto parking works great.

I really don't know what the complaints are about. And in the US you will be able to park even easier than here in the UK. This is much ado about nothing.

Spinstorm, Thanks for sharing your perspectives on the simple question I asked about. Your reply is very much appreciated given how much it helps.

I'll rephrase to perhaps better help my question.... my current car is a BITCH to park. I have had the car 5 years and while I enjoy driving it, I very much dislike parking it. Others who have my car may or may not have any issues with parking it. The previous RS3 had a very small turning circle, which I believe was in the 36 foot realm. I like the car and am very interested in potentially buying it, for many reasons. Finding one to test drive at present time is impossible in the US. I recently read Audi's specs on the turning circle and wa ssurprised to see it had increased by approximately 4 feet, or about 120-125 cm for those in metric terms. I found that increase to be substantial. The turning circle on my current car is a little less than that.

I will take your answer as you have no issues. To say it is much ado about nothing is, well, a stretch. if I drop $70,000 on a car and THEN discover it is a pain to park similar to my current car, well ... think that says it all.

I do appreciate all feedback. In this case, it seems likely I will need to get fortunate enough to find one to test drive, or in this case, test park for myself!

 

[Carbon89]

I agree with Spinstorm to be honest. Yes it's not got the turning circle of a London cab, but I've not had any issues parking it in extremely tight inner city UK parking spots, both parallel and perpendicular. I struggle to see how it could be a blocker to purchase on the relatively huge US roads/car parks.

If it's any comfort JD, despite the stats showing it has a slightly larger turning circle, I actually find it easier to park than my A35 for whatever reason.

The only thing that has taken a bit of getting used to is the reversing camera is extremely fisheye so can make you look a lot closer to cars on either side than you actually are, but I tend to use the mirrors for that anyway.

 

[Daggerit]

I didn't have any issues parking or manoeuvring the car when I had it out for a test drive although I did find myself hitting full lock far earlier than expected. That initially made me think that the turning circle was bad but when I actually compared it to my current car it wasn't far off so I don't know if the steering system has variable ratios or something that mean you don't have to turn the wheel as much at slower speed?

 

[Keano04]

It is a bit wider circle than the 8V RS3 I've noticed it when moving off the driveway in a morning.....

At least your spots are as you say a good bit wider in the States, ours in the UK seemed to have stayed the same since the 1980's

Possibly since earlier than that - think it’s the 60s!!

Last couple of years wider and longer spaces are required for new development - same for garages too.

If only the country got bigger so we had more space for bigger cars

Funny really that the roads etc hasn’t changed but cars got bigger and we moan (me included) about the parking spaces being too small… no cars have just got too big really!!

 

[3vans]

Hmmm!
I don't have any experience, but I remember the 2018 Ford Focus RS, as a comparison, had a lot of complaints on forums for turning circle and this was
Turning circle (m) 11.8 kerb to kerb; 12.2 wall to wall.
UK spec says 2021 RS3 is 12.0m (39.4')

 

[mb127]

Never even considered the turning circle of a car I've bought but this got me interested. Did a quick Google so take with a pinch if salt ...
RS3 8Y: 12m
A3/S3 8Y: 11.1m
S3/RS3 8V: 10.9m
'08 335i: 11m
'16 S60: 11.9m
For comparison, '20 Escalade/ESV: 11.9m/13.1m

Maybe just get into the habit of reversing into spaces

 

[Jdavis37]

I agree with Spinstorm to be honest. Yes it's not got the turning circle of a London cab, but I've not had any issues parking it in extremely tight inner city UK parking spots, both parallel and perpendicular. I struggle to see how it could be a blocker to purchase on the relatively huge US roads/car parks.

If it's any comfort JD, despite the stats showing it has a slightly larger turning circle, I actually find it easier to park than my A35 for whatever reason.

The only thing that has taken a bit of getting used to is the reversing camera is extremely fisheye so can make you look a lot closer to cars on either side than you actually are, but I tend to use the mirrors for that anyway.

Carbon,

Thanks for your reply and details. My current car is the only car I have owned that has been difficult to park due to it's turning characteristics. Everything about it goes wide. I briefly had a loaner 2021 V60 as a comparison, and had no issues with parking it, getting it from my garage and so forth.

I suspect turning circle alone is not going to characterize what I have experienced. if it did, everybody who bought mid sized or larger SUVs and trucks would be complaining, and obviously they are not. My wife's 2012 touareg does not have this issue.

The rear camera observation is interesting. Mine now is decent and I use it for helping see directly behind me. I have some peripheral vision losses that lend themselves to taking whatever help I can find. Is another reason i would appreciate the overhead camera view if/when Audi resumes shipping it. Just one more tool (Hyundai/GFenesis blind spot tool is pretty interesting).

I have 2 Audi dealers reasonably close, one about 40 minutes of drive and the other maybe an hour, give or take. I know RS3s will not show up on dealer lots, especially not anytime soon. But, it may be worth the trip to see what they say and what they are willing to do. My garage was built with a very nice entry lip.. garage door goes into the recessed area and thus water is discouraged from entering the garage even with hard winds. However, it does raise the entry height of the garage floor along with the slight increase in height above the driveway. My current car's front spoiler clears but I believe the RS3 sits a little lower. Another small sniggl eof a concern to discuss with dealer.

