Picture Gallery: 2009 Audi TTS Roadster | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 |Discuss
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For one, it should be all-wheel drive because honestly, it just makes winter a playground for any true driving enthusiast — in the Audi TTS Roaster; check. My runabout would ideally have heated seats (check), it would have stability control (check), and traction control, (check — and both defeatable I might add). My ideal winter runabout would also have air conditioning with climate control (check), and a great stereo for those days where you will inevitably be stuck in traffic (check).
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Things like very little ground clearance (check), large stiff tires with unforgiving sidewalls (check), stiff suspension with a setting to make it even stiffer (check), little to no trunk space for recovery and safety items (check) — and last but not least, a convertible roof, because, honestly, how often do you dream of “dropping the top” when it’s minus 40 degrees (check)?
So it’s a mixed bag. On one hand, the TTS is the best winter runabout one could ask for, while on the other, you would be completely bonkers to drive this to work when you have a 4×4 truck sitting in the driveway (check) and the weather man calls for temperatures well into the negatives with the possibility of snow and ice. I’m sure my neighbours already think I’m loony; I’ll spend the balance of the week gauging if the rest of the city thinks I am as well. Or, perhaps, the TTS will be the ultimate winter driving machine.
2009 Audi TTS Roadster
MSRP as tested (excluding destination): $63,550
For more information on Audi and the TT visit Audi Canada
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It would have been a good day to take the truck: a few stuck cars in snowbanks could have been freed with my tow-rope, but instead I had more fun on the snowy roads. A low centre of gravity, all-wheel drive and winter tires make driving in the winter enjoyable; while others were stuck spinning their wheels I had enough grip to get me through even when the under carriage of the car was, no doubt, dragging.
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The automatic shifter looks like a manual one, so people passing by and peeking into your window may not realize you are driving an automatic (which is actually an automated manual / DSG transmission). The steering wheel, which is cut off at the bottom, adds to the sporty flare of the interior, although I find it could be a little smaller.
In my preferred seating position, I find the top half of the gauges are obstructed from view, so that I cannot see the signal lights — not a huge deal — but with the radio cranked it is a little inconvenient at times. As with most coupes, the seat belts are behind the B-pillar, but on the TTS they are mounted extremely far back. This means you must twist to reach them, and I hurt myself a little at least twice today reaching back.
Storage space is extremely limited. There is a glove box in the standard location and another box between the seats that would allow you to store smaller items. The total capacity seems fairly large but the opening is not. I posted a picture of the engine bay to point out that it must be one of the neatest designs I have seen: everything in its place and a place for everything with some room to spare — the odd ball is the windshield washer fluid reservoir. Can you find it?
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The Audi TT comes in a variety of flavours, starting with a front-wheel drive model equipped with Audi’s 2.0-litre turbocharged engine with an output of 200hp, right up to the model I am driving, equipped with AWD. The TTS is also equipped with a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, but produces 265 entertaining horsepower and 258lb-ft of torque. This may have you wondering why anyone would bother with the 3.2-litre V6 model, which produces less horsepower and torque than the 2-litre.
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So, this leads me to the inevitable fun factor quotient: equally I remember driving the Boxster and Boxster S models this fall with the top down and they were an absolute blast to drive — but were on the pricey side. The TTS Roadster isn’t exactly cheap, but it does provide many of the same thrills. With my current impressions of the TTS and my memories of two weeks in Boxsters, I’d pick the Boxster, but it’s not a fair comparison — it was 15-20 degrees then, it is minus 15-20 this week, and I am afraid that may be tainting my view.
Which of course brings me to the winter fun factor. The TTS with its quattro AWD system is a hoot in the snow and it helps you get through those winter blahs. I’ve driven a Porsche Cayman in the winter; it was wonderful but a little more stressful on snowy days. The TTS’ sport suspension is firm and not really suited to the winter, but the standard setting is plenty sporty while still providing comfort. The brakes are very responsive and make the TTS feel light on its feet.
Like many convertibles, the TTS has a few issues in parking lots with the top up; seeing out the rear is nearly impossible, and the low nature of the car means you can’t see around other vehicles, which is a little nervewracking. The low-slung fascia also requires you to keep that washer fluid topped up.
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Even with a powerful 2.0-litre engine pumping out 263hp, I still averaged a very respectable 10.7L/100km over the course of the week — so you can have your cake and eat it too! The TTS also has one party trick I did get a chance to try: the launch control system. Rev the engine to 3,500rpm, the automatic clutch engages and you shoot off — the car in the other lane didn’t even have a chance.
*Rating out of 5:
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*Rating based on vehicle’s classification
2009 Audi TTS Roadster
MSRP as tested (excluding destination): $62,550
For more information on Audi and the TT visit Audi Canada
to our site.
December 11, 2008, 04:51:48 pm Patience all, tonight I will write my driving impressions.
