Audi TT Roadster review

“Once seen, never forgotten.
Like all true classics, the iconic Audi
TT is instantly recognizable. In its
current incarnation it’s rich in kerb
appeal and serves up an entertaining
and engaging drive...”

FOR SPORTS CAR AFICIONADOS there's more good news: with prices ranging from Ł34K and topping out around the Ł70K mark, there's certain to be one for you in the TT line-up. The range covers both Coupe and Roadster models and for those who crave a double-shot of adrenaline with their daily performance fix, there's always the TT RS versions with 395bhp and 0-62 acceleration in 3.7 seconds.

We've just spent seven nights and eight days behind the wheel of the petrol-drinking 2.0-litre TT drop-top. One of these Roadster models will set you back Ł36K and for that you'll get 0-62mph in 6.9 seconds, a top speed of 151mph, and a combined 40.4mpg — confirming the official figure, a week of enjoyably spirited driving in our rag-top TT resulted in an overall test average of 39.7mpg. And a 200+ mile run from Gatwick to Plymouth saw a best of 47.8mpg. All of these are definitely numbers to smile about.

“A week of enjoyably
spirited driving in our
rag-top TT resulted in
an overall test average
of 39.7mpg.
And a 200+ mile run
from Gatwick to
Plymouth saw a best
of 47.8mpg.
Add to that 0-62
acceleration in 6.9
seconds and a top
speed of 151mph.
All definitely numbers
to smile about...”

It's a convertible so naturally the very first thing you'll do is drop that top! And it's as easily done as thought — push the button between the seats and in ten seconds flat there will be nothing above your head but blue sky. Even on wintery days when the scenery is more grey-and-white the Roadster's cabin remains a cosy and bluster-free place to be.

With the windows up and the powered mesh wind-blocker behind the rear seats raised you'll be as snug as the proverbial bug. Even at motorway speeds you can cheerfully converse with your front passenger without shouting. In fact, one of the best driving experiences is a long journey undertaken at night. The blacker the better. Topless, bien sűr!

In the daylight the cabin is a joy to behold and successfully stands comparison with those of sports cars costing twice as much. Built using high-quality materials including patterned satin alloy, the cockpit is made even better by the fact that everything is in exactly the right place. If you've previously been driving a new or nearly new car the first thing you might note as you settle behind the TT's sporty, flat-bottomed wheel is that there's no touchscreen standing slap bang in the middle of the dash.

Believe me, this is a Good Thing because all elements of the navigation and infotainment are displayable on the 12.3-inch digital screen filling the drivers instrument panel (AKA Audi's 'Virtual' Cockpit). This arrangement also benefits the fascia which is free of any clutter and home to five stylish, beautifully engineered air vents underscored by a slim strip of key switchgear. A particularly neat touch are the heated seat controls inset in the centre of the two outer eyeball air vents.

And it works a treat. Mix and match the SatNav's active 3D mapping with whatever else you fancy from the infotainment menu — media, music, phone, large or small dials. You choose. Whatever you decide, it can be reconfigured in an instant as you drive with the press of a button on the steering wheel.

Also ensuring that the driver doesn't have to divert his or her eyes far from the road is a large rotary dial controller for the infotainment system, along with quick-flip-to-select shortcut buttons to take you directly between specific functions, conveniently to hand immediately aft of the autobox's selector lever. MMI Touch is also part of the infotainment/navigation package; this recognises handwriting and lets you finger-write letters and numbers on the top of the rotary dial. The really good news is that whatever way you choose to control the TT's MMI infotainment system — steering wheel, rotary control knob, or the voice control system — is miles better, and safer, than trying to accurately land your fingertip on a touchscreen while retaining full control when on the move.

“The TT’s MMI system
displays SatNav and
infotainment on the 12.3-
inch digital screen filling
the drivers instrument
panel (AKA Audi’s
‘Virtual Cockpit’).
This set-up also benefits
the fascia which is free
of any clutter and home
to five stylish and
beautifully engineered
air vents underscored
by a slim strip of
key switchgear.
A particularly neat touch
are the heated seat
controls inset in the
centre of the two outer
eyeball air vents. And it
all works a treat...”

Indispensable MMI features include SatNav, high-speed internet access for the Audi Connect Infotainment Services (entertainment, information, and search functions), smartphone interface, Jukebox 10GB hard drive memory for music, DVD drive (music CDs and video DVDs), DAB radio, Bluetooth Interface, USB sockets, and two SDXC card readers.

Upholstered in smart Alcantara and pearl Nappa leather, the shapely and supportive sports seats hug you comfortably, keeping you in situ when the roads get twisty, or you ramp up the pace. Not that you ever feel anything but an integral part of the action because you sit close to the ground. No worries either about graceful entries or exits — no advanced Pilates or yoga skills are required.

The Roadster's body is wide enough to allow breathing space around both seats and prevent any elbow clashes with your passenger; there's also very generous legroom for six-footers. Top up, there's a fist of headroom which is more than you may be expecting given the soft-top's 'speedster' profile.

