ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $47,325
AS TESTED PRICE: $54,125
DRIVETRAIN: 2.0-liter turbocharged DOHC I4, AWD six-speed dual clutch automatic
OUTPUT: 220 hp @ 4,500-6,200 rpm; 258 lb-ft @ 1,600-4,400 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 3,384 lb
FUEL ECONOMY: 23/30/26 mpg
(EPA City/Hwy/Combined)
OBSERVED FUEL ECONOMY: 28 mpg
PROS: Thick top keeps the elements out
CONS: Annoying logistics: door pulls, seatbelt chime
PHOTO BY AUDI
Less cute, more brute
The best thing about the 2016 Audi TT roadster—at least in the winter—is its all-wheel drive chassis and thick, power retracting soft top that keeps the elements out. It keeps the noise out too. Come to think of it, the TT is a damn fine ride for the Christmas season, although, no luggage space, so your gifts will have to be of the card variety.
PHOTO BY AUDI
Personally I like the coupe better. The lines are cleaner, it has to be stiffer, and it weighs about 200 pounds less. But any qualms about the cuteness of the old TT are moot with this redesign. Like the Q7 and R8 before it, the TT gets sharper angles and tighter sheetmetal from front to back. It doesn’t look happy; it looks angry. One problem I had, visually. The hood opening joint is right on the edge of the top portion of the car, it makes the lines a little weird. Once I noticed it I couldn't get it out of my head.
PHOTO BY AUDI
The front-mounted 2.0-liter turbo four makes 220 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, which comes low in the rev range at 1,600 rpm. It feels like it too. After the turbo spools for a split second the TT takes off quickly, and with all-wheel drive, can be brutally thrown into corners without much worry. Shifts are smooth from the six-speed “S-tronic” dual-clutch transmission at speed. A bit of that hesitation off the line is probably those clutches trying to lock up. In S mode the throttle feels more responsive. It’s also nice to give a quick yank in traffic, switching to S, when passing. Yank it again to switch back. Unfortunately in manual mode the gear shift is in the improper down-is-downshift format, when everyone knows up should be down. The paddles are properly positioned with the left one downshifting and the right upshifting only.
PHOTO BY AUDI
Brakes measure 12.3 in front and 11.8 inches in back. They’re sensitive with a shorter stroke, which takes a little getting used to, but goes a long way in making the car feel lighter than its curb weight.
Steering is similarly light on the TT, but it’s direct, which makes jumping lanes and hit gaps in traffic easy. At full tilt in turn, say on a cloverleaf on ramp, I’d like a little more road feel though. The MacPherson front setup and four-link rear keep everything in place. I never found the car too bouncy and it doesn’t jump across lanes when hitting bumps mid-turn. Potholes didn’t seem to bother it either, but those softer winter tires dull some of the jounce.
PHOTO BY AUDI
Inside, the roadster gets Audi’s new virtual cockpit, which puts the navigation instructions, map, radio and media information in the configurable gauge cluster. It cleans up the dash and probably cuts down eyes-off-the-road time by a few fractions of a second. Also like the R8 and Q7, most of the stuff you need to adjust is right on the steering wheel. The TT still has the big jog dial in the middle, just no central screen.
As for complaints, we have a few. The doors stick for second when opening to drop the windows a few millimeters. It makes the door sort of twist when you pull on it, which is slightly annoying. Bigger annoyance: Anything in the passenger seat will set off the seatbelt chime. That means a two-liter of Pepsi, a box of tools or even your hand. There must be a way to only make it go off if 50 pounds or more are in the seat. Visibility with the top up is bad. But I suppose that does for almost any convertible. Backing out of a parking spot nearly necessitates the rearview camera, which is standard.
PHOTO BY AUDI
Overall, I see the appeal. The TTS coupe is on my short list of cars I still need to test, to see if the extra $9,000 is worth paying. But after driving the base I’d have a tough time saying that it is. The TT coupe starts at $42,900, the roadster at $46,400 and the TTS is $51,900. There aren’t many competitors in the field either. The new Mercedes SLC might apply, as would a drop-top 2-Series, though it has four seats. Neither offer all-wheel drive as standard equipment. So, if you’re living in a four-season state, but just have to have that convertible, this should be on your list of test drives. If you don’t need all-wheel drive, get the Mazda MX-5, its the formula successful roadsters are based on.
PHOTO BY AUDI
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