SD_Dave

Now that I have had a chance to experience the car a little,here are my thoughts for anyone who cares… this pertains to a Launch Edition TTS.

General Exterior. This is my second car with the Mythos Black, and I have to say that thisseems more “metallic” than my old S5. The lines of the car look great in black, I was originally afraid thatthe dark color would mask some of the more interesting design details, but tomy eye, this is not the case. The redcalipers look great on the front, but on the back just serves to bringattention to their smaller size. Nothingelse I can really share that you cannot see in pictures.

General Interior. Audi knows their stuff when it comes to the interior. Looking and touching give a sense of qualityand solidity. The seats are amazing tosit in as they look. My car as the ArrasRed seats, and I was very afraid that the color would be off-putting, but inperson they match the car perfectly. Thecolor is a rich red, and in full sun, you could almost say bright. When you sit behind the wheel however thecolor is in your peripheral vision and is very pleasing. The contrasting red stitching on the steeringwheel, door panels and shifter really complement the seats, as only the actualseating surfaces have red leather. TheLaunch also comes with “extended leather”, which is kind of lacking in reality(only “extending” to the steering wheel center cap and small section of thedash above the binnacle). Interestingly,the extended leather sections have black stitching and not red, which is acurious design choice.


The “soft touch” plastic surfaces are nicely textured, andthe top of the dash has a unique pattern that contrasts well. After a few days I did notice that once theseareas get a little dusty/dirty, they are hard to wipe off with a hand as thedirt hides in the crevices. A Swiffer orwet cloth will be in order! Not a bigdeal, just different.


Trunk space is surprisingly good, especially with the seatsfolded down. The trunk is relativelyshallow, however the hatch gives great access and so the space is easilyutilized (unlike the S5 where items could be buried deep inside). This was a welcome surprise. The back seats are a leather covered parcelshelf. No surprise there, only leglessdwarfs will be comfortable.

Virtual Dash. Knowthat if anyone borrows your car, there is a 50% increase in the chance theywill rear-end someone! The first fewdrives result in information overload combined with confusion on how toaccomplish basic tasks. This sense ofconfusion quickly fades once you spend some time in the car as the controls arelogical and easy to navigate once you figure out what button does what. There are ~29 toggle/button actions you canperform without removing your hands from the wheel! The visuals are crisp and smooth. The screen is easy to read in sunlight andsuffers no issues with polarized sunglasses.


The gauges have 3 different modes: “Traditional” - Speedo/Tach with centerinfotainment area, “Info Mode” with small Speedo/Tach in lower corners withdominant infotainment area covering 90% of screen, and a “Sport” TTS only modewith large center Tach with digital Speedo in center with infotainment areas oneach side. Oddly, you must choosebetween having the Traditional or Sport mode with the car stationary via asub-menu (you can always select the Info Mode on the fly). I spend 50% of my time in Sport and 50% inInfo Mode. The Info Mode makes it mucheasier to follow navigation/select music/manage calls, but if I am not doingany of that, I leave it in Sport.


The infotainment works very well. I stream Bluetooth audio from a tablet(connected to the car WiFi) or my phone through Slacker and everything soundsgreat (B&O system installed). InInfo Mode, the album art also shows up – nice touch. The steering wheel controls work well andmake selections easy. Phone calls areeasy to make or receive, and the caller picture shows up on screen aswell. Navigation is clearly a strongpoint of the system – with Google Earth visuals, an expansive screen and onlineintegration. My S5 and my wife’s Q5 bothhad the Google Earth visuals, however, we found ourselves turning it off as itmade the screen more cluttered and hard to read. For some reason I have not felt the same inthe TT, and the Google Earth images add to the experience (maybe after a time Iwill feel differently). Enteringnavigation locations with the trackpad is easy and natural (an improvement overthe previous MMI click/wheel). Personally, I am glad Audi stays away from touch screens, and I thinkthis configuration is superior, as you can effectively enter directions withouttaking your eyes off the road. Trafficinfo is reasonably accurate and well integrated. It requires maintaining an Audi Connectsubscription as opposed to the previous Sirius implementation.

Other Controls. Therest of the cabin is clean with a lack of buttons and center screen found inmost cars. The A/C vents are a masterfulimplementation of simple logical function, making you wonder what took so longto come up with it! One surprise is thatthe system is single zone only (not a deal breaker, but it seems all autoclimate control systems at least offer dual zone these days). The toggles for Drive Select, Parking Controletc. are in a neat line in the lower center of the dash, and blend well withthe understated look. There is aduplicate physical volume control on the center console that allows skippingforward/back. Its location is far moreconvenient for the passenger (I think this is intentional). In the S5 and Q5 the volume control wasplaced perfectly where your hand fell next to the shifter, not so in theTT. I am sure I will quickly adjust tousing the steering wheel controls when driving.


