Less cute, more brute
The best thing about the 2016 Audi TT roadster—at least in the winter—is its all-wheel drive chassis and thick, power retracting soft top that keeps the elements out. It keeps the noise out too. Come to think of it, the TT is a damn fine ride for the Christmas season, although, no luggage space, so your gifts will have to be of the card variety.
Personally I like the coupe better. The lines are cleaner, it has to be stiffer, and it weighs about 200 pounds less. But any qualms about the cuteness of the old TT are moot with this redesign. Like the Q7 and R8 before it, the TT gets sharper angles and tighter sheetmetal from front to back. It doesn’t look happy; it looks angry. One problem I had, visually. The hood opening joint is right on the edge of the top portion of the car, it makes the lines a little weird. Once I noticed it I couldn’t get it out of my head.
The front-mounted 2.0-liter turbo four makes 220 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, which comes low in the rev range at 1,600 rpm. It feels like it too. After the turbo spools for a split second the TT takes off quickly, and with all-wheel drive, can be brutally thrown into corners without much worry. Shifts are smooth from the six-speed “S-tronic” dual-clutch transmission at speed. A bit of that hesitation off the line is probably those clutches trying to lock up. In S mode the throttle feels more responsive. It’s also nice to give a quick yank in traffic, switching to S, when passing. Yank it again to switch back. Unfortunately in manual mode the gear shift is in the improper down-is-downshift format, when everyone knows up should be down. The paddles are properly positioned with the left one downshifting and the right upshifting only.
2016 Audi TT and TTS first drive review
What is it? By fall 2015, a new TT coupe will hit U.S. Audi showrooms as a 2016 model. The third-generation car will feature a more potent engine lineup, an exterior profile which harks back to …
Brakes measure 12.3 in front and 11.8 inches in back. They’re sensitive with a shorter stroke, which takes a little getting used to, but goes a long way in making the car feel lighter than its curb weight.
Steering is similarly light on the TT, but it’s direct, which makes jumping lanes and hit gaps in traffic easy. At full tilt in turn, say on a cloverleaf on ramp, I’d like a little more road feel though. The MacPherson front setup and four-link rear keep everything in place. I never found the car too bouncy and it doesn’t jump across lanes when hitting bumps mid-turn. Potholes didn’t seem to bother it either, but those softer winter tires dull some of the jounce.
Inside, the roadster gets Audi’s new virtual cockpit, which puts the navigation instructions, map, radio and media information in the configurable gauge cluster. It cleans up the dash and probably cuts down eyes-off-the-road time by a few fractions of a second. Also like the R8 and Q7, most of the stuff you need to adjust is right on the steering wheel. The TT still has the big jog dial in the middle, just no central screen.
As for complaints, we have a few. The doors stick for second when opening to drop the windows a few millimeters. It makes the door sort of twist when you pull on it, which is slightly annoying. Bigger annoyance: Anything in the passenger seat will set off the seatbelt chime. That means a two-liter of Pepsi, a box of tools or even your hand. There must be a way to only make it go off if 50 pounds or more are in the seat. Visibility with the top up is bad. But I suppose that does for almost any convertible. Backing out of a parking spot nearly necessitates the rearview camera, which is standard.
Overall, I see the appeal. The TTS coupe is on my short list of cars I still need to test, to see if the extra $ 9,000 is worth paying. But after driving the base I’d have a tough time saying that it is. The TT coupe starts at $ 42,900, the roadster at $ 46,400 and the TTS is $ 51,900. There aren’t many competitors in the field either. The new Mercedes SLC might apply, as would a drop-top 2-Series, though it has four seats. Neither offer all-wheel drive as standard equipment. So, if you’re living in a four-season state, but just have to have that convertible, this should be on your list of test drives. If you don’t need all-wheel drive, get the Mazda MX-5, its the formula successful roadsters are based on.
-Jake Lingeman, road test editor
The 2016 Audi TT gets the virtual cockpit with the nav, radio and media info in the gauge cluster.
OTHER VOICES:
I’m a big fan of the VW group turbo four and the newish MQB platform. In the new TT it’s plenty quick. Audi doesn’t even offer the V6 in this car. I wouldn’t bother either.
I like the dual clutch too – I also wouldn’t bother with a manual transmission.
The MQB platform is also a good place to start in making this convertible. The center of gravity is lower and the structure is improved. No, it’s not as solid as a coupe, but it’s a hellofa lot more solid than plenty of convertibles out there.
The 2.0-liter sounds good, revs nicely and puts the power down smoothly. Turbo lag? Nah. Not that I could tell, anyway. Finally a dual clutch I like. It’s delightful, whether playing with the paddles or not — quick, well-timed up and downshifts.
The interior is typical Audi quality and the seats are terrific for me – comfortable and supportive. The virtual cockpit display is sharp and fairly intuitive to navigate through. It also leaves the dash clean and uncluttered. Makes the interior look more airy. I actually ran around with the top down last night. Took about 10 seconds to open.
With the Miata and Boxster the exceptions, I’m not a huge convertible guy. I generally prefer whatever the car is in coupe form. This Audi ain’t bad though.
-Wes Raynal, editor
OPTIONS: Technology package including Audi MMI navigation plus, Audi connect with online services, Audi side assist, auto-dimming, power folding exterior mirrors and parking system plus with rearview camera ($ 3,250); S Sport package including fine Nappa leather interior, S Sport seats with diamond stitching and neck-level heating system ($ 1,600); 19 inch wheel package including five arm star design wheels and 245/35 summer tires ($ 1,000); Bang and Olufsen sound system ($ 950)
