Audi TTS long-term test: report 3
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 1782 List price £49,200 Target Price £46,466 Price as tested £51,270 Test economy 30.7mpg Official economy 34.0mpg
7 December 2022 – Jack of all trades, master of some
In the board game Dungeons and Dragons, the Bard is considered to be a versatile member of any adventuring party, able to adapt itself to most situations despite also excelling in a few key areas. Why am I mentioning this? Well, in the adventure of life, my Audi TTS is a Bard, and three instances have recently highlighted just how versatile my car is.
First was a bi-weekly trip to my own Dungeons and Dragons game, after which I offered to ferry two friends home. In most sports cars this wouldn’t have been possible, but while nobody would describe the rear seats of the TTS as airy, by moving the front passenger seat forwards a bit we all fitted. As a bonus, the car’s deceptively large boot swallowed all of our bags and coats, meaning the interior was free of clutter. Practicality check, then? Passed.
Next was a work trip abroad, which meant setting off for the airport before even the most productive of farmyard cockerels had risen. The TTS ferried me there comfortably, and even managed to ensure I was fully alert, thanks to its raucous exhaust note. The only trouble was that in my haste to catch my flight I forgot to note down where I’d parked.
Returning the next day, I feared I would be spending the next few hours trying to spot my car among the rest, but thankfully my bright orange paintwork (a £575 option when new, but sadly no longer available) stood out so much amid the sea of dark greys, blacks and navy blues that it actually didn’t take very long at all.
I also returned to my car to find that an older Audi TT had chosen to park next to me, highlighting the model’s design evolution over the years. Maybe it was pure coincidence, but I like to think the driver sought solidarity with a familiar badge.
From the airport I drove straight to What Car?s test track in rural Bedfordshire to take part in judging for our annual Car of the Year Awards. And while I was car-hopping, editor Steve Huntingford took my TTS out onto the handling circuit to see what it could really offer when there were no speed limits or other cars to worry about.
Steve came back with a big smile on his face, reporting that the TTS has a bonkers amount of grip and excellent body control for such a comfortable machine. As a result, he felt that it would lap a lot faster than some models with considerably more power. His only minor criticism was that its steering doesn’t provide as much feedback as more focused sports cars, but he pointed out that it’s a lot more relaxing when you’re not lapping a track as a result.
It’s great to drive, pretty to behold and surprisingly practical, then, which means the TT is car we’ll miss when this generation bows out at the end of next year. I hope that its replacement, rumoured to be a more SUV-esque electric car, keeps the facets which make mine so enjoyable to live with.
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