Audi TTS

Expert Rating:

Introduction

You all know what an Audi TT is by now; you know because it's the default choice for, you know, certain people. If we're being completely honest, the TT has garnered a bit of a reputation for epitomising 'all style and no substance' motoring. We think that's a bit unfair actually, but there's little doubt that similarly sized and priced rivals have long offered a far sharper driving experience. Well, this version of the ubiquitous TT aims to sort that out: meet the TTS.

What are its rivals?

Because this TT is billed as a performance car worthy of the coveted 'S' badge, it's placed in a price bracket that will also offer access to some of Germany's finest. The TTS starts at a shade over £33,000, but you can add at least £3,000 to that once you've ticked the necessary options boxes. For that you could walk into a Porsche dealership and drive away in a nicely specced Cayman (not the definitive Cayman S, mind), or you could have a range-topping BMW Z4 sDrive35i - a hugely quick and very entertaining car. The Mercedes SLK 350 is within reach too - still a decent drive, despite its, ahem, experience.

So you can see, the TTS is the smartly dressed poster boy mixing it with some proper track athletes. Can it cut it?

How does it drive?

It's quick; let's get that out the way. An S-Tronic equipped car (as our test model was) will demolish the 0-62mph sprint a mere 5.2 seconds after you mash your right foot into the firewall 5.4 for the manual).It's comfortable too, with a massive range of seat and wheel adjustment and perfectly placed switchgear. However, when it comes to cornering it suffers from that age old Audi problem - masses of quattro four-wheel drive grip on dry surfaces, but a distinct lack of feel through the wheel and an alarming tendency to stop steering altogether in wet weather; on a damp road it's blighted badly by understeer.

It's just a bit, well, stodgy, which is exacerbated by the way it picks up speed - you'll be pushing the brakes a lot harder on the approach to a bend in the TTS than you would in, say, a Cayman. The trade off for that is a car that's very enjoyable for nine-tenths of normal, day-to-day driving: the steering is light, the ride is firm but effective at flattening road surfaces comfortably, and it feels airy and spacious in the cabin. Ultimately, however, the most damning thing you can say about the TTS is that it's better on an A-road than it is on a B-road.

What's impressive?

The engine is a peach, and despite feeling a smidge old next to the latest generation supercharged V6 found in the new Audi S4, the way it gathers speed is effortless. The TTS never feels like a drama, but it will keep going and going until you're very quickly approaching unmentionable speeds.

It's also such a satisfying thing to have on the drive. We'd suggest the cabin doesn't quite have enough flashes of magic for such an outwardly good-looking car (and it is that, despite how many of them are on the road), but there's no arguing with the build quality and ergonomic excellence in there. And we should mention its official fuel economy and CO₂ statistics as well, which despite seeming slightly at odds with the reality of a rapidly draining tank during our test tenure, are very impressive for this type of performance: 35.8mpg and 188g/km respectively.

What's not?

The disappointment of Audi choosing not to add the handling black magician that is the 'sport differential', which can be found on the new S4. Essentially, the sport diff pulls the car around corners by distributing power where it's most needed - and it contributes majorly to making the S4 a significantly sharper and more enjoyable car to drive quickly than this. The TTS just isn't very confidence inspiring, feeling mildly cumbersome at times and never really encouraging spirited driving in the way a good sportscar should. If only the steering had a bit more weight and feel, and the suspension, supple as it is, transmitted more information about what the wheels are doing. As it is, the TTS rarely elevates itself above just being a quicker version of lesser models in the range.

Should I buy one?

The TTS will undoubtedly prove a highly satisfying car to have in your residential parking bay; it looks great with its active rear wing (which rises at speed and sits flush when unneeded), big wheels, aluminium-effect mirror caps and sporty body kit. And, relatively speaking, it's a cost effective car to run. Yet, the £33,000-odd list price will swell to nearer £40k once you've equipped it the right way, which puts it squarely in Porsche Cayman and top-of-the-range BMW Z4 sDrive35i territory - and they're both way better to drive.

Still, residuals will be good because people always want these things, and the build quality is absolutely top notch. So yes, if back road cornering isn't much your thing, you won't be annoyed with yourself after a year or two with this.

Mark Nichol