2017 TTS or S3?
02-16-2017, 04:41 AM
#11
I didn't mean "cheap" per se, just a bit less luxurious in feel than A4/A5. Thinner materials and more plastic. But again, sportscar vs. coupe and intent of weight savings.
Actually the seats in my TTS, despite appearing thinner, are more comfortable to me compared to the A5 sport seats.
And I really like the stoic yet fully functional TT cockpit. Less is truly more.
Actually the seats in my TTS, despite appearing thinner, are more comfortable to me compared to the A5 sport seats.
And I really like the stoic yet fully functional TT cockpit. Less is truly more.
the TTS seats were one of the main reasons why I chose it. if It didn't have the red quilted bucket seats, I don't think I woulda went for it.
02-16-2017, 07:39 AM
#12
AudiWorld Senior Member
It's interesting how one perceives interior material quality. I'll be honest, the quality of the interior is one of the most influential items in choosing a car, and I found the TT exceeded my expectations and was in a class much higher. On the showroom there was an A8 beside the TT, and moving between the two the TT is virtually on par with the A8 to me. Of course I have the Design Select package, and this makes a difference. I'm not sure I can't think of another car that has the material of the dashboard carried over to comprise the majority of the door panels as well. And the dashboard isn't just the top pad, but the entire lower portion as well. Every storage compartment is lined or has a rubber insert. The center console is wrapped in contrasting stitched leather, and the trim is a lacquered with metallic flake. That same lacquer finish caries over the the seat switches, the side seat frames, and even inside every air vent! The door panel armrest is stitched leather, along with an actually leather insert in the door. The door pull is again bonded leather, as is the instrument cluster hood. Of course the diamond Nappa leather seats are just first class. I could go on...
There is just hardly a surface of the TT that is "normal" hard plastic, but that can not be said for the S3. That's may be acceptable for this cars given it's price or purpose, but it's certainly unlike other Audi products. Don't get me wrong, the S3 has some real high quality moments in execution (like the air vents or climate control panel), but the door panels have a mixture of materials (some pretty low rent), there are more cut lines/seams in places, the dash pad is two piece with a hard plastic section towards the front, and the standard leather feels and looks vinyl. In my opinion my previous Volvo S60 (a brand often overlooked for it's material craftsmanship) had higher quality materials throughout compared to an S3. I'm not anything the S3 is bad necessarily, but it's better than numerous cars. I just found it to be not the quality I've come to expect in a $50,000+ car from Audi, and the TT was a marked step above.
Of course, launch an S3 and put your foot down, and hard door armrest plastic quickly becomes forgotten and forgiven.....I totally get it. The S3 is a pretty nice ride and a tone of fun to own. But once I slid into a TT it felt a million times more artisan, and it got my signature on custom order sheet without another consideration of the S3.
There is just hardly a surface of the TT that is "normal" hard plastic, but that can not be said for the S3. That's may be acceptable for this cars given it's price or purpose, but it's certainly unlike other Audi products. Don't get me wrong, the S3 has some real high quality moments in execution (like the air vents or climate control panel), but the door panels have a mixture of materials (some pretty low rent), there are more cut lines/seams in places, the dash pad is two piece with a hard plastic section towards the front, and the standard leather feels and looks vinyl. In my opinion my previous Volvo S60 (a brand often overlooked for it's material craftsmanship) had higher quality materials throughout compared to an S3. I'm not anything the S3 is bad necessarily, but it's better than numerous cars. I just found it to be not the quality I've come to expect in a $50,000+ car from Audi, and the TT was a marked step above.
Of course, launch an S3 and put your foot down, and hard door armrest plastic quickly becomes forgotten and forgiven.....I totally get it. The S3 is a pretty nice ride and a tone of fun to own. But once I slid into a TT it felt a million times more artisan, and it got my signature on custom order sheet without another consideration of the S3.
