Audi TT Coupe

The Audi TT Coupe takes over where the old one left off. There’s a reason for the TT’s apparent ubiquity; it’s a genuinely great car.

• Comfort

  Mass-market appeal here – even though it looks like a taut Coupe, the TT is superbly comfy. The vision isn’t brilliant, but engines are quiet on a cruise and this isn’t a twitchy car. 

  

• Performance

  Two engines to choose from at the moment; the 2.0-litre TFSI from the Golf GTI and a 3.2-litre V6. The 197bhp turbo four is the punchier unit and has little or no turbo lag – it feels more sporty, gets to 62mph in 6.6 seconds and tops out at 149mph. The V6 is lazier, has 247bhp and weighs more – meaning 0-62mph in a similar 5.9 seconds and a limited 155mph top speed. Great noise though. 

  

• Cool

  Impossible to be properly cool when there’s just so many of these things out there. 

  

• Quality

  TTs are strong. Mass production doesn’t hurt these Audis. 

  

• Handling

  The front-drive versions handle exceptionally well, with the two-litre four-pots feeling like an even more sorted Golf GTI. The Quattro cars are grippy, but not as much fun – they’re much heavier and tend toward understeer. Forthcoming ‘S’ with S3 engine should make the point in spectacular fashion. 

  

• Practicality

  Not bad for a small coupe. The boot is reasonable and space inside is pretty comfortable for tall people. Quite hard to park because the car slopes away at the ends, but it’s not a huge deal. 

  

• Running costs

  The good thing about the TT is that it’s an eminently reasonable thing to run; the 2.0-litre will give around 35mpg (and it will) which means a low(ish) tax rate of 23 percent. The V6 hits the maximum 35 percent, gives 27.2mpg and isn’t really worth the extra unless you can’t live without multi-cylinder baritone.