Audi TT Coupe review

The TT’s all-turbocharged engine range is pretty straightforward. The regular line-up consists of three 2.0-litre petrols (one with 194bhp, the other with 241bhp and the most powerful, badged TTS, with 302bhp). A 181bhp 2.0-litre diesel was also available up until the car’s mid-life face lift in 2018. It was discontinued due to the rapid decline of diesel sales in the coupe segment.

We have yet to drive the entry-level 194bhp variant of the 2.0-litre engine, but we suspect it will offer the best value for money. It’s more powerful than the 178bhp 1.8-litre petrol that it replaces and should deliver the lively acceleration most TT buyers will be searching for. Of course, there will be those of you who crave more power, for whom there’s always the 241bhp 2.0. This feels fast at virtually any revs and will crack 60mph in less than six seconds. Like the entry-level engine, it’s available in a choice of front or four-wheel drive, but the latter is heavier and comes into its own only in wet conditions.

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Meanwhile, the TTS is so quick that it will just pip a Porsche Cayman from 0-62mph. With 302bhp and four-wheel drive traction, nothing is squandered; you simply point the car in the direction you want to go and give it as much gas as you see fit.

At the top of the range sits the TT RS, which has a 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder petrol engine that produces 394bhp. It also gets quattro four-wheel drive as standard. The TT RS is massively fast; it'll crack 0-62mph in just 3.7sec and sounds superb.

The standard suspension gives a firm but generally comfortable ride, and even the optional sports set-up (available for no extra cost on S line versions) never makes things too bumpy.

Choosing to add big wheels (up to 20in alloys are available) means you will feel more of bumps, so it’s worth resisting the temptation if you value comfort over sporty looks.

The TTS comes with adaptive dampers, which Audi calls Magnetic Ride. This is available as an option on cheaper models and allows you stiffen or soften the suspension depending on the type of driving you’re doing. It’s a great system, but not one we’d put down as a ‘must-have’ option.

The TT RS, on the other hand, comes with 10mm lower suspension than the standard cars without adaptive dampers. They're an option, but we'd say you needn't bother, because the standard suspension is firm but never uncomfortable.

Turn in to a corner and the light, accurate steering gives you a good sense of what the front wheels are doing, so it’s easy to judge when you need to back off a bit. The TT also feels nimble, grip levels are huge and there’s hardly any body lean – especially in the high-powered TTS and regular versions equipped with the stiffer sports suspension.

In wet conditions, the front-wheel-drive 241bhp 2.0-litre TTs can struggle to transfer all of their power to the road on the way out of corners. The four-wheel drive (quattro) versions, on the other hand, are virtually unflappable.

The Audi TT is a sports coupe, so it’s never going to be as hushed as a luxury limo. However, other than some wind noise around the frameless windows and a bit of road noise, this is a pretty quiet cruiser – certainly when compared with rivals such as the Ford Mustang.

The six-speed manual gearbox has a slightly long and un-sports-car-like shift action, but it’s light and precise. The S tronic automatic gearbox (standard on four-wheel-drive petrol TTs and an option on front-wheel-drive petrol models and the TTS) is generally slick, apart from being a little jerky when manoeuvring.