Road Test: 2016 Audi TT Roadster
There’s something about a good drop top roadster that reinvigorates your love of driving. We’re not sure whether it’s the feel of the wind all around you, or being out in the open, but it is truly enjoyable. On a nice sunny day, there is nothing better than dropping the top, and taking the long way to wherever you are going.
The subject of our recent open air drivefest is this utterly cool 2016 TT Roadster. We’ve been fans of the TT since it was introduced in 1998. Small, sporty cute and fun to drive, this is truly a lifestyle car if ever there was one.
This latest version of the TT Roadster is both an evolution of the original concept, and simultaneously less “cutesy” than the original car. Where the first generation TT was softer and more organic looking, the 3rd generation car is angular and angry looking. We really like the way Audi carried on the soul of the TT, while giving it a decidedly more aggressive face.
Admittedly, with only 2 seats and a smallish trunk, the TT Roadster is not ideal for carrying more than one person, or any large amounts of things, or big things, or heavy things. Suffice it to say, the TT Roadster isn’t really made for carrying things. Thanks to a well-designed folding top, trunk space is actually quite good, and there is a passthrough for skis or any other long and thin items.
None of the cargo capacity issues matter once you press the button on the center console to lower the extremely well finished folding top, which is fully lined and insulated, and includes a glass rear window. With nothing but the sun filled sky overhead, the TT Roadster might as well have a “smiles per mile” indicator on the dash, because it is pretty much impossible to not enjoy yourself while driving this car.
With the top lowered, the TT Roadster somehow becomes infinitely more enjoyable to drive, and not because it is boring with the top up. Rather, you just get to enjoy the wind in your hair, the sun on your head, and nothing but the crisp air and raspy exhaust note filling your senses.
We had the chance to experience the TT Roadster on some brisk late summer mornings, and even when near freezing, with the side windows up, there really isn’t a lot of wind intrusion in the cabin while underway with the top down. The heated seats help a lot, as does the Air Scarf (a small blower that sends warm air around your neck and shoulders from the seatback). Sitting low in the car also helps a lot. One thing that does tend to get you really cold is if you decide to raise the top while underway, something you can do up to nearly 30mph. The top acts as a scoop, bringing a lot of cold air into your seat if you aren’t careful. Conversely, on a hot day, lowering the top while underway is very refreshing.
Obiviously not every day is sunny, or warm. Thankfully the TT Roadster is blessed with an extremely well finished folding roof. It provides excellent sound deadening, plenty of head room, and keeps the cold out. Visibility to the rear quarters is obviously not great, but you get used to it.
The TT Roadster has excellent driving dynamics. This third generation TT is built on a robust platform, and its body feels stiffer than previous iterations, and therefore suffers from essentially no cowl shake. We usually expect convertibles to flex and understeer badly, but this TT Roadster was very neutral. Handling was on par with the fixed roof car, with perhaps a slight decrease in turn-in sharpness.
We liked the 2.0T engine in the TT Roadster very much. It is very smooth, with excellent pull from low RPM, a nice fat mid-range, and good top end. With 220hp and 258 lb/ft on tap, the TT Roadster is quick enough to keep you smiling at all times. This engine isn’t really much of a screamer, we find it best to keep the tach in the mid-range, and use the turbo’s generous helping of forced induction to do the work.
We readily acknowledge that there are quicker TT variants, but all out speed isn’t what the TT Roadster is all about. Its mission is to be the means of having the most enjoyable drive you can, in almost any conditions.
The interior of the latest TT is incredibly well executed, with multiple functions combined into dials in the center of the air vents. These are very clever, and with multiple functions each, allows a very clean and visually simple design. The fit and finish is very typically Audi, with not a single exposed fastener visible, not a single rough or unfinished edge or surface.
Also, as with the TT Coupe we sampled, the TT Roadster uses Audi’s extremely cool Virtual Cockpit instrument cluster, which doubles as the MMI screen. When you run navigation, or searching for music, or using the telephone, all are displayed on this screen. Nearly all MMI functions are possible directly from the steering wheel buttons as well, and once you get used to it, becomes second nature.
Even for tall and big people, the TT roadster has more than enough room. Even though deeply bolstered, we found the seats to be very comfortable. You do sit quite low in the car, which is partly why so little unwanted wind gets into the cabin. Even at interstate speeds with the top lowered, wind noise is surprisingly well controlled, and there is hardly any buffeting.
All in all we can’t think of many cars that gave us as much of a smile to just get in and drive as the TT Roadster. It is one of the rare cars where the point isn’t about speed, but instead soaking up the rays, wind in your hair, having a blast just driving.
