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2008 Audi TT Coupe The Good :)
Exciting exterior and interior. Very fast. Superbly
built. Great driving feel. A car that you remember. The Bad :( Seats are too sporty and not comfortable
enough. Could use more exhaust note. Needs better fuel economy.
The second generation Audi TT has been carefully redesigned and improved upon with an eye on keeping the iconic design of the first generation firmly in place. The original design of the TT was so far ahead of its time even when it was first introduced back in 1999. What many considered a concept car was actually available to the world. The original TT won many design awards and became an instant hit with the motoring public. Going back to the table to create the second generation TT must have been impossible task for both designers and engineers who had to fill the legacy of the first version. The second generation retains the same basic style and shape but sharpens the edges for the 21st century. About five inches longer and three inches wider, the TT has grown but still retains a sports car attitude. Audi also improved on weight by using light weight aluminum which helps keep it competitive on the performance front with the Porsche Boxster. Behind the wheel the engine and steering wheel offer loads of input to the driver. The TT’s steering is very precise and quick. The clutch is light and forgiving with the engaging point being about half way through its travel distance. The engine sounds powerful and revs very fast through first and second gears putting a smile on your face every time you push the gas. With Quattro permanent all-wheel-drive you move forward with an even push, no pulling or pushing here. Put everything together and you have truly fun daily driver. Everything from the engine to the transmission is very smooth and very quick. You feel connected with the car and the push of power from the get-go is amazing. The Audi 3.2 Liter V6 is one amazing engine, offering power and sending you to sixty in 5.3 seconds. With 250 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque between 2500 and 3000 rpm you have plenty of power early in the rev band. Audi choose to emphasize the intake sounds at all engine speeds over exhaust notes. However, if there is one downside to the entire car is that there is hardly any exhaust note. We expected a nice throaty grumble when accelerating hard however all we got is a minuscule note in the high end of the RPM range. Most drivers wouldn’t bother taking the car above 6000 RPM just to hear some sound. The TT suspension is perfectly suited for aggressive driving. Driving fast through S-curves feels wonderful. The car beckons you to toss it around corners. The firm setting on the magnetic ride control offers you more road feel than in the normal setting giving you a ‘oh my gosh’ feeling as you drive. Brakes work amazingly well at stop the car on a dime. With a hard stomp of the brakes the TT stops much like a Formula One car. The exterior of our TT coupe in Brilliant Red is simply HOT. The body lines are striking with smooth panels on the sides and curvaceous front and rear ends. We loved the smooth slant of the rear hatch and the slightly downward tilting tail lamps as they wrap around the sides of the TT. The 19 inch wheels are stunning with a multi-spoke design revealing the powerful brake disc. The front end is a mixture of a frenzied monster and a silky dancer wrapped up all together. The headlights look stunning and offer waves for your eyes to follow up along the sides of the TT. Small badges signify the S-line package which includes the larger 19 inch wheels, Nappa leather sport seats, aggressive bumpers with front and rear diffusers and the awesome race-car like steering wheel that is cut squarely at the bottom. The tail end is also fitted quite nicely with a lower valence which wraps around the twin tailpipes. You do not have to be going over 75 mph to view the TT with its rear wing open, just press a button and gasp at its beauty. The new space frame makes use of aluminum heavily throughout the car with 69% being aluminum and 31% being steel. This makes the coupe a full 48% lighter than an equivalent body built of steel. Lift the front hood and you can feel the difference easily. Inside you have a cabin that feels like a well made Swiss watch. Everything is functional and not over the top. Touches of real aluminum trim look very nice and remind the driver that he’s in a sports car. There is good use of leather and also a hard grainy trim which compliments the mixture of upscale yet not over the top feel. With a tall roof the driver feels enclosed in a cabin that feels quite secure. The sharp look of the aluminum trimmed interior is carried nicely to the instrument cluster which offers a beautiful glow and at night looks even better. In the center of the cluster is a digital display which shows you trip computer information and stereo and telephone information. The optional S-line steering wheel is also wonderful with perforated leather used on the sides and a flat bottom. The wheel offers easy to use dials which allow fast control and selection of stereo channels and is one of the best we have ever used. There is also a voice control dial which works with the telephone; wouldn’t it be great if it functioned with the navigation, climate control and stereo as well?