I'll be 60 in June.. so not an OLD man but certainly no longer young. I am discovering with age enjoyment for things seems to want to decline somewhat in a sense. To be clear with that comment, it is another way of saying no matter how fun the car is to drive on the open road, I do not want to have to fight with it doing all the other stuff. When I was 25, most likely having to back it into a garage bay, for example, would not have bothered me. My neck turned back then, I was limber and had lots of energy.

I find the RS3 overall calls out to me. The Daytona Gray seems to be avery nice color. Small 4 door sedan as we call them here, that does not get much notice from the police, yet is very fast and nimble. I have some wonderful mountain roads here that it can breathe on. appreciate the feedback ! Keeps my hopes going the car will work!

 

[Jdavis37]

I didn't have any issues parking or manoeuvring the car when I had it out for a test drive although I did find myself hitting full lock far earlier than expected. That initially made me think that the turning circle was bad but when I actually compared it to my current car it wasn't far off so I don't know if the steering system has variable ratios or something that mean you don't have to turn the wheel as much at slower speed?

Thanks Daggerit,

It really does not sound as if many are complaining about having issues with parking and so forth. I know other polestar owners had similar issues as I am having. For some, it simply may not bother them (my car). But, if it were a widespread issue, it seems certain complaints would have been voiced by now.

Full lock getting there quickly is only a problem when you get there quickly, and still need more turn lol As in making a U turn, something I really do less of these days.

 

[Jdavis37]

Possibly since earlier than that - think it’s the 60s!!

Last couple of years wider and longer spaces are required for new development - same for garages too.

If only the country got bigger so we had more space for bigger cars

Funny really that the roads etc hasn’t changed but cars got bigger and we moan (me included) about the parking spaces being too small… no cars have just got too big really!!

Keano...

Exactly. Cars have all grown. In many cases, by a LOT. Honda Accords are now very long cars. In 1984 they were very short. We recently sold a house that I had built in 1992. It had a single 16 foot wide door and some space on either side. When the house was built, the garage seemed large. I had a 1993 Rx7 shortly afterbuilding it and my now ex wife had a Mazda 626. The garage felt huge. I moved in December 2019, and we had the 2012 touareg and my S60 polestar in the garage, and wow wa sit ever TIGHT.

Stateside what I am seeing with parking spots in general is they are getting smaller. Less wide. And the rows between spots are also getting smaller. Just an effort to squeeze in more spots per unit area, sort of like airplanes have done. Makes no sense given the cars have increased in size. I was tempted to look for an SUV due to not being able to see with so many big cars squeezed against mine, but the good SUVs are reserved forthe EU (such as the RS Q3)

I normally park out in the wilderness and just pull through when I can. Most likely will continue to do so in hopes of avoiding the dings!

 

[Jdavis37]

Hmmm!
I don't have any experience, but I remember the 2018 Ford Focus RS, as a comparison, had a lot of complaints on forums for turning circle and this was
Turning circle (m) 11.8 kerb to kerb; 12.2 wall to wall.
UK spec says 2021 RS3 is 12.0m (39.4')

3 vans,

Thanks. Forum comments regarding the polestar did have some users complaining about parking as I am now. I don't think there were zillions of such complaints, and at the time of purchase I most likely ignored them. I liked how the car drove and that was that. Dumb me.

I suspect from reading these posts that turning circle is not sufficient to predict if a car will behave like mine is. I have a transversely mounted inline 6 cylinder engine along with 20 inch wheels.. in short, there's just no room for them to turn further. The last year the polestar edition was made (2017 I believe) used a 4 cylinder engine that provided more room.

Does make me wonder if the designers are making compromises in one region (what I am complaining about) to provide benefits in other area. I am a driver, not a mechanic or car designer so will quickly defer to those with real car making knowledge.

 

[Jdavis37]

Never even considered the turning circle of a car I've bought but this got me interested. Did a quick Google so take with a pinch if salt ...
RS3 8Y: 12m
A3/S3 8Y: 11.1m
S3/RS3 8V: 10.9m
'08 335i: 11m
'16 S60: 11.9m
For comparison, '20 Escalade/ESV: 11.9m/13.1m

Maybe just get into the habit of reversing into spaces

MB,

Thanks. It was seeing the significant increase for the RS3 editions couples with the RS3 and my polestar having similar values that made me ask the question. Prior to this, I was in bliss reading the RS3s would soon be appearing stateside. I knew the previous version had a very tight turning circle (36 feet ish) and was a smaller size overall in comparison to my Volvo. Seemed reasonable to think it would behave parking wise a lot closer to my 08 bimmer did. 4 feet ( sorry lol but using meters seems to make the differences less noticeable on paper) of difference can be substantial when making U turns and so forth.

I do remember when I bought the polestar just how much more work it was getting out of my garage bay than had been the BMW. At the time, it did not bother me too much because I was caught up in enjoying the new car, etc. Over time though, I did miss the ease with which the BMW got in and out. Dang, is this like starting to miss the old girlfriend after spending time with the new one? Yikes to that thought If I suddenly start listening to Little River Band's Reminiscing song I'll have to do something drastic!