Audi TT
Ratings
5 stars
Summary
Highly recommended. Great to look at, brilliant to drive and surprisingly practical. If the new TT has a serious flaw, we've yet to spot it.
Review
Replacing the original TT was never going to be easy, but with the second generation model Audi has delivered a car that's better in every regard.
Not that everyone is going to like the new car's styling as much as the original. It's now wider, lower and more streamlined, with details like the original TT-style front wheelarch looking a bit incongruous. But the overall effect is undeniably handsome - this is a car with the capacity to turn heads.
The cabin is well designed, constructed from high-quality materials and spacious compared to rivals. Both driver and front seat passenger get to sit in comfort, and although the rear seats are relatively cramped, they serve to distinguish the Audi from the resolutely two-seater competition. The hatchback tailgate gives access to a surprisingly spacious boot, too.
On the road the TT has lost the slight vagueness which made its predecessor a less than scintillating driver's car. The steering is brilliant, grip levels are impressively high and the car is happy to vary its cornering line according to throttle input. It's refined and comfortable at motorway cruising speeds, too. The only significant gripe is a hard-edged quality to the ride over urban bumps.
Two engines are available from launch. The entry level 2.0 litre TFSI turbocharged four-cylinder motor gives plenty of performance thanks to its keen mid-range responses. It's good enough to mostly negate the point of going for the more expensive 3.2 litre V6 version, which is only slightly quicker and suffers from a disappointingly muted soundtrack. That said, only buyers who pick the bigger engine will get the benefits of Quattro four-wheel drive at present - although a 2.0 TFSI Quattro will follow later.
Ratings Breakdown
Styling
4 star
Not quite as stunning as the original car, but clearly descended from the same aesthetic DNA.
Handling
5 star
Brilliant traction and superb steering mean this TT can be fairly compared to the best of the competition. Great to drive.
Comfort
4 star
The driving position has enough adjustment to fit pretty much all sizes in comfort, and the TT is impressively refined on the motorway too.
Quality & Reliability
5 star
If anything, this one feels even better screwed together than its ultra-tight predecessor. Classy materials make cabin feel very special.
Performance
4 star
Both 2.0 litre TFSI and 3.2 V6 deliver strong performance - although there's clearly room in the range for a faster model later on.
Roominess
4 star
Okay, it's not going to rival a conventional hatchback in terms of practicality, but the TT is far more spacious than its key rivals. Rear seats double up as extra luggage space and a hatchback gives easy access to the boot.
Running Costs
4 star
Servicing will be pricey, but decent fuel economy for the 2.0 TFSI and what promises to be ultra-low depreciation should ensure the TT is surprisingly easy on the wallet. Just don't bend that expensive aluminium bodywork.
Value for money
4 star
The TT undercuts rivals like the BMW Z4 Coupe and Porsche Cayman by a significant margin - although it still looks pricey next to the Nissan 350Z.
