Audi TTS - will the gamble pay off?
Discussion
Very good. I think one thing I'd change about these is the silver bits, mirrors etc. If you're going to paint the front would you think to go them too, or leave it standard? Black Edition cars have them colour coded, even though they're not all black.
If you are using the main dealer for your upcoming service, maybe wait and see what offers are on. Last year a service pack including inspection and oil service was less than £20 more than just the inspection. I know it's not cheap but mine will have one more service before I p/x it for another one so it'd be worth keeping it as full dealer history.
Is it engine noise or tyres? Since changing to F1 ASY's I really noticed the road noise. I've had 40mpg regularly on an A road +-50mph amble.
You've probably noticed already but the fuel filler area gets very grubby and the drain blocks.
And of course you'll need to upgrade your down lighters
If you are using the main dealer for your upcoming service, maybe wait and see what offers are on. Last year a service pack including inspection and oil service was less than £20 more than just the inspection. I know it's not cheap but mine will have one more service before I p/x it for another one so it'd be worth keeping it as full dealer history.
Is it engine noise or tyres? Since changing to F1 ASY's I really noticed the road noise. I've had 40mpg regularly on an A road +-50mph amble.
You've probably noticed already but the fuel filler area gets very grubby and the drain blocks.
And of course you'll need to upgrade your down lighters
Does the TTS feel more sporty than the RS3? Perhaps for a moment when you sink into the seat, but all illusions are cast aside once you wake up the 5-cylinder lump in the RS3... certainly from what I recall of my old pre-facelift model with the Sports Exhaust option. The TT feels a fraction more responsive and less laggy, though as noted before definitely less brutal.
The Cardinal said:
- Ordered some OEM replacement exhaust tips due to the irretrievable condition of the originals
I remember the Mk2 TTS we had being a complete nightmare to keep the exhaust tips clean as well. It was the worst car I've ever had for that for some reason. The exhaust tips on the F82 M4 stay as clean as a whistle in comparison for example. I definitely do appreciate nice and shiny polished up exhaust tips though, and it is something I've always tried to keep on top of over the years.
Sticks. said:
Very good. I think one thing I'd change about these is the silver bits, mirrors etc. If you're going to paint the front would you think to go them too, or leave it standard? Black Edition cars have them colour coded, even though they're not all black.
If you are using the main dealer for your upcoming service, maybe wait and see what offers are on. Last year a service pack including inspection and oil service was less than £20 more than just the inspection. I know it's not cheap but mine will have one more service before I p/x it for another one so it'd be worth keeping it as full dealer history.
Is it engine noise or tyres? Since changing to F1 ASY's I really noticed the road noise. I've had 40mpg regularly on an A road +-50mph amble.
You've probably noticed already but the fuel filler area gets very grubby and the drain blocks.
And of course you'll need to upgrade your down lighters
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll be servicing at an independent VAG specialist that I trust - it already has two non-franchise services. If you are using the main dealer for your upcoming service, maybe wait and see what offers are on. Last year a service pack including inspection and oil service was less than £20 more than just the inspection. I know it's not cheap but mine will have one more service before I p/x it for another one so it'd be worth keeping it as full dealer history.
Is it engine noise or tyres? Since changing to F1 ASY's I really noticed the road noise. I've had 40mpg regularly on an A road +-50mph amble.
You've probably noticed already but the fuel filler area gets very grubby and the drain blocks.
And of course you'll need to upgrade your down lighters
I will probably keep the silver accents, though it's food for thought as I only avoided the Black Edition as I prefer the clear glass. The main external difference is the grille and rear bumper insert.
The tyres are noisy - Conti SportContact 6 - but I think the exhaust is the main source.
The Cardinal said:
Does the TTS feel more sporty than the RS3? Perhaps for a moment when you sink into the seat, but all illusions are cast aside once you wake up the 5-cylinder lump in the RS3... certainly from what I recall of my old pre-facelift model with the Sports Exhaust option. The TT feels a fraction more responsive and less laggy, though as noted before definitely less brutal.
Right, that's what I was thinking about really. I mean if both cars had a 1 litre engine, I'd pick the TT for the feel.We had one of the last manuals on a 15plate and it was a great car, although it was technically the wife’s.
We only got rid three years ago as I downsized my car collection and bought a new Cayman and we need one bigger car. She now has an RSQ3.
The only thing that went wrong on ours in three years of ownership was the plastic thermostat housing, but that’s a known issue with the S/GolfR engine.
The best thing we ever did was fit PS4s tyres, miles better grip and feel.
I still have a spare full sized spare TTS Wheel and tyre I bought to avoid using the pressurised goo, if one of yours is too badly kerbed.
We only got rid three years ago as I downsized my car collection and bought a new Cayman and we need one bigger car. She now has an RSQ3.
The only thing that went wrong on ours in three years of ownership was the plastic thermostat housing, but that’s a known issue with the S/GolfR engine.
The best thing we ever did was fit PS4s tyres, miles better grip and feel.
I still have a spare full sized spare TTS Wheel and tyre I bought to avoid using the pressurised goo, if one of yours is too badly kerbed.
Legend83 said:
Following with interest. Never warmed to the TT but then my mother bought a standard 2.0 auto MK3 and having sat in it, it's a lovely place to be and feels pretty special. Standard car goes nicely so imagine the TTS goes like stink.
Have a hankering now...
I like the styling of the interior and the quality, but it also works very well - everything does what you'd expect, switches fall to hand and the IT isn't too faffy.Have a hankering now...
I wish they did electric memory seats like BMW though.
I unexpectedly got the chance to drive the car on a longer run this week. This is because my wife has decided that the Golf GTD is "her car" and she wanted it to do local errands while I was away.
So it seems I am to use this TTS on business. This is arguably the wrong way around, but it's not exactly a hardship...
