RE: Shed of the Week: Audi TT (Mk1)
Discussion
I recently sold my 2004 Audi TT 3.2.
I went in with eyes wide open knowing that there would be issues on a 14 year old car, but still slightly shocking. I had a fairly low mileage example at 60k.
Issues I had:
Rust - people say these cars are pretty good but underneath they rust like mad, subframe rear towing eye are worst for it.
Cooling fans - both engine fans died over £800 for genuine parts, plus on vr6 a pain to fit.
Suspension - basically needed full refresh but also spring corrosion common (as per any mk4 golf variant)
DSG - in my eyes not a matter of If it goes wrong more when. I dodged a bullet as mine ran ok but mechatronic housing can rust through and leak because of low position on gearbox and stupidly thin metal.
Was a good car and fast but I always worried about the next four figure bill. Would never buy an out of warranty Audi after this!
I went in with eyes wide open knowing that there would be issues on a 14 year old car, but still slightly shocking. I had a fairly low mileage example at 60k.
Issues I had:
Rust - people say these cars are pretty good but underneath they rust like mad, subframe rear towing eye are worst for it.
Cooling fans - both engine fans died over £800 for genuine parts, plus on vr6 a pain to fit.
Suspension - basically needed full refresh but also spring corrosion common (as per any mk4 golf variant)
DSG - in my eyes not a matter of If it goes wrong more when. I dodged a bullet as mine ran ok but mechatronic housing can rust through and leak because of low position on gearbox and stupidly thin metal.
Was a good car and fast but I always worried about the next four figure bill. Would never buy an out of warranty Audi after this!
This is a lot of car for the money, but like the Mazda RX8, which was one of its main rivals, I tend to think these are cheap for a reason. I remember when new that the Audi TT was for a time rated as the least reliable new car you could buy in one of the reliability surveys and having had experience of the VAG1.8T engine I would be wary about buying a cheap one of these as I sense you would be regularly taking it to the garage for a repair.
That said, they wont get much cheaper and I reckon in 5 years we will look back and wonder how they were so cheap, something I've done with other SOTWs over the years.
That said, they wont get much cheaper and I reckon in 5 years we will look back and wonder how they were so cheap, something I've done with other SOTWs over the years.
Had a brand new 180 TT in Mauritius Blue back in '04 as a company car. Always loved the styling of the Mk1 and think it's dated really well especially with the later grill and the 18" wheels (like the black one in the ad). Those wheels seem to attract curbs in the same way as the diamond cut Monza wheels on the mk5 Golf GTi. It's rare to see a set that haven't been ravaged (My wife managed to curb them within 2 weeks of ownership!"
Despite still being a fan of the looks the driving experience never really backed them up. I always found it to be capable if a little uninspiring and the ride on all but the smoothest roads were enough to knock the fillings out of your teeth!!
Never really saw the point of the back seats either as they were all but unusable for anything other than an overnight bag due to the lack of both head and leg room.. In comparison my 911 is like a spacious 4 seater.
Obviously having a new one meant I never experienced the ownership niggles of a leggy 15 year old example, such as the one advertised here, so I can't comment on running costs but for £1,500 I'd happily take a punt. At the end of the day it's still a car I would turn back to look at as I locked it and walked away...
Despite still being a fan of the looks the driving experience never really backed them up. I always found it to be capable if a little uninspiring and the ride on all but the smoothest roads were enough to knock the fillings out of your teeth!!
Never really saw the point of the back seats either as they were all but unusable for anything other than an overnight bag due to the lack of both head and leg room.. In comparison my 911 is like a spacious 4 seater.
Obviously having a new one meant I never experienced the ownership niggles of a leggy 15 year old example, such as the one advertised here, so I can't comment on running costs but for £1,500 I'd happily take a punt. At the end of the day it's still a car I would turn back to look at as I locked it and walked away...
I can remember looking forward to driving these .
God I was disappointed!