02-16-2017, 07:41 AM
#13
It's interesting how one perceives interior material quality. I'll be honest, the quality of the interior is one of the most influential items in choosing a car, and I found the TT exceeded my expectations and was in a class much higher. On the showroom there was an A8 beside the TT, and moving between the two the TT is virtually on par with the A8 to me. Of course I have the Design Select package, and this makes a difference. I'm not sure I can't think of another car that has the material of the dashboard carried over to comprise the majority of the door panels as well. And the dashboard isn't just the top pad, but the entire lower portion as well. Every storage compartment is lined or has a rubber insert. The center console is wrapped in contrasting stitched leather, and the trim is a lacquered with metallic flake. That same lacquer finish caries over the the seat switches, the side seat frames, and even inside every air vent! The door panel armrest is stitched leather, along with an actually leather insert in the door. The door pull is again bonded leather, as is the instrument cluster hood. Of course the diamond Nappa leather seats are just first class. I could go on...
There is just hardly a surface of the TT that is "normal" hard plastic, but that can not be said for the S3. That's may be acceptable for this cars given it's price or purpose, but it's certainly unlike other Audi products. Don't get me wrong, the S3 has some real high quality moments in execution (like the air vents or climate control panel), but the door panels have a mixture of materials (some pretty low rent), there are more cut lines/seams in places, the dash pad is two piece with a hard plastic section towards the front, and the standard leather feels and looks vinyl. In my opinion my previous Volvo S60 (a brand often overlooked for it's material craftsmanship) had higher quality materials throughout compared to an S3. I'm not anything the S3 is bad necessarily, but it's better than numerous cars. I just found it to be not the quality I've come to expect in a $50,000+ car from Audi, and the TT was a marked step above.
Of course, launch an S3 and put your foot down, and hard door armrest plastic quickly becomes forgotten and forgiven.....I totally get it. The S3 is a pretty nice ride and a tone of fun to own. But once I slid into a TT it felt a million times more artisan, and it got my signature on custom order sheet without another consideration of the S3.
There is just hardly a surface of the TT that is "normal" hard plastic, but that can not be said for the S3. That's may be acceptable for this cars given it's price or purpose, but it's certainly unlike other Audi products. Don't get me wrong, the S3 has some real high quality moments in execution (like the air vents or climate control panel), but the door panels have a mixture of materials (some pretty low rent), there are more cut lines/seams in places, the dash pad is two piece with a hard plastic section towards the front, and the standard leather feels and looks vinyl. In my opinion my previous Volvo S60 (a brand often overlooked for it's material craftsmanship) had higher quality materials throughout compared to an S3. I'm not anything the S3 is bad necessarily, but it's better than numerous cars. I just found it to be not the quality I've come to expect in a $50,000+ car from Audi, and the TT was a marked step above.
Of course, launch an S3 and put your foot down, and hard door armrest plastic quickly becomes forgotten and forgiven.....I totally get it. The S3 is a pretty nice ride and a tone of fun to own. But once I slid into a TT it felt a million times more artisan, and it got my signature on custom order sheet without another consideration of the S3.
interesting, iv actually not sat in the s3, only seen in pics and in person. I assumed it was the same cause at glance they do look very very similar. I have no complaints about my interior at all! I love it. and I came from an r8 with a full leather package!!!
02-16-2017, 07:50 AM
#14
AudiWorld Senior Member
I really wanted an S3 from the beginning, but I was totally let down buy the plastic interior. To be honest, there are some A8-quality items in it, and then there are a bunch of Jetta-grade plastics used here and there. The TT just was more A8/R8 than Jetta. I'm sure I'm an "interior snob", and no...hard door panel plastics don't make the car less fun to drive slow your 0-60 times (kinda the point of an S3). To me, it doesn't live up to the Audi level of interior quality I have come to expect. That said, neither do the entry level cars from BMW, MB and some other brands. In that regards the S3 probably has notably BETTER interior quality than most of the other luxury manufacture's small cars, and that's commendable.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to rain on the parade of S3 owners or berate the car. It's a sweet ride!!! Just when I saw this discussion comparing it to a TT (and since I spend a lot of time driving both a TT and a S3) and I wanted to comment on some of the differences. If you swapped out a few trim pieces here and there in the TT and added a leather dash pad the TT's interior would be on par with many $100,000 interiors in my opinion.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to rain on the parade of S3 owners or berate the car. It's a sweet ride!!! Just when I saw this discussion comparing it to a TT (and since I spend a lot of time driving both a TT and a S3) and I wanted to comment on some of the differences. If you swapped out a few trim pieces here and there in the TT and added a leather dash pad the TT's interior would be on par with many $100,000 interiors in my opinion.
