The Urban DINK: 2008 Audi TT
As you may have read, some of the Cars.com editorial staff got up-close-and-personal with a number of new cars this week. One I was really impressed with, and that fit the Urban DINK mold, was the all-new Audi TT coupe. The TT will also come in a convertible roadster body style later this year, but we just had the coupe on hand.
The old TT never appealed to me aesthetically. The lines were too bulbous and rounded, and it didn’t look like it was a performer. The new TT adds the big-mouth grille and aggressive head and taillights, though, and in red I’d have to say it was a looker.
Unlike most test drives I do, which last a full week of daily driving on normal roads, I was able to take the Audi TT on a real race track at Road America in Wisconsin. Then I took a decent jaunt out onto the relatively empty roads nearby, and then I even got to try the TT in an autocross setting. There might not have been a week of driving involved, but there was certainly enough to know that this car has some chops.
While the TT handled the track surprisingly well, it was better suited for the road. The test car has optional magnetic ride suspension, which means that when you turn it on the car is set for more performance-oriented driving. On the real road you definitely want this off; without it, the ride is much more comfortable over bumpy spots. On the autocross circuit it probably helped me turn in an acceptable time, as I’m usually awful between little orange cones. In the city I’d probably never use the magnetic suspension setting, and at $1,400 it’s a hefty option.
The test car also had the 250-hp six-cylinder engine. The power was nice, but there’s also an entry-level turbo four-cylinder that is a terrific engine and would probably do fine in such a small car.
The interior is very similar to other recent Audis and was all black. The leather was more supportive than soft, but it’s high-quality. The rear seats fit one passenger fine in the legroom department, but there were complaints about the obvious lack of headroom. The cargo area was surprisingly big and the rear seats fold completely flat. It wouldn’t be hard to fit two full-size golf bags in with the seats down, plus a duffle bag or two. Sorry I don’t have a shot of it full of groceries for you.
My main beef with the coupe centers around the fact that I couldn’t get a perfect seating position. At 5-foot-10 I fit fine and was comfortable, but in that ideal position the gauge cluster and wheel obstructed the bottom of the windshield. I ended up moving the seat up closer to the roof than I liked in order to get an optimal view.
The TT doesn’t come cheap, but it’s certainly in that Urban DINK sweet spot. The turbo starts at $34,800, while the test car with the six-cylinder starts at $41,600 with a manual transmission. I didn’t see a sticker price, but I’d guess with all the goodies on the test car it was close to $47,000 when you add luxury items like an upgraded sound system, that magnetic suspension and larger wheels and tires. I actually just did a quick look at inventory in Chicago on Cars.com, and there are a few optioned out to just above $50,000.
The new TT is certainly up to snuff as a fun daily driver with a serious backbone. Now, I wouldn’t mind being seen in one.
