Review - Audi TT

Early versions of the Audi TT weren’t really considered as true sports cars, which resulted in Audi going back to the drawing board and coming up with a significantly sharper, faster and more focussed package. It’s fair to say the company has achieved its sports car brief, with more powerful variants of the Audi TT being billed as being able to match the performance on offer in significantly more expensive supercars, but just how true are these claims? 

Perhaps more significantly, how well behaved is the Audi TT when it comes to an everyday commute or day’s worth of errands, and how easy is it to live with on a day to day basis? Let’s find out whether or not all this performance comes with any major sacrifices you'll have to make when owning a TT of your own. 

Starting Price: $82,400

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Audi TT (RS 2.5 TFSI QUATTRO S TRONIC) Specifications

For more details and other variants, check Audi TT car page.

How Much Does It Cost?

The Audi TT range kicks off in the form of the TT Coupe 45 TSI, which is priced from $82,400, with the range then moving to the more powerful TTS Coupe, which is priced from $99,900. Finally, the Audi TT range tops-out in the form of the flagship TT RS Coupe, which is priced from $134,900. Keep in mind that these prices are subject to change, and do not include on-road costs. 

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What Features Does the Audi TT Have?

The Audi TT in entry-level 45 TFSI form comes riding on a set of 18-inch alloy wheels, and comes packaged with a huge number of premium features. This includes Audi’s 12.3-inch digital driver’s display which is actually the main infotainment system, which comes packaged with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite navigation and DAB+ digital radio, and is paired to an eight-speaker sound system. Also included on the 45 TFSI is automatic LED headlights paired with LED daytime running lamps, cruise control, automatic wipers, a reversing camera with front and rear mounted parking sensors, scrolling indicators, a mix of alcantara and leather upholstery, wheel-mounted paddle shifters, ambient lighting package and keyless entry with push-button start. 

Moving higher into the TT range, opting for the TTS variant adds larger 19-inch alloy wheels, an adaptive suspension system, heated sport seats, Nappa leather upholstery with alcantara inserts and a premium 12-speaker sound system from Bang & Olufsen. Finally, the range topping Audi TT RS comes packaged with 20-inch alloy wheels, Matrix LED headlights and some added leather accents inside the cabin. 

Audi’s optional S Line sport package adds a set of heated front seats, stainless steel pedals, S Line exterior styling, a leather-wrapped centre console and arm rests, as well as a nine-speaker sound system. The S Performance Package adds a set of 20-inch alloys, a leather-wrapped  centre console and arm rests, as well as Matrix LED headlights. 

Range Features: 

• 18-inch alloys 

• Automatic LED headlights with LED daytime running lamps 

• Scrolling front and rear indicators 

• 12.3-inch digital driver’s display with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, DAB+ and sat-nav

• Reversing camera with front and rear-mounted parking sensors 

• Leather & alcantara interior upholstery 

• Ambient lighting package 

• Cruise control 

• Wheel-mounted paddle shifters 

• 19-inch alloys (TTS) 

• Adaptive suspension (TTS) 

• Nappa leather upholstery with alancara (TTS) 

• Heated sport seats (TTS) 

• 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system (TTS) 

• 20-inch alloys (TTRS) 

• Matrix LED headlights (TTRS) 

Audi TT Colours

Is the Audi TT Fun and Comfortable to Drive?

The design brief for the TT range is a radical departure from the more conserative approach you might associate with Audi. The Audi TT is a fully-fledged sports car, joining the likes of the flagship R8 as a purpose-built sports car, rather than transitioning one of its already established family cars into the world of high-paced motoring. This purpose from the moment of conception means that the TT has been designed from the ground-up primarily as a sports car, and it doesn’t take long to notice this on the road. Power figures range from 169kW/370Nm in the entry-level 45 TFSI variant through to 210kW/380Nm in the TTS, all the way to 294kW and 480Nm in the flagship TT RS. Translated from petrol-head to English, these figures are extremely handsome in the lower level variants and extremely impressive in the flagship TT RS, offering a 0-100km/h sprint in just 3.7 seconds. 

At speed, the Audi TT feels extremely user-friendly and manageable, thanks to its quattro all-wheel drive system that provides an immense amount of grip in the corners. The front nose remains planted in twisty situations, with a nice amount of weight and feedback offered through the steering wheel to the driver to inform you of what those wheels are up to. Audi’s all-wheel drive system can send power to the front and rear, depending on where the traction is needed, and features a torque-vectoring system that effectively brakes an inside wheel and helps you pivot around bends in a quick, sharp manner. Overall, its hefty power and lightweight proportions mean that the TT RS feels like an all-wheel drive go kart when you’re pushing it on the open road, which is made even more impressive when you put the drive system back into its most comfortable settings. 