02-16-2017, 10:52 AM
#15
Audi spoils you. Came off of a supposedly "loaded" 2013 f30 BMW 335i and that thing nearly had a Toyota/Honda level interior. At one point there was a really annoying squeak that developed around the shifter and when you pressed the plastic around the base, even that felt cheap and thin. Not even higher quality plastics.
02-17-2017, 03:32 AM
#16
AudiWorld Super User
The TT dash was initially a bit underwhelming but has grown on me as more 'space age.' Perhaps if I had the leather wrapped instrument cluster .... 
02-17-2017, 12:06 PM
#17
AudiWorld Senior Member
I have the leather instrument cluster hood on my car.....i meant the ENTIRE dash pad, lol. But yeah....looks great. The design select package is the only way to go in my opinion.
I own one of 16 Tango Red/Murillio Brown cars in America. Pretty rare
I own one of 16 Tango Red/Murillio Brown cars in America. Pretty rare
02-17-2017, 03:37 PM
#19
AudiWorld Senior Member
Only 105 total cars in America were ordered with Murillo Brown Audi Design Select interior. I had to special order mine, and it is 1 of 16 Tango Red/Murillo Brown cars for 2016. Audi Design Select Interiors include the following interior changes:
•Murillo Brown leather surfaces, with contrasting grey stitching
•Stone Grey leather (creating a tri-colored grey/brown/black interior theme) with contrasting brown stiching applied to the door armrests, bonded leather door pulls, center arm rest, center console sides and instrument panel hood
•Stitched leather airbag covering and leather telescoping steering wheel trim
•Anthracite-colored and textured aluminum interior trim pieces
•Lacquered metallic slate grey trim on seat trim panels, center console and inside each air vent ring
•Murillo Brown and Black woven floor mats in two-tone design
To me it's these little things that just take automotive design to the next level, and attention to detail that makes a car individualized. It's a great conversational pieces as well, being only a handful of cars are in this trim. I wanted a TTS, but not being able to order this interior made me choose....horsepower power or design. In the end design won out...and APR took care of the power side. Now I have the best of both worlds in my opinion.
I hope you enjoyed the photos and would love your feedback.
•Murillo Brown leather surfaces, with contrasting grey stitching
•Stone Grey leather (creating a tri-colored grey/brown/black interior theme) with contrasting brown stiching applied to the door armrests, bonded leather door pulls, center arm rest, center console sides and instrument panel hood
•Stitched leather airbag covering and leather telescoping steering wheel trim
•Anthracite-colored and textured aluminum interior trim pieces
•Lacquered metallic slate grey trim on seat trim panels, center console and inside each air vent ring
•Murillo Brown and Black woven floor mats in two-tone design
To me it's these little things that just take automotive design to the next level, and attention to detail that makes a car individualized. It's a great conversational pieces as well, being only a handful of cars are in this trim. I wanted a TTS, but not being able to order this interior made me choose....horsepower power or design. In the end design won out...and APR took care of the power side. Now I have the best of both worlds in my opinion.
I hope you enjoyed the photos and would love your feedback.
02-17-2017, 05:59 PM
#20
Thanks. Great photos and combo looks great. Yeah, I probably would have ordered a different interior seating color if I had a choice, but the express red has really grown on me. It really works with the Daytona Grey exterior color.
Bottom line, you can't go wrong if you get any mkiii TT. Driving it never gets old and I love every minute of it.
Bottom line, you can't go wrong if you get any mkiii TT. Driving it never gets old and I love every minute of it.
