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First introduced as a 2000 model, the Audi TT quickly became a beloved icon, both for its artful styling and it's impeccable road manners. Now Audi has finally come out with the second-generation version of the TT. Once again, the TT is available as a coupe or a two-seat convertible; here we test the latter. How does the new TT Roadster stack up? Read on. $37,575 base, $51,225 as tested, EPA fuel economy 17-22 city, 24-29 highway.
First Glance: Great expectations
Larger photos:
Top down: front - rear
Top up: front - rear
Every once in a while, I'll drive a string of performance cars and all will leave me unsatisfied. I begin to question my standards -- have my criteria for greatness crept too far upwards? Are the cars that I think of as being truly great not actually as great as I remember them?
And then I'll drive a car like the 2008 Audi TT Roadster, and realize that my standards are fine right where they are.
I could go on and on and on and on and on about how wonderful the TT is to drive, and while I'm sure my fellow car nuts would appreciate that, those of you trying to decide if you should buy one (YES BUY IT DO IT BUY IT BUY IT -- er, sorry) are probably going to want a bit more info.
So let's talk about what's changed. First, there's the styling. The old TT was one of my favorite cars to look at. The Bauhaus-inspired styling, with its emphasis on lines and circles, really struck a chord with me. The new TT is sort of a Bauhausless version of the same basic theme. The circles are gone, replaced by flowing lines and curves that give it a lower, sleeker profile. (The new TT is slightly larger, but thanks to extensive use of aluminum it's actually lighter than the old TT.) Up front, Audi's trademark grille dominates the TT's face; out back, the taillights illuminate as rectangles rather than circles, as if serving one last reminder that the Bauhaus design is gone once and for all. No matter -- the new TT Roadster is every bit as beautiful as its predecessor, and my tester looked particularly striking in gloss black.
In the Driver's Seat: More roomy, less German
The new TT's growth translates to improved interior space; the cabin is intimate but not claustrophobic, perfect for a roadster. The seats (link goes to photo) are incredibly comfy, though I did find the pedals a bit too close together.
Audi really sweated the convertible details. The power top opens with a single button; there are no knuckle-bashing latches to operate. An electrically operated wind blocker pops up behind the rear seat headrests. It doesn't do much for wind noise - and the TT is loud compared to most convertibles - but it does cut down on turbulence. There's even a decent-size bin between the seats that can be locked to secure valuables when the TT is parked top-down. The bin has a pass-through to the trunk, a nice idea in theory; in practice small items tend to slide out of reach and have to be retrieved from the trunk. And speaking of the trunk: The TT's 9.1 cubic feet of cargo space is similar to the BMW Z4 and nearly twice the size of the Mazda Miata's, plus the lid opens to a near-vertical position for easy loading.
One of my usual complaints about Audis (and most German cars, for that matter) is the complexity of their secondary controls -- stereo, air conditioning and the like. So the TT came as a pleasant surprise: Both stereo and A/C controls use good ol' fashioned dials that are clearly marked and easy to use without taking one's eyes from the road for too long. The labels on the dial that directs airflow (to feet, face or windshield) are a bit ambiguous, but it sure beats fumbling with the tiny buttons on the old TT.
On the Road: Love it love it love it love it love it!
I drove the TT on the About.com Cars Top Secret Curvy Test Road as fast as prudence allowed, and only once did I manage to break its tenuous grip on the pavement (and that took some pretty heavy-handed driving, let me tell you). Most of the time I didn't even trip the electronic stability control. The TT's steering is just about perfect and the ride is wonderfully firm (at least to someone like me who thinks firm rides are wonderful). The car just couldn't put a foot (tire) wrong. Chassis flex -- the bane of most convertibles, which lack a metal roof to provide stiffness -- is virtually nonexistent in the TT.
With Sport mode selected, the S-Tronic automatic transmission (basically a self-shifting manual with no clutch pedal; read more about it here) did exactly what I would have done if the clutch and transmission were under my control. The TT has manual shift paddles on the steering wheel, but I never felt the need to use them. The S-Tronic's brilliance is almost enough to convince me that automatic sports cars have merit. (Almost. But not quite.)
My test car had the 3.2 liter V6, and as much as I enjoyed the terrific sounds coming from the exhaust pipe, I would have preferred the four-cylinder 2.0 turbo engine. I've driven this engine in several other cars (including the Audi A3 and Volkswagen GTI and Eos) and in my opinion it's the best four-banger on the market. It surely would have done better than the V6's 18.2 MPG. That said, if you want Quattro all-wheel-drive or a manual transmission -- and were I buying a TT, I'd want both -- the V6 is your only choice.
Journey's End: TT roadster is brilliant -- but it's not for everyone
Much as I love the TT, I know it isn't for everyone. Some may object to the ride; if you buy a TT, changes are you will become intimately familiar with every bump, rut and pothole in your neighborhood. Personally, I didn't mind it much, but I have a pretty high tolerance for stiff suspensions. (Audi offers a $1,400 magnetic ride suspension that allows near-instant changes to the shock absorber valving. My test car lacked this feature but I've sampled such systems in other vehicles. They generally allow for a more compliant ride with no appreciable loss in handling.)
Still others prefer the tail-out action of a rear-wheel-drive car, but as someone who does most of his driving on public roads -- and rather twisty ones at that -- I'll take the sure-footed grip of the TT's all-wheel-drive any day of the week. (Bummer, though, that you can't get all-wheel-drive with the four-cylinder engine.)
The one thing that would stop me from buying the TT is price. The TT Roadster starts at $37,575 for the 2.0T with front-wheel-drive and S-Tronic transmission. My test car stickered for over $51k, and a TT with all the TTrimmings (sorry, I couldn't resist) will set you back over $56,000. If you’re looking for simple two-seat, top-down action, a Miata offers big grins for $20-30k, while the BMW Z4, Porsche Boxster and Mercedes-Benz SLK230 offer more cachet in the same general price range as the TT. Of the higher-end cars, though, I'd be likely to spring for the TT. I love to drive -- and that's what the TT does best. -- Aaron Gold
