Used Audi TT Roadster 1999 - 2006 review

The original Audi TT is that rare thing: a concept car that made it into production. The Roadster version only served to broaden the TT's appeal and has sold strongly ever since it arrived in 1999.

The interior shares the same clean, artistic styling as the TT Coupe and build quality is typically Audi – excellent – even if some rivals offer more space.

The rear seats you'd find in the coupe have been sacrificed for space to stow the Roadster's easy-to-use, electrically operated hood, but it's no great loss – they were useless for adults anyway. Roof up or down, the TT Roadster looks great.

A front-wheel-drive 150bhp model arrived at the same time as the 3.2 V6 Quattro in mid-2003. The four-wheel-drive V6 also introduced the direct-shift automatic gearbox (DSG) for the first time, which did away with the clutch pedal but allowed lightning-quick manual changes from the gearlever or steering wheel paddles.

As the Audi TT's chassis is derived from a previous generation of Volkswagen Golf, many of the major components are common to a vast number of VW and Audi models. That makes them cost-effective, but Audi dealers' labour rates will bump up the price, even if they are cheaper than BMW or Mercedes dealers.

A cam belt change is needed every 60,000 miles to keep the 1.8 turbo engine in good health, but this is not an expensive operation, and the excellent network of independent Audi specialists can help to further reduce the cost of running a TT.

Fuel economy for all but the 3.2 V6 is good for a sporting open-top, while tyre wear is also better than for many of the TT's rivals'.

Franchised Audi dealers still love the TT for the ease with which they can sell used examples, but don't rule out an independent specialist for finding quality used examples.

The Audi TT Roadster is not as stiff as the coupe, so don't opt for the most powerful version, as the open-top struggles to cope with the extra performance. However, we do think four-wheel drive is desirable, so the 1.8 T Quattro 180 is our choice. Its 180bhp engine provides strong acceleration but won't tie the chassis in knots. It's also cheaper to insure and easier on fuel than the more powerful units.

The 225bhp and later 240bhp versions are quicker off the mark than the 180 (or later 190), but there's not much difference. The 3.2 V6 is swift and sounds great, but, as on the stronger four-cylinder models, the extra performance is hard to justify for the added cost.

The 150bhp (latterly 161bhp) front-drive Roadster offered a cheap way into TT ownership when it was new, and continues to do so in the used market. However, it had less standard equipment than the four-wheel drive models, so we'd only buy one fitted with optional leather seats.

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