The shifter feels great in the hand, although as this isDSG, it does not get much use. When inmanual mode, the shifter is almost too far to the right, but this is a minorconcern as the DSG works so well I am not sure I will manual shift. If I did manually shift, the steering wheelpaddles are well located. I just wishthey were metal rather than plastic.

Driving. All of thismy experiences are biased based on my previous daily driver, a 2013 S5 with the3.0T motor. With the Drive Select inAuto, in normal driving the car is fantastic. Shifts are smooth and the car kicks down promptly with heavy applicationof your right foot. There is a noticeabledifference as the revs climb and above 3,000rpm the car become very eager. In contrast, the S5 was more subdued whenpushed but was more consistent across the rev range. Selecting Drive Select to Dynamic changes thecharacter of the car immediately. Whenstationary, idle increases and it feels as if the engine is almost “pre-loading”the transmission. Acceleration from astandstill is noticeably quicker and the eager personality kicks inimmediately. Off the line, the enginehesitates for a second as boost builds, but the lag is minimal and not a largedetriment to the experience. Sounds fromthe exhaust a subdued in Comfort mode and aggressive in Dynamic mode.


The ride is far more controlled than my prior S5, feeling substantiallymore connected to the road. I had thesame feeling in the base TT to a lesser extent. In Auto mode, the suspension is reasonable compliant on the freeway, butdoes retains a sporty character (this is no A8). In Dynamic mode, the suspension firms upsignificantly to the point that you would not want to leave it there duringyour commute. In any mode, the carcorners flat and has massive amount of grip. While I have not pushed the car to the limits yet (breaking her in), Ihave a track day scheduled in November to try her out. I do not notice understeer, and theelectronic controls just provide large amounts of predictable grip. I have the Hankook tires, they are quiet andhave great grip.

If I Had to Complain. Being critical, I can always come up with something, even though this isa solid car and I do not regret my purchase at all.

• The seats do not have memory, which for electricseats with such a wide range of adjustments is a disappointment. If switching drivers often this will get oldfast.
• The drivers’ side front window rattles over somebumps. I would expect this to becorrected my first trip to the dealer. Minor annoyance.
• When going over bumps at low speed there is a relativelyloud “thump” from the back of the car. Ifirst thought that perhaps the spare tire was not securely tied down. Checked the tire and it was screwed in tight,my guess is that the hatch (which is very heavy) is bouncing on its seals. I will have the dealer look at this also, butthis may be a difficult fix. Interestedto hear if anyone else experiences the same.

Pictures coming soon.

Nin Din Din

Nice write up, Dave. Best of luck with your new ride. Looking forward to your pics.

ocean1

Thanks for this and congrats!! Especially meaningful since you are coming from an S5.

Huey52

I'm now drooling to receive my car. Thanks Dave for the very insightful post and as said particularly the S5 transition points.

cr8nA4

Great review. Others have mentioned the bump in the rear. I have not noticed it yet on my Mk3 TT, but it frequently occurred on my Mk2 TT. I attributed it to the retracted spoiler. Try driving over the same bump with the spoiler manually raised.

I also found that moving the shifter to the right for manual mode shifts is not as natural as the current BMW (I considered the 435 as and alternative) which moves the shifter to towards the left. I guess if we were in the U.K. we wouldn't mind this convention as much.

SimianSpeedster

Congrats again and thanks for the detailed review. You're making my wait easier and more difficult at the same time! A few questions:

1) Where do you plan to track the car?

2) Aside from the window noise and the occasional hatchback thump that you've experienced (both solvable, hopefully), how would you describe the road noise at freeway speeds in terms of volume and tone (i.e. wind noise, road rumble, etc.)? The November 2015 Car and Driver Review of the TT with 19" rims noted the "reverb from the stiff suspension and large wheels."

3) On a related note, have you driven the TTS over any choppy / poorly paved roads and, if so, does the suspension generally retain its composure?

SD_Dave

I will definitely try this and report back. It's more in the annoyance category than anything, but if I can direct the dealer to the problem, the quicker they can fix!

SD_Dave

1. Attending the Audi Club event at Buttonwillow in November.
2. On concrete freeways it is louder than the S5 for sure. You definitely have to turn the radio up a notch or two (or have the speed sensitive volume on), but not annoying. On asphalt it's nice and quiet (unfortunately not too many asphalt freeways in SoCal). Noise is definitely more road rumble than wind.
3. Yes, our neighborhood has bad roads with lots of root lift in places. In any mode but Comfort, these are very prevalent and a reminder that you are driving a sports car. In Comfort they are subdued, but still felt. Compared to the S6 I drove in Comfort, the TTS is MUCH stiffer and less insulated from the road. With the suspension set in "Auto" it does not do near as good as job as if set in "Comfort".

Huey52

Comfort or Sport it will be. Thanks again Dave.