Audi TTS long-term test: report 2
The Audi TTS is a stylish coupé with fun at its core, but does it still have a place in a world dominated by high-riding SUVs? Our deputy editor is living with one to find out...
The car Audi TTS Black Edition | Run by Darren Moss, deputy editor
Why it's here To see if this hugely successful car still deserves a place on your driveway
Needs to Combine entertaining handling and grin-inducing performance with a comfortable ride and top-notch interior quality
Mileage 1371 List price £49,200 Target Price £46,466 Price as tested £52,320 Test economy 31.2mpg Official economy 34.0mpg
16 November 2022 – Space race
I’d like to suggest that practicality, as well as beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. You see, looking at my Audi TTS, you might assume that it would be as well suited to family life as Matt Hancock would be to the jungle, but appearances can be deceiving.
In the case of my Audi, they certainly have been so far. A good test of its rear seat space and boot came recently, at the end of a long week of am-dram shows, during which we needed to get costumes, coats, bags and cast members to the nearby aftershow party.
My passengers grimaced when they saw the TT in the car park, imagining that either they or their coats would be walking to our destination, but the Audi’s deceptively large boot swallowed all of our luggage with ease. And while the ride wasn’t the most comfortable for the two 6ft-plus passengers sandwiched one behind the other, it was fine for our short journey.
Editor Steve Huntingford has also been putting my TTS to the test, having asked to borrow it for a few days off. Steve has a young family, and I was impressed to see the TTS swallow his daughter’s child car seat with ease; both of the rear seats come with Isofix mounting points. Steve noted that with three people on board he did have to compromise on his ideal driving position, but the Audi did manage the job.
Even when most of my journeys only involve myself, though, the TTS is impressing. The rear bench is an ideal place to throw your coat on a wet and windy day, meaning you don’t get wet if you need to retrieve it before exiting the car. And while my pockets always seem to be full of keys, cards and change, there’s a handy cubby in front of the TTS’s gear selector to take care of them.
So, despite looking as sporty as it does, my Audi TTS is also proving to be every bit as practical as I need. In the performance car jungle, then, it might yet find itself near the top of the food chain.
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