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- Beautiful inside and out
- Blend of driving comfort and performance
- Fuel-efficient base engine
- Available all-wheel drive
- Cargo space/hatchback utility in coupe
- Numb steering feel
- Useless backseat in coupe
- Slower than some cheaper cars
The Audi TT isn't a pure high-performance sports car, reviews say -- not even in its ramped-up TTS trim level. Reviewers recommend the cheaper, faster 2009 Nissan 370Z coupe (*Est. $29,930 to $39,130) more often, but they say the Audis are more refined.
Both the Audi TT and TTS come in two body styles: a four-seat coupe and two-seat roadster with a power soft top. Both share a classic sports-car shape and upscale interior, and reviews say the total package is gorgeous. The coupe offers surprisingly good cargo space thanks to its rear hatchback -- enough for "a large carry on bag, a larger suitcase, a backpack and a laundry bag" with room to spare, Autoblog.com's Jonathon Ramsey says in a review of the Audi TTS. "And we hadn't got to the back 'seats' yet." Like other reviewers, Ramsey says the backseat is really too small for human beings.
Other than the laughable rear seating accommodations, reviewers say the Audi TT is quite practical, with all-wheel drive (optional on the base TT, standard on the TTS) and remarkable fuel economy for a sports car. Still, experts can usually find a car they like better. The mid-engined Porsche Cayman (*Est. $50,300 to $60,200) two-seat coupe and Porsche Boxster roadster (*Est. $46,600 to $56,700) handle better than comparable Audi TTs. The BMW M3 coupe (*Est. $57,850) and convertible (*Est. $66,500) add a lot more power and a usable backseat. And the top-rated Nissan 370Z delivers more muscle for less money.
The Audi TT offers two engines -- and some experts actually like the smaller one better. The standard-issue Audi TT 2.0 T (*Est. $37,800 to $40,800) gets 200 horsepower from its 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4, and testers say it feels nimble and fun, if not particularly fast. A six-speed, dual-clutch, S tronic automated manual transmission is the only choice, delivering an impressive 26 mpg in combined driving (23 mpg city and 31 mpg highway) with the front-wheel-drive coupe. The roadster drops fuel economy by one mpg, and optional Quattro AWD drops it by two mpg.
You'll get more punch from the Audi TT 3.2 (*Est. $42,070 to $46,540), but testers say its 250-horsepower, 3.2-liter, V-6 engine adds noticeable weight in the front. Quattro AWD comes standard. You can opt for the S tronic automated manual transmission or a conventional six-speed manual. Fuel economy for the Audi TT 3.2 is 20 mpg combined either way (18 mpg city and 24 mpg highway with auto, 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway with manual for both coupe and roadster).
The new-for-2009 Audi TTS coupe (*Est. $45,900) and roadster (*Est. $48,900) are not only faster than the TT, but testers say they handle better. The TTS uses a spunkier version of the aforementioned 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline-4, pumping out 265 horsepower -- more than the six-cylinder TT. Fuel economy doesn't suffer, according to Audi. With standard all-wheel drive and the S tronic automated manual transmission, the TTS is just as fuel-efficient as a comparably equipped base Audi TT (19 mpg city, 29 mpg highway and 24 mpg combined).
The base Premium trim (available only on the Audi TT 2.0) includes unusual features for a sports car, such as hill hold and front knee airbags, as well as more common amenities like leather seats, heated mirrors, automatic climate control, cruise control, satellite radio and an automatic retractable spoiler. The roadster gets a manual soft top.
Upper-level trims are available on all Audi TT and TTS models. The Premium Plus package adds power seats, Bluetooth and more, plus a power soft top for the roadster. The Prestige trim adds navigation, rear parking sensors and an upgraded Bose stereo.
The Audi TT and TTS come with a four-year, 50,000-mile warranty.
Edmunds.com and Car and Driver test both the Audi TT and TTS in separate reviews, and Car and Driver compares the TTS convertible head-to-head against competitors from Porsche, BMW and Chevrolet. Autoblog.com compares the TT and TTS with each other in its road-test review. Reviews at Kelley Blue Book and LeftLaneNews.com draw limited comparisons with rivals. FuelEconomy.gov lists estimates for the Audi TT, but not for the TTS.
Our Sources
1. Edmunds.com
The Audi TT is Edmunds.com's Top Recommended Convertible under $45,000. Editors like the coupe's useful and distinctive hatchback design, sophisticated interior, excellent manual transmission and choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive. However, they say the Audi TT doesn't handle quite as well as some rear-drive rivals, and it's not as fast as some cheaper cars.
Review: 2009 Audi TT Review, Editors of Edmunds.com
2. Edmunds.com
The Audi TTS does boost the power of its parent Audi TT, but it's still not as fast as several cheaper competitors -- and not as good a handler as some other luxury coupes and convertibles, Edmunds.com says.
Review: 2009 Audi TTS Review, Editors of Edmunds.com
3. Autoblog.com
Autoblog.com's Jonathon Ramsey is impressed with the Audi TTS coupe, saying it's a better bargain than the Porsche Cayman, but the regular Audi TT is a better bargain still. This review also takes a brief look at the Audi TTS roadster.
Review: Review: 2009 Audi TTS Is Our Orange Crush ...; But Only Just a Crush, Jonathon Ramsey, July 23, 2009
4. Car and DriverDetails/Subscribe
The Audi TTS finishes third in this test of four performance-minded convertibles. It's heavier and slower than its competitors in a straight line, but it handles back roads easily.
Review: 2009 Porsche Boxster S vs. BMW Z4 sDrive35i, Audi TTS, Chevy Corvette -- Comparison Tests, Michael Austin, July 2009
5. Car and DriverDetails/Subscribe
The Audi TT comes close to "being a real sports car," but Car and Driver editors like its rear-drive competitors better, according to this summary review. Links lead to more in-depth Audi TT tests conducted here.
Review: 2009 Audi TT Coupe, Editors of Car and Driver
The Audi TT coupe "is the most well-rounded car in its segment," earning it a spot on Kelley Blue Book's Recommended Shopping List. Editors evaluate all major aspects of the car in this concise review.
Review: 2009 Audi TT Coupe Review, Editors of Kelley Blue Book
Spy photographer and auto critic Chris Doane finds the Audi TTS stylish and exciting, if not all that practical. He draws brief comparisons with the Nissan 370Z and Porsche Boxster S.
Review: Review: 2009 Audi TTS Coupe, Chris Doane, June 26, 2009
The Audi TT is one of the most fuel-efficient coupes listed in this chart by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. You'll find numbers for the Audi TT convertible in the 2009 Convertibles chart. The TTS had not been added when we checked.
Review: 2009 Coupes, Editors of FuelEconomy.gov
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