300hp. 3080 lbs. quattro. beautiful interior. 0-60 in 5.1 s. I AM SOLD. Reserve me a black one with DSG, please.
The 4-door sedan version of this S3 (5-door will likely not be returning to the US market, unfortunately) will be arriving to the US in mid-late 2013. I will be in line for one.
and a promo video:
IEDEI 
Speaking from the hot hatch capital of the world (UK) always go for the 3 door model. As practical as a 5 door is, it will always shout ugly, there is never a way to cover sportiness with 5 doors. Styling a 5 door hot hatch to look awesome never really works IMHO.
Ford has just brought out the Focus ST in the UK as a five door only hot hatch, as good a car as it is it will get fewer sales here due to it being a five door, hot hatch fans will
most likely look elsewhere.
Speaking from the saloon capital of the world (US), we never get the 3-door model of anything (there has never been a 3-door A3 or S3 sold here), and now even the 5-door has gone the way of the dodo bird, at least in the US market.
Sadly in many ways the US does get short changed when it comes to quality car choices.