Might have something to do with getting concussion every time I got in and out of them and nil headroom .
I am only slightly over the norm at 6'1" and nowhere near as lardy as I am these days , it felt like I was wearing it and somebody had measured it wrong .
God I was disappointed!
Might have something to do with getting concussion every time I got in and out of them and nil headroom .
I am only slightly over the norm at 6'1" and nowhere near as lardy as I am these days , it felt like I was wearing it and somebody had measured it wrong .
aka_kerrly said:
Very true.
I was up at Curborough at the weekend and there were a couple of mk1 TTs being hounded around the track setting some very respectable times. They certainly didn't look to be the handling disasters that people make them out to be. If you are prepared to fit modified parts a lot of raw feel of the original early cars can be reintroduced - if i remember right it's a kit called def con bushes or something like that. Those combined with upgraded anti roll bars seem to be the best starting point.
Yep - was going to add this. I never got as far as the defcon kit on mine, but the addition of stiffer ARBs made it handle like it was on rails. It was a car I always enjoyed driving - decent and comfy on long journeys, and, with the ARBs in place, very good on twisty roads.I was up at Curborough at the weekend and there were a couple of mk1 TTs being hounded around the track setting some very respectable times. They certainly didn't look to be the handling disasters that people make them out to be. If you are prepared to fit modified parts a lot of raw feel of the original early cars can be reintroduced - if i remember right it's a kit called def con bushes or something like that. Those combined with upgraded anti roll bars seem to be the best starting point.
I bet you can't find an TT owner whose water pump hasn't shat the bed at some point in its life, though.
Edited to add: surprisingly practical, too, though I am a short bloke. Our Rhodesian Ridgeback used to get into the back quite happily, and I once transported a bulky wide-framed 42" TV in the boot.
Edited by smaybury on Friday 27th July 10:39
grumpy52 said:
I can remember looking forward to driving these .
God I was disappointed!
Might have something to do with getting concussion every time I got in and out of them and nil headroom .
I am only slightly over the norm at 6'1" and nowhere near as lardy as I am these days , it felt like I was wearing it and somebody had measured it wrong .
I am the same height, pretty broad and managed fine, fitted like a glove.God I was disappointed!
Might have something to do with getting concussion every time I got in and out of them and nil headroom .
I am only slightly over the norm at 6'1" and nowhere near as lardy as I am these days , it felt like I was wearing it and somebody had measured it wrong .
I did see a rather rotund chap at the local convenience store extricating himself from one, looked a struggle, low with a slightly restricted door aperture, they arent too bad, not like an Elise but less accessible than a normal hatch. No worse than my 944 or 350Z, better than the 944 as the steering wheel wasnt mounted stupidly low.
I had a 225 version of these about 10 years ago, was a decent motor with lovely interior.
Ate ignition coils like a fat kid does cake. Kept a supply in the glove box for when they went; easy to diagnose and change them. Tended to be in the cold weather when the turbo got hot!
Ate ignition coils like a fat kid does cake. Kept a supply in the glove box for when they went; easy to diagnose and change them. Tended to be in the cold weather when the turbo got hot!
Edited by 9k rpm on Friday 27th July 11:44
Hated them for years. Then in the search for a cheap daily I slowly got seduced into one. I came round to the looks, got over what the naysayers said and forgot about the Golf in drag rhetoric.
Can't say I regret it either. Ridiculous value for money for such a lot of car. Only thing that's broke so far is the clutch pedal (known weak spot on a lot of VAG of that era). Other than that it's been fabulous.
Its the Karmann Ghia of it's generation. The car aging hipster millennials will be buying in 10-15 years.
£1800 for a Denim blue 131k '00 225 and 18 months laters I don't regret it for a second. Even did a few YT vids (value, ownership, A-Z etc) which are still pulling in the views today..
