I really wanted to cross shop the S3 with the R but the absence of a manual option killed this thought before it even started
that was the main killer for me too, and that damn ugly screen that comes out of the dash. non touch screen and with Japanese navi units using hiragana there is ~50 characters in their alphabet and trying to put an address in via dials and buttons takes you a week compared to seconds via a touch screen.
Also reviews of the audi understeering and not being as good on the limit.
Really made it seem like you are paying more for less with the S3.