While it’s easy to think that all of this performance has come at the expense of the TT as an everyday commuter, surprisingly, it remains compliant at low speeds and every bit as easy to drive as an Audi A3. With the drive settings in comfort, the TT regains a feather-weight steering system and forgiving throttle pedal, making it simple to pilot at low speeds, and thanks to its small proportions, a perfect little urban runaround. If possible, we’d encourage you to opt for a variant with the adjustable suspension system, which can hold the car firm when pushing, and relaxes the suspension to offer a more forgiving ride quality when you’re simply commuting. Overall, though, Audi has done a great job in designing the TT to tick both the boxes of performance driving and relaxing grand touring, providing its owner with a best-of-both-worlds approach to motoring, which is more difficult to design than it might initially sound. 

Is the Audi TT Practical and Spacious? 

If you haven’t already noticed, the Audi TT is a coupe sports car, which means that space and practicality were one of the first sacrifices when designing the body. The front of the cabin offers the driver and front passenger a simple, streamlined and focussed cockpit, with the main display reserved for the driver, and things like the climate control functions hidden inside the air vents themselves. It’s a unique design, but in the context of a small sporty coupe, Audi’s interior package is outstanding in presenting the driver with a sporty yet luxurious cabin. While there isn’t much in the way of storage options, this is an area that doesn’t come naturally to sports coupes. Thankfully, though, you can throw loose items into the rear of the cabin, because it’s unlikely you’ll be able to squeeze a human into the rear of the TT’s cabin. 

While it might be officially billed as a two-plus-two, the process of actually squeezing into the seats behind the driver is something that can only be accomplished by small children. To be clear, it’s possible to commute with four people inside the TT, but those seated behind the driver are limited to young children, with absolutely no chance of squeezing an adult into the rear of the cabin due to a complete absence of legroom and especially headroom from the TT’s coupe roof-line. In terms of cargo storage, the TT has a boot rated at 305L, which expands to 712L with those tiny rear seats folded down. In reality, the larger boot configuration will likely prove your preferred setup, allowing you to squeeze in some bulky cargo into the TT’s boot without a problem, absolutely trumping what’s possible in its rivals like the Porsche 718 and even the Toyota Supra. 

As a practical package, then, the Audi TT very much lives up to its design brief as a sporty coupe. It’s perfect for a single driver, or a family with extremely young children. Audi packages ISOFIX anchors and top tether points in the bench seat behind the driver, meaning it’s perfectly capable of accommodating child seats, although some of the larger seats on the market might struggle to fit behind the sport seats. It’s nice to know that those with young children can still, theoretically, at least, drop the kids at school on their daily commute.  

Is the Audi TT Safe? 

The Audi TT received a four star safety rating when it was tested by ANCAP back in 2015, scoring 81% for adult occupant protection, 68% for child occupant protection, 82% for vulnerable road user safety and 64% for safety assistance technology. As standard, all Audi TT models come packaged with blind-spot and side-approach monitoring, driver attention alerts, lane keep assistance, a rear view camera with front and rear-mounted sensors, and six airbags. Compared to some of its rivals, the TT is lacking in some key safety technologies, most namely, autonomous emergency braking. 

Is it Fuel Efficient?

With three different versions of the same engine on offer, the Audi TT range offers three different economy figures. The entry-level TT 45 TFSI is rated at 6.6L per 100km on a combined cycle, while the step-up TT S is rated at 7.0L per 100km. Officially, Audi’s range-topping TT RS is rated at 8.0L per 100km on a combined cycle, which is actually a pretty impressive figure considering how much power this engine produces. For the segment, the TT RS’ fuel economy matches that of its main competitors, the Porsche 718 and the Toyota Supra, meaning the TT lineup offers a fairly economical engine lineup for the performance potential of the powertrain. 

Our Verdict: Is the Audi TT Worth it? 

The Audi TT is a car that has come leaps and bounds since its 1998 introduction. It has fast become a truly focussed performance vehicle that is capable of handling huge speeds with a tonne of grip in the corners, while remaining the typically refined and sophisticated vehicle that its Audi badge would suggest from the outset. While it might fall short in terms of practicality, the reality of small, compact sport coupes is that performance and excitement come before real-world practicality. 

In this respect, Audi has well-and-truly achieved its design brief and created an engaging and capable sports car with the Audi TT, with the flagship TT RS offering staggering performance. While its competition might be stiff, the Audi TT does a remarkable job in showing manufacturers like Porsche, BMW and Toyota that it has no problem keeping up with the pace, and remains one of the best options on the market for those looking for a premium coupe with supercar-rivaling pace. On that note, if you’re in the market for a new car, you can get a free quote and see how much OnlineAuto can save you on your next car, or call us on 1300 719 925 

Five Specs You Need to Know

1. Three-year, unlimited KM warranty 

2. Four star ANCAP safety rating 

3. Prepaid servicing available; $1,800 for three-years or $2,870 for five-years 

4. Quattro all-wheel drive platform 

5. 12-month/15,000km service intervals 

Pros 

• Powerful engine and smooth transmission combination

• Immense amounts of grip from the front axle when pushed 

• Impressive boot space

Cons

• Limited warranty coverage 

• Four star ANCAP rating; lacks some key safety tech

• Rear seats unusable for anyone taller than a small child 

OnlineAuto Rating: 7.5/10

Audi TT Competition