since84

trying to get the gf to upgrade from her 98 A4 1.8 T which is a dog, to a TT.

We're going to look tomorrow (Carousel in Minneapolis) since with current incentives, there is automtically about $2500 off the car through July 6. Plus I'm a good customer (since84 is driving Audis since 1984) and I expect to get some extra off.

Here are the questions:

1. The salesman says front wheel drive withe M&S tires and traction control is great in snow. I'm in Minnesota and firmly believe in quattro. The gf doesn't have a problem with a stick so we could go with the 225. Comments?

2. 180 or 225 (with me in a B6 S4, I know what I'd prefer)

3. Are seats only manual, no electric?

4. Can you get satellite radio?

5. We're thinking roadster, any comments other that it's personal preference and if anyone has any experience with it, how is the roadster during the winter.

6. What do you guys thing of the vanilla seats. The salesman thinks they are great. (With ocean blue)

7. Does the car have a wind screen?

8. Any particular reliability issues?

9. What kind of deals are people getting right now?

Thanks for all the help.

Any other comments would be appreciated.

TighTT

get a 225, seats are only manual, no satellite radio, roadster vs. coupe is personal choice...both are great, I like vanilla seats...but hard to keep clean over time, car does have a windscreen, no reliability issues here...but other have some from time to time. Thats about it! I upgraded from a 1.8T A4 to my current TT....I love it! I will never look back...

since84

Thanks

TTapsale

1. FWD is very good in snow but I'd get quattro if I lived in Minnesota.
2. 225 can be easily modded to 265-295 hp + it has the six speed & beefier internals. There will be a Stage Three + kit available for the 180 that should give over 300hp. Depends on how much you want to mess around with the car.
3.Only manual
4.Yes.
5.No experience
6.I like ocean blue but not vanilla seats. Just my opinion.
7.Yes
8.Some electrical gremlins, bad clusters,MAFs etc. but your car will be under warranty . If you have a good relationship with the dealer you'll be fine. IMO
9. Can't really comment on prices.As I'm not in the market. I love mine & will keep it for a long time.
10. This is a really cool community & people will help you out help.Some here really know alot about these cars.

RedRoadster

1. the salesman is basically right; I have a FWD Roadster in NY, and can get by in the snow, even with Summer tires. In MN, though I might be going Quattro. For that reason alone, I might lean towards the 225. I don't drive mine often in winter.

2. With basic bolt-ons (or slightly more than basic - see my sig) you will be quicker than a stock 225, and can basically run with a chipped 225. But new 180 TTs are only automatic, so used may be your better option.

3,4,5. like tapsale says.

6. Look purty, but not right for TT, shows dirty quickly too.

7. glass

8. not much on new ones, I'd guess, noting bad on used ones, especially if the common stuff has been fixed. Coilpacks, instrument clusters.

9. Probably pretty good, if you bargain hard. They are dead on the used market.

since84

Thanks for your help

JTP

1 & 2. New TT 180's are FWD auto tranny only. The auto tranny really hurts the performance. My wife's TT 3.2 was recently in the shop to fix a rattle, and her loaner was a TT 180 auto roadster. It was substantially slower than her 3.2. So if you get the 225 or the 3.2, you'll have much better performance and quattro. If your girlfriend isn't into modding, then definitely look at the 3.2. It performs and sounds better than a stock 225, and the DSG has the convenience of an automatic without the performance penalty of a slushbox. My wife and I are not into modding (mainly reliability and warranty issues), otherwise we'd have a B5 S4 and a TT 225.

3. Manual seats only.

4. Only aftermarket satellite radio.

5. Completely personal preference. Roadsters are fun, but I'd never want one as a daily driver. The coupe is substantially stiffer than the roadster, and weighs less. Drive over a rough road and you'll definitely feel body flex in the roadster.

6. Light-colored interiors can look nice, and they're open and airy-feeling, but it's a PITA to keep them clean. My car and my wife's car have black interiors.

7. My wife's loaner TT roadster had an electric rollup glass windscreen behind the seats.

8. The TT has various electrical issues, new TT's have AC issues, and the windows often fail to roll up or down. It's definitely not the most reliable car, but it's nice, fun, and the design is beautiful.

9. You can get a good deal. A couple grand off at the very least, and low financing rates might still be available. We got 1.9% last month.

since84

Thanks for the help. Hope you're enjoying the S4. The are a blast.