MassDebates

Hi Guys, Greetings from Buffalo, NY!

(I'm a bit new here, sorry if this is a bad question)

I've spent years driving around small japanese cars and paying higher monthly payments (within reason) to reduce the financing cost and insurance premiums.

I got into a car accident recently and I'm done doing that. I want to finally enjoy the car that I drive, and I decided that I'm ready to suffer a bit for it, if needed.

I'm looking at Audi TTs because I've always liked them and I think that now I am in a better, stable job it's high time that I pick a car I like, not just a car that the mech heads in my family dictate that I buy.

Audi was always off-limits for me, (Along with BMW, VW, all other german cars, infiniti, hyundai, kia, and most american cars) so I'm without their guidance in an attempt to dissuade me from grabbing one.

I've done light maintenance work on Hondas and Toyotas (headlights, oil, battery, replacing bumpers, etc). I had limited experience at a temp job in a mechanic's shop where I slung tires - mounting and balancing and whatnot.

I'm ready to get a bit more heavily involved with my car, directly.

I need your help. I need help buying the best Audi TT and getting ready for whatever comes up specifically with what's expected of that car I purchase. I want to be somewhat independent for things like whatever I can do in a single day or two (assuming I have parts/tools necessary in hand), but nothing that takes a week. There is a fantastic euro mechanic that gives us incredible rates for a BMW and Mercedes's work and parts.

I've done some research and I'm aware of the major pain points, at least of Mk1, like the timing setup, water pumps, and electrical cluster... but beyond that, I'm largely unaware of how to check an Audi TT for specifics when things like complete service record histories aren't available.
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TL;DR

I want an Audi TT. Idk how to pick the best one for me.

- I have a kickass loan rate for 10k USD, and I might be able to get it higher if approved. I have some savings budgeted to help with the vehicle, too.
- Looking to spend 10k USD or less, but will go up to 12k USD if the deal is immensely superior for the long run.
- I have a 30 minute drive to work with 90% of it being highway miles. Buffalo is snowy and icy for 3-4 months of year, cold for 6.
- Buying a beater to use in addition to the Audi is not preferable
- Many of the Audis I'm looking at are from southern regions (salt)


I have a few in mind. I'm sticking to accident-free cars.


Help? Anything and everything is appreciated.

Vegas-roadster

Read this Mk 1 FAQ https://forums.fourtitude.com/showth...44-Audi-TT-FAQ

Walpole5

Here's my experience so far. I bought my TT about 2 1/2 years ago. It was on Craigslist in NC, and I had my brother-in-law that lives in the area take a look at it. He gave it a thumbs up. The Car Fax showed a major accident when the car was about a year old and that there had been 6 owners. It came with zero maintenance history. I bought it for $5500. Before I drove it back to MA, I had the timing belt/water pump done and new tires mounted. The car ran great, everything worked, but cosmetically, the paint looked fair at best. Besides changing all the fluids and filters, in the last 2.5 years, I've put new front sway bar bushings in, replaced the rear shocks and a rear wheel bearing. I've also replaced the battery and spark plugs/coils. Everything was easy to do except for the rear wheel bearing, which was a pain.

I've buffed out the paint, cleaned up the wheels and it looks good from 10 feet. Closer inspection shows that the car has been partially repainted and not to Audi's standard. We've driven the car about 10,000 miles, putting us at 110,000 miles total. It's been remarkably trouble free, I would have no problem daily driving the car or taking it on a trip. My advice would be to buy the latest model TT that you can afford, since reliability improved with the later years. I agree that an accident free car is the way to go, but Car Fax doesn't always report an accident, so beware.

Good luck!

MassDebates

This is immensely helpful. I've already seen the faq link provided in the first reply before making this post. This is exactly what I needed. I will definitely go for the latest model TT that I can find.

Is it tiered by generation, or are these improvements you're referring to done every year?

(for example, an 05 vs an 06 vs an 07 vs an 08 - Would the 05 and 06 be somewhat equivalent and the 07/08 be somewhat similar too, because they're from Mk1 and Mk2, respectively?)

Walpole5

I can't comment on the Mk2, but from everything I have seen and read, the Mk1's improved significantly after the first year and continued to do so. If you can swing a Mk2, I would do it.

Vegas-roadster

The Mk 2, which began on 08 in the US, has far fewer issues than the Mk 1. Handling received a major improvement going from Mk 1 to Mk 2. That said, IMO, the 08 to 10 Mk 2 with a 2L engine has less zip than a Mk 1 with even the 180 HP engine. That leaves you with searching for a Mk 2 with the 3.2 engine, or a TTS, or a 2011+ base TT. If you read the Mk 1 FAQ, go to Fourtitude's Mk 2 forum to read its FAQ.