Can't say I regret it either. Ridiculous value for money for such a lot of car. Only thing that's broke so far is the clutch pedal (known weak spot on a lot of VAG of that era). Other than that it's been fabulous.
Its the Karmann Ghia of it's generation. The car aging hipster millennials will be buying in 10-15 years.
£1800 for a Denim blue 131k '00 225 and 18 months laters I don't regret it for a second. Even did a few YT vids (value, ownership, A-Z etc) which are still pulling in the views today..
I had one for 3 years back in 2004.
I think during that time the EML was on more than it was off. Hate to think how much id spent on O2 sensors, Coil packs, Fuse boxes for the fans (mine melted) and other niggly things
Still, really enjoyed driving it and would love to buy a QS240 for the weekend blast.
I think during that time the EML was on more than it was off. Hate to think how much id spent on O2 sensors, Coil packs, Fuse boxes for the fans (mine melted) and other niggly things
Still, really enjoyed driving it and would love to buy a QS240 for the weekend blast.
I had a remapped 180 in a Octavia vRS, which transformed the performance. The throttle response was zingy and responsive and it really shifted (straight line appeared the same as a 225 TT) I wonder how the engine has faired?
A friend had a 225 TT and, even though the Octavia wasn't a great handler, The TT wasn't particularly good, although the steering rack was quicker from memory.
A friend had a 225 TT and, even though the Octavia wasn't a great handler, The TT wasn't particularly good, although the steering rack was quicker from memory.
Apple green convertible with baseball leather please for me, who cares about the running gear today at 33C.... just want drive around in it looking cool. Even the steering wheel is fantastic compared to overwrought modern day stuff.
Audi did the A2 and this and both really epic. Vauxhall doing Calibra and first gen Tigra.
Today everything VAG looks like another part of the empire but slightly different. Designers at VAG must nowadays sleep 20 hours a day and be like a sloth slowly reaching for their HB sketching pencil...... easy life !
Audi did the A2 and this and both really epic. Vauxhall doing Calibra and first gen Tigra.
Today everything VAG looks like another part of the empire but slightly different. Designers at VAG must nowadays sleep 20 hours a day and be like a sloth slowly reaching for their HB sketching pencil...... easy life !
PH wrote: “The 225 got its extra power via the relatively unsophisticated means of a bigger turbo.” Really?
Utter twaddle - the only things that 180 and 225 1.8Ts share are the engine block and cylinder head, *everything* else is uprated in the 225: pistons, valves, fuel injection, oil system, conrods, etc, etc.
Utter twaddle - the only things that 180 and 225 1.8Ts share are the engine block and cylinder head, *everything* else is uprated in the 225: pistons, valves, fuel injection, oil system, conrods, etc, etc.
Never mind that there's a choice of 2 cars.
Never mind that a once-iconic shape has now descended into the reach of Shedsters.
Never mind the (potential) cost of keeping one on the road, or even the (questionable) image of these cars.
Who wrote this and what have they done with Shed?
Surely the most uninspiring, boring, matter-of-fact SOTW write-up ever.
Never mind that a once-iconic shape has now descended into the reach of Shedsters.
Never mind the (potential) cost of keeping one on the road, or even the (questionable) image of these cars.
Who wrote this and what have they done with Shed?
Surely the most uninspiring, boring, matter-of-fact SOTW write-up ever.
I bought a 3.2 as an experiment in can I maintain and run a fastish older car? Before I bite the bullet and get a ratty 996!
So far it’s done numerous track days, hill climbs, a 1500 mile jaunt around Europe and never skipped a beat. All the work I’ve done is the kind of stuff older cars need any way (service, brake pads, shocks, washer pump etc).
I’m happy but wish it got more power from the 3.2!
So far it’s done numerous track days, hill climbs, a 1500 mile jaunt around Europe and never skipped a beat. All the work I’ve done is the kind of stuff older cars need any way (service, brake pads, shocks, washer pump etc).
I’m happy but wish it got more power from the 3.2!
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