This particular run is a 500-mile round trip and it's one I've done many times over the years. I normally like to have spent some time getting to know a car better and to have fixed everything to my standards beforehand, but life's gotten in the way.
I managed to top up the fuel early en route, leading to a classic PH photo opportunity - perhaps not ideally lit this time...
The trip did reveal a couple of niggles. Firstly, a familiar issue that this vintage of Audi won't stream audio when I'm charging my Apple phone via a cable... and an unfamiliar one in that the substitute of a good old CD inserted into the MMI slot wouldn't play for some reason either (I suspect due to data conventions). Neither does the car have cruise control, which, as noted before, is an inconvenience... and it's an unusually complicated (and therefore expensive) retrofit, should I look to fix it.
Fuel economy on these winter miles is an acceptable 40mpg. But on the same - cruise-controlled - summer run, the identically-powered but newer S3 attained 50mpg, and even my RS3 just cracked 40mpg too. Seems that the 7th gear in those cars makes a difference.
The GTD has the TTS comfortably beaten as a cruiser, then, and it has none of those issues. But happy wife = happy life!
More positively, this is a real "feelgood" car and I enjoy it a lot. The matrix LEDs are excellent and, as far as I can tell, everything is sound mechanically.
I've booked the car for paint to the front bumper and bonnet, and next on the list will be to sort a wheel refurb and then some detailing attention. I'll keep the thread updated.
So it seems I am to use this TTS on business. This is arguably the wrong way around, but it's not exactly a hardship...
This particular run is a 500-mile round trip and it's one I've done many times over the years. I normally like to have spent some time getting to know a car better and to have fixed everything to my standards beforehand, but life's gotten in the way.
I managed to top up the fuel early en route, leading to a classic PH photo opportunity - perhaps not ideally lit this time...
The trip did reveal a couple of niggles. Firstly, a familiar issue that this vintage of Audi won't stream audio when I'm charging my Apple phone via a cable... and an unfamiliar one in that the substitute of a good old CD inserted into the MMI slot wouldn't play for some reason either (I suspect due to data conventions). Neither does the car have cruise control, which, as noted before, is an inconvenience... and it's an unusually complicated (and therefore expensive) retrofit, should I look to fix it.
Fuel economy on these winter miles is an acceptable 40mpg. But on the same - cruise-controlled - summer run, the identically-powered but newer S3 attained 50mpg, and even my RS3 just cracked 40mpg too. Seems that the 7th gear in those cars makes a difference.
The GTD has the TTS comfortably beaten as a cruiser, then, and it has none of those issues. But happy wife = happy life!
More positively, this is a real "feelgood" car and I enjoy it a lot. The matrix LEDs are excellent and, as far as I can tell, everything is sound mechanically.
I've booked the car for paint to the front bumper and bonnet, and next on the list will be to sort a wheel refurb and then some detailing attention. I'll keep the thread updated.
The Cardinal said:
I did a 100-mile run over to my parents' place this weekend, with the kids choosing this car over our van on account of it "looking cool". This meant squeezing two of them into the back for a short lift en route, which had a certain comedy value as they're basically mini adult-sized now.
Love your car - Sepang Blue is the nuts. The above is really my main concern at present as we have 3 kids ranging 8-13. The two 13 year old's are short for their age but only going to grow...how bad is it? (I know, I know, I should just take them to try one out).
I'm really impressed with the fuel economy in these, and we had an overall figure of only 27mpg over 67k miles in the 2012 TTS we had. The Mk2 TTS was a thirsty little sod in comparison for sure, plus it was only used as a distance car as well. So we went back to diesel after that experience, but it is very encouraging to see these doing 40mpg for definite though.
macron said:
That's 12 days from "I'm on the fence now about whether to repaint the front end" to booking it in,
What swung it out of interest?!
More accurately the flow in my mind was: "needs paint > not sure now > book-in for paint". I'm surprised it took as long as 12 days. What swung it out of interest?!
Like many here I guess; buying, maintaining and upgrading cars serves as an outlet for the full range of my personal qualities (better & worse) - without being of consequence for the people who matter in my life.
Ha! Fair enough, it was 12 days between posts, anyway, during which time a lot can happen!
Still, lovely looking thing, too frequently disregarded I reckon, the S adds a lot for not much additional cost of the standard cars I reckon, and that colour combo is fab.
Be interested to hear about the seat issues and how they get resolved.
Still, lovely looking thing, too frequently disregarded I reckon, the S adds a lot for not much additional cost of the standard cars I reckon, and that colour combo is fab.
Be interested to hear about the seat issues and how they get resolved.
Serviced today, comprising: inspection (VAG-speak for major) service, engine oil, air & pollen filters, brake fluid, Haldex oil change, air con re-gas and wheel alignment. The garage thought it was a very clean example with no issues, so that's a relief.
Tyres measure between 3mm (rear) and 5mm (front), and reflects experience that the rears tend to wear a touch quicker. Rear brake discs & pads were also noted as 50-60% worn, which wasn't expected given their prior replacement 25k miles ago, lack of cruise control and how the fronts look original.
I'm not planning to do big miles in this car, but will look at replacing these after its upcoming cosmetic refresh so that I get maximum benefit.
Oh, and I still haven't had the V5 through - which will enable me to put a cherished plate on!
Tyres measure between 3mm (rear) and 5mm (front), and reflects experience that the rears tend to wear a touch quicker. Rear brake discs & pads were also noted as 50-60% worn, which wasn't expected given their prior replacement 25k miles ago, lack of cruise control and how the fronts look original.
I'm not planning to do big miles in this car, but will look at replacing these after its upcoming cosmetic refresh so that I get maximum benefit.
Oh, and I still haven't had the V5 through - which will enable me to put a cherished plate on!
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