Driving Impressions

The Audi TT offers excellent handling and a smooth, refined ride. Acceleration performance increases dramatically with the more powerful engines. The TT with the 180-horsepower engine, and the Tiptronic automatic, seems designed for drivers who want a sharp sports car with sporty handling and performance, but aren't interested in exploring the limits of a sports car on a regular basis. The 1.8-liter engine doesn't have a lot of power at low engine speeds, so you have to work at it to get responsive acceleration. It revs quickly from 4000 to 6000 rpm, but when you hammer it below about 3500 rpm it makes you wait for the power. Over 4000 rpm it's very smooth, and doesn't feel like the engine is revving. Just tooling around, accelerating gently, you can hear a light whistle from the turbo which sounds cool. Audi says the TT 1.8 T coupe can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds, which is neither lethargic nor particularly quick. The ride quality in the standard model is quite comfortable, not at all stiff, no harshness anywhere. The 225-hp version delivers 207 pound-feet of torque, allowing the TT to accelerate from 0 to 60 in 6.7 seconds. Even with that torque, it doesn't feel like there's much under your foot below 3000 rpm. The engine redlines at 6500 and likes to hang out at 5000. The six-speed manual transmission is the right match for this engine; the automatic doesn't work as well with the 1.8 T. The 225-hp engine gets its extra power from using a different turbo (a K04 instead of a K03), two intercoolers instead of one, and some reworked internals. The new TT 3.2 features an innovative narrow-angle V6, provided by Volkswagen. The angle between the cylinder banks, usually 60 or 90 degrees for a V6 engine, is only 15 degrees, so it's no wider than a four-cylinder turbo, but it's shorter so it will fit in the TT's small engine compartment. It makes 250 horsepower at 6300 rpm, with 235 pound-feet of peak torque available between 2800 and 3200 rpm; the power comes on earlier, smoother and stronger than it does in the turbo engines. With the 3.2, you just pick a gear and mash the pedal, and the extra two cylinders and 1.4 liters of displacement go right to work. Audi says the 3.2 version will go from 0 to 60 in 6.4 seconds. Its low-rpm torque gives it much better response at lower engine speeds, when just tooling around for example. Regardless of model, the TT offers excellent handling, benefits of its low ride height, low center of gravity, short wheelbase and narrow track. Almost all cars like to be driven smoothly and cornered progressively, but the TT is especially rewarding if you treat it like that. And it's easy to do, making you look like a smooth driver. Aggressive movements of the steering wheel won't get you what you want from this car. The 3.2 uses beefier anti-roll bars and stiffer shocks to increase lateral grip, and you can feel it. Still, the suspension is surprisingly comfortable over the rough patches, while maintaining that stability in the fast bumpy sweepers. Our bright yellow test TT 3.2 also had optional 18-inch wheels and tires. It was a joy to drive along the Columbia River, playing with the gearbox and feeling the chassis handle like a kart as it turned into corners with authority. The TT's quattro all-wheel-drive is computer-controlled and uses a Haldex system that in normal driving situations splits power 80/20 front/rear. Its computers change that torque split and apply the brakes as needed when outside forces call for it to maintain handling balance. Quattro is superb for driving in the rain and for winter driving, but even on dry pavement it gives the car a more secure feeling. An ESP switch lets the driver turn off some of the features when desired, such as when running in a sports car competition. The big vented disc brakes have awesome stopping capability and are confidence-inspiring. We did our usual 70-mph panic st

Final Word

The Audi TT is a terrific sports car with sharp handling and a refined feeling throughout. It's a small car with a small cockpit and a small trunk, but if your driving and/or commuting styles match up to this car, you will find it a very rewarding piece of equipment that still catches the eye of the beholder. The TT comes with four years of free scheduled maintenance and four years of 24-hour-a-day roadside assistance. The engine power and torque of the 3.2-liter V6 engine in the new model makes it the most enjoyable of the three, and will save the owner hundreds of downshifts over the life of the car when compared to the slightly less powerful and peakier 225 horsepower turbo four, which we have always regarded as a superior package. If you just want to bomb around with the top down in a warm climate, then save the money and get the base model. New Car Test Drive correspondent Sam Moses reports from the Columbia River Gorge with Jim McCraw in Texas.