The navigation system with its large screen is a great feature to have
and one option that you should add to your vehicle. It is one of
the best systems we have tested and allows for easy input by phone
number or map selection along with the traditional street address or
zip code input. The display is very bright and the colorful maps
are beautifully displayed. By opting for the navigation system
you also get visual displays for the stereo and phone. The quick
stereo selection was a great feature along with having the ability to
see many channels on one screen with their station ID and song title
appearing as well. The speed at which you can change stations
makes for a very useful system, something that VW should learn
from. The screen also flips to allow you to insert 2 memory cards
full of music. We even liked the Ipod storage spot in the dash
which plugs into the bottom of an Ipod or Iphone and allows you to view
music in the screen and change music easily with the steering wheel
dials; you never have to take your hands off the wheel. We found
the stereo system to be quite good offering good bass levels and clear
sound with 140 watts of power with nine speakers. Around the shift lever you have buttons for setting the suspension to sport mode. The magnetic suspension operates by altering the electrical charge inside a fluid filled with tiny magnets making the ride firm or soft as you like. This makes the ride very flat and quite stiff for those times when you want to be on a race track or just feel like it. The ESP can be turned off should you desire and the rear wing can be manually lowered or raised. A cool feature when you want to show off. The TT also features electro-mechanical Servotronic steering for easy control around town and precise control at high speeds. It features a dampening of road surfaces and returns to center faster when turning making the TT feel that much crisper when you are behind the wheel. The vehicle also keeps the brakes dry by tapping the discs when they are not needed. With Brake Assist, the TT provides full brake force when it senses urgency and this helps avoid accidents since most people never step hard enough on the brakes. Inside the cabin we found the rear seats to be only big enough for pets or very small kids. There is very little headroom thanks to the sloping roof line which makes it quite dangerous should something happen when adults are sitting back there. The front seats do not move forward quickly and so it takes a bit of time to get in back as well. This is really a two person sports car. We did like the fact that the two rear seats can be folded down making for lots of room in the rear trunk area for larger items. The front seats are a bit too sporty for most people’s tastes. We would have liked it better if they were adjustable so that you could tighten or loosen the side bolsters as you desired. Doors are quite heavy and feel very solid as do all the parts on the TT which is what you are paying the high sum of money for. The Bi-Xenon headlamps turn with the road giving more light in the actual path you are traveling. This system is a must have and we think this is one of the best new technologies to enter the auto market in a long time. You now have significantly brighter lamps thanks to Bi-Xenon headlights with the ability to see through a curve. Other good features found on the TT include a side turn indicator light that blinks three times when you touch the stalk one time. LED lights in the side mirrors also do a better job of indicating you are turning and are much brighter than standard bulbs. A coming home feature turns on the headlamps and interior lights when you unlock the vehicle, making the path brighter and making it easier to find your vehicle in a dark parking lot. For 2008 you can now also do a European Delivery of your Audi TT. Starting your ownership experience in Bavaria is a real life changer. Order a car by way of European Delivery and you can have all the fun you want in Europe on the Autobahn, and then have it shipped back at your local dealer for pickup in a few weeks. Safety features are all here with ESP, ABS, ASR, LED indicator lights and a LED 3rd brake light as well as a tire pressure monitoring system. Driver and front passenger front, thorax side, and knee Air Bags protect you from impacts. A four year and 50,000 mile warranty protects your new investment and there is also a 12 year warranty against corrosion and a no charge first scheduled maintenance. Four year roadside assistance is also provided. Our test car started off at a base price of $41,500 for the 3.2 model. The S line sport package added $3000 to the bill with fine Nappa leather, 19 inch alloy wheels, S line bumpers and steering wheel as well as headlight washers. The Audi navigation system with Ipod interface was $1950. A magnetic ride suspension costs $1400. Add $800 for the Bi-xenon adaptive lights. Bluetooth phone preparation was $450. The backup parking signals were $350. Add to this a destination charge of $775 and our total car came to $50,225. Fuel economy was rated at 17 city and 24 highway on the window sticker though we managed to get about 18 in mixed performance oriented driving. Audi really should be moving this number up soon using any new technology it can find including Hydrogen injection using water. The TT features almost all of its parts coming from Germany with only 1% coming from the US. The final assembly point is Gyor, Hungary. Both the engine and transmission are from Germany.
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Car Reviews And News.com |
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PRICING |
INVOICE |
RETAIL |
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Base Pricing |
$38,596 |
$41,500 |
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Destination |
$775 |
$775 |
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PQX S Line Sport Package Includes 19" x 9" 7-double spoke alloy wheels with 255/35R19 performance tires, S line grille, bumpers, door sills, steering wheel, badges, and gray front diffuser, silver interior stitching and headlight washer nozzles. REQUIRES Black |
$2,790 |
$3,000 |
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PND Audi Navigation Plus w/6-Disc CD-Changer |
$1,813 |
$1,950 |
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1BL Audi Magnetic Ride Suspension |
$1,303 |
$1,400 |
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PX3 Bi-Xenon Adaptive
Headlights |
$745 |
$800 |
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9ZG Bluetooth Phone Preparation |
$418 |
$450 |
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7X1 Audi Parking System |
$325 |
$350 |
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