December 11, 2008, 05:04:41 pm
December 11, 2008, 08:35:37 pm
I've got to agree with Lebowski though: styling issues aside, there's no comparison between the driving dynamics of the Boxster and the TT (at least the past generation TT I drove -- haven't had an opportunity in the new ones yet). The Porsche will get your heartrate up by simply turning the key. The Audi needs 2" of snow on the road before I'd even crack a smile over driving it.
Regardless of the handling prowess, you can't honestly say that the Boxster is pretty, or even exclusive? I'd have the Coxster anyway, sorry, Cayman S!
December 12, 2008, 07:35:29 am Kevlars starting UP a "STOP THE COXSTER" movement.......i can just feel it.........
December 12, 2008, 08:24:19 am well saffy somebody has to keep those coxsters in check.
December 12, 2008, 09:37:01 am @wing, nice write-up and i appreciate your comparison of the cayman/boxster vs. TTS. The audi does seem like a great car.
At the end of the day, i believe the only true -if unspoken- disadvantage in choosing the boxster, for most people anyway, is not the lack of quattro, but rather the prospect of dealing with the baggage that comes with owning any new porsche, i.e. "sure, this car is great to drive, but i don't want to look like another d-bag in a porsche, so i'll take the Audi."
December 12, 2008, 10:43:07 am ^ Haven't you been watching Top Gear? All the cocks these days are buying Audis!
I, too, would prefer a Boxster/Cayman to a TT. I do love the idea of an AWD coupe that could be driven year round, but realistically, I think if you're spending this much on a toy, you should be buying the best roadster you can, not the most practical.
December 12, 2008, 10:45:05 am The Boxster is much more practical than the TT, I had yet another box today that wouldn't fit but would have easily fit in the Boxster!
December 12, 2008, 11:08:57 am
December 12, 2008, 12:03:44 pm yah, i don't think that d-bag/c-ck rule applies here in canada yet for audi. most d-bags still drive bmws or porsches - at least in downtown toronto.
December 12, 2008, 12:32:55 pm HA! I wonder if we have the same friends, Kevlar, as my buddies, too, take special pleasure in ribbing me to no end about driving a Bimmer, a.k.a. the Ultimate D-bag Conveyance. I try to defend my car by mentioning that a) I bought it used, so it wasn’t too expensive, and b) I’m a car enthusiast and really do appreciate the difference between it and, say, a vw golf. No dice. But I admit it is amusing, especially when the ribbing is unexpected, i.e. I’ll be telling a seemingly car-unrelated story, and I'll get ambushed:
Me: “yeah, so I was just leaving the grocery store when I realized I forgot to buy milk, so I had to head back”
Friend: “oh yeah? *grins* Did you take the BMW???”
Hey, it’s a small price to pay for enjoying our rides. Also, as an aside, ever since buying my car, i find that I've been driving with a greater degree of courtesy towards other motorists because I feel like I have to compensate for the stigma associated with driving a BMW. So be it!
December 12, 2008, 12:50:48 pm
You're not trying hard enough, I managed to fit an entire home theatre surround system in the exige!
December 12, 2008, 03:57:59 pm would this fit?
Yeah didn't think so
December 12, 2008, 04:44:29 pm I like the styling of this TT much better then the car it replaces. Not as much of a squashed beetle. Looks much more masculine. Sort of the same thing as how they have changed the looks of the miata over the years.I like the LED lights on the front as well.
December 12, 2008, 10:20:40 pm
Yeah didn't think so
Easy!
December 12, 2008, 10:23:51 pm Well not in the TT! I've seen an elise I don't think it would fit either. The box is rather large.
December 13, 2008, 08:35:41 am take it out of the box
Just like a plasma, box is 17" wide, TV is 4" wide
December 13, 2008, 08:53:09 am
December 13, 2008, 12:15:03 pm
Yeah I had to take everything out of the box.
December 13, 2008, 12:17:05 pm ,,impatient bastard........................
January 20, 2009, 02:50:20 am Well, I DO own a Boxster S and (of course) it is superior to the TT. It does suck, however, to have the car mock me all winter while I drive my Audi A4 wagon into the seemingly endless Siberian-like winter. IMHO, the TT was designed to be a year-round sports car. If I had to combine both of my cars into one; I'd probably buy the TTS. Not a bad compromise for someone who goes through an Alberta winter every year.
January 20, 2009, 03:26:20 am
No pics, no care.....
January 20, 2009, 03:33:25 pm
Is it that small blue cap on the drivers-side just below the a-pillar?
January 20, 2009, 11:53:41 pm
Is it that small blue cap on the drivers-side just below the a-pillar?
It's a toupe retention hook.
January 21, 2009, 12:53:17 pm ..i hate it when my ODD BALL drops inta the windshield washer fluid......sure it sparkles ..and is good ta -45C......but it feels ODD..........