At Sport Edition trim level the seats are all adjusted manually (including height as well as, usefully, the seat base-tilt angle) but a perfect driving position is easily set. Thanks the controls being both accurate and very smooth operating, fine-tuning is a doddle.

From behind the sports wheel visibility is first-class and placing the TT (even top-up) is a piece of cake. Reversing and parking are likewise easy-peasy with the roof down, and even with the soft-top in place there are no problems thanks to parking sensors at the tail, front sensors, and a reversing camera. Should you prefer, you can activate Parking Assist via a button in the centre console and let it search for suitable parallel or perpendicular parking spaces; once found it will park you perfectly at the first attempt.

Naturally you get all the must-haves that are today deemed 'essential', such as keyless entry and engine start, Drive Select (driver-selectable individual drive programs), fully powered fabric roof, deluxe automatic AirCon, Bang & Olufsen 12-speaker surround sound system (the sound permanently compensates for driving and background noises, so it's great top up or top down!), leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle-shifters, four one-shot power windows, powerfolding heated door mirrors, auto-dimming rearview mirror, cruise control with speed limiter, reversing camera, Park Assist parking jockey, and a set of black 19-inch 5-spoke, blade style, diamond cut alloys.

Note than some of these items come with the optional add-on packs (Comfort and Sound, Parking Assist, Plus, and Technology) fitted to our test car that together would add Ł4K to the price.

Safety kit includes driver and front passenger airbags, an ISOFIX child seat mounting for the front passenger seat (with airbag deactivation), Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, LED rear lights, brake lights and rear indicators, heated windscreen, ESP, Hill Hold Assist, auto lights and wipes, electric parking brake with auto-hold, automatic drive-away door locking, headlight washers, and tyre pressure monitoring.

“The decent ride
doesn’t come at the
expense of puntability —
show the Roadster
some twists and turns
and it dives in eagerly;
the adaptive steering
is accurate enough to
encourage you to
go in hard.
Even in front-wheel
guise it arrows through
bends, flat and with
reassuring grip...”

While its sculpted body is certain to appeal to automotive fashionistas, keen drivers will also be drawn to the Roadster. Given that Audi's favourite drop-top doesn't wear an all-of-a-piece metal roof, what's surprising is just how hewn-from-rock it feels. In earlier days all convertibles suffered to some degree from what's known as scuttle shake — a shiver through the body over bumps or rough blacktop. Not so the TT Roadster.

For the record, even rolling on the standard 19-inch alloys shod with low-pro Bridgestone 235/35 rubber, the Roadster serves up a generally comfortable ride (particularly in Drive Select's 'Comfort' setting; other choices are Efficiency, Auto, Dynamic, and driver-customised Individual). If you really can't resist eye-candy, and don't mind trading smarts for a smidgen more firmness, then go ahead and spec a set of 20-inchers from the options list.

The decent ride doesn't come at the expense of puntability — show the Roadster some twists and turns and it dives in eagerly; the adaptive steering is accurate enough to encourage you to go in hard. Even in front-wheel guise it arrows through bends — flat and with reassuring grip.

It's entirely up to you as to whether to spend a bit more and get Audi's legendary quattro all-wheel drive on your TT. Personally I'd consider it a no-brainer and well worth the extra pennies. The brakes — discs at the rear with vented discs up front — deliver excellent and very confident braking, both in on-off stop-start traffic and at fast motorway speeds.

Another likeable aspect of the Roadster is that whenever the top is stowed away out of sight in the rear deck, you can enjoy the sound of the four-pot working — something drivers brought up on combustion engines will sorely miss come 2030.

Not that the 2.0-litre unit is noisy; not a bit of it, but on low throttle loadings and during normal everyday driving it's hushed and pleasingly smooth (the slick-acting 7-speed S tronic autobox is a perfect match for Audi's inline four) and it's only when you go gunning for it that will you hear its tunefully rorty song.

Strict two-seater convertible sports cars don't always come with a practical boot. The TT Roadster does, offering 280 litres. The boot lid opens high to ninety degrees and makes loading and unloading the long and wide boot a cinch. If your passenger measures under six-feet tall there will be room behind their seatback for a weekender bag. Another confirmed 'plus' is that the Roadster's boot is always the same size regardless of whether the roof is up or down — courtesy of the soft-top having its own dedicated compartment in the rear deck that's fully separated from the main boot. Beneath the floor there's room for oddments alongside the tyre repair kit and tools.

In addition to its boot the Roadster has decent storage room in the cabin itself: along with a central lockable cubby in the rear bulkhead (accessed from between the front seatbacks) there's a decent-sized lockable glovebox, a lidded cubby ahead of the selector lever with two USB and an aux port, a dual-use single cupholder that can be relied upon to hold a take-out without any spills even when jinking around plus a second one out of sight behind it, in the storage compartment under the centre armrest.

If you're after a premium two-seater convertible that backs up its strikingly sleek looks with an engaging drive, then Audi's TT Roadster offers the perfect package. Go for it! ~ MotorBar

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