Audi TT Roadster Final Edition: long-term test review

First report: the handsome Audi TT Roadster is winning hearts with everyone


  • 4.5 out of 5

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    Verdict

    We are enjoying life with the swansong TT so far, and can’t wait until the engine is run in and we can  have some real fun. There is little to really dislike about the roadster, barring a few cosmetic quibbles.

    • Mileage: 358
    • Economy: 32.9mpg

      • The first thing that strikes you about the Final Edition Audi TT Roadster is surely the same thing that defined the TT when it arrived in 1998: the way it looks. Despite numerous updates during the past quarter of a century, some of which have been more successful than others, it’s still a stunning car to look at. One that remains defined by its styling, and the design really does make everything that little bit better.

      People who see it don’t ask what it’s like to drive. Instead they give you an opinion on its styling, its paint job, or its 20-inch wheels. And most folks I’ve met in the first couple of weeks of ‘ownership’ tend very much to like the way our TT Roadster looks.

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      Including me, despite the addition of a rear spoiler without which this Final Edition version would, I’m fairly certain, look even better still. No matter, because the rest of this Audi has so much going for it that I can forgive it the addition of one smallish chunk of unnecessary bodywork.

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      The version we’ve gone for is the 40 TFSI, which is the closest model to the original TT. It’s propelled by the same turbocharged 2.0-litre engine you’ll find in many Audis and VWs, but to be clear, it’s 48bhp down on a Golf GTi, with ‘just’ 194bhp and 320Nm of torque. Quick, therefore, our TT Roadster is not, although I’d still hope it has enough poke to ignite its excellent front wheel-drive chassis, something I’ll find out more about in due course: the engine still has fewer than 400 miles showing, so I’m not giving it too much pain yet. Hence the decent-but-not-brilliant 32.4mpg average – not bad for a petrol car with a claimed 0-62mph time of 6.9 seconds, I suppose.

      We haven’t gone mad with the options list, either, because you don’t need to and, frankly, can’t with a Final Edition TT. Being a run-out model, the car has tons of kit as standard, so the only options specified are Tango red paint (which is a no-cost choice anyway), £1,495 Comfort and Sound Pack (which brings a top-quality B&O sound system), front and rear parking sensors (another no-cost option) plus head-level heating for the seats, at £495.

      The total price, including all the extras fitted, is £47,640. On one hand, that sounds like rather a lot, considering the relative shortage of tech in the TT; there’s no big central touchscreen to play with, no distance-sensing cruise control, and not a whiff of a lane-departure system. But on the other hand, few cars at this kind of money attract anywhere like this much attention, or approval, and in terms of build quality, the TT remains a rare gem. It feels like a piece of mechanical jewellery in the way its doors close so cleanly, and so expensively. Indeed, the entire cabin has a distinctly high-end feel to it for a car at this price.


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      The seats are also great, with a part-Alcantara, part-leather finish that looks good and offers a really good balance between comfort and support. Plus I actually like the fact there’s no central touchscreen. Instead, all the information is presented to the driver, and the driver alone, via a nice big switchable TFT screen that also serves as the main instrument cluster, as well as the infotainment screen. This means that everything – phone, sat-nav, comms, car settings and stereo – is right in front of you.

      So although there’s no head-up display in the TT Final Edition, I don’t miss it one bit. Having all the info in line of sight, within the instruments, allows you to concentrate far more on what’s ahead of you, rather than on a touchscreen to your left. This design works so much better than a central touchscreen on so many levels, for the driver, and makes me wonder why we crave the central panel so universally nowadays.

      Anyway, once the engine has a few more miles on its crank, I’m sure I’ll enjoy driving the TT with a bit more vim. Having said that, I’m pretty happy just bumbling about in it, running in the motor, enjoying its looks, relishing its cabin quality, brilliant electric hood, fine steering, strong brakes, decent ride quality, even its boot space. Pretty much everything about it so far, in other words, except for that rear spoiler.

      Model: Audi TT Roadster Final Edition 40 TFSI S Tronic
      On fleet since: August 2023
      Price new: £45,650 (£47,640)
      Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl, turbocharged, 194bhp
      CO2/tax: 164g/km/£570
      Options: Tango red metallic paint (£0), Comfort and sound pack (£1,495), Front and rear parking sensors (£0), Head-level heating on both seats (£495)
      Insurance*: Group: 43 Quote: £649
      Mileage: 385 miles
      Economy: 32.9mpg
      Any problems? None so far

      *Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

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