I have a 2010 2.0 tdi Quattro S-Line and its a great drivers car with excellent fuel economy plus being 170bhp ins no slow coach. This is my daily driver and I have a 1990 UK MK1 for sunny dayās, the best of both worlds. The only slight down side is neither of them carry much !
We used to have a TT tin top. An S Line, ust the 180 petrol engine and manual box, was on an '18 plate and we had it from new. Echo the unreliable comments above - ours had a ācommon faultā that the garage were unable to fix which eventually got tiresome and we got rid. The coupe has frameless doors which drop a few mills when you touch the door handle. On ours (and lots of others if you check Google), when there was a hard frost the fuses would burn out leaving you stuck with open doors that you couldnāt close without replacing the fuse. Useless. And meant that my Mrs was stuck at work a few times on a night. Her new E Class Merc Coupe has a similar design but has never failed.
It was fun to drive the TT, she had the satnav upgrade which gives you flashy virtual speedo and rev counter with the maps overlaid behind them, very nice. We had a great drive down to the Italian Lakes in it the first Summer we had it. Nice gearbox too. And fast enough for us, although the Merc she has now is a lot quicker.
Poor response from the dealers and that niggly fault meant we really never trusted it over winter and I was pleased to see the back of it in the end. The wheels (although unscuffed) corroded too.
Some of the earlier TT with the 2.0 engines have some issue with piston rings, they burn a lot of oil, itās the reason I stayed clear of them. I think you need a 2013 onward model to try and reduce the chances of that being an issue.
I would get a manual version as the DSG systems have 2 common faults, each are around Ā£1000 to fix.
If you wanted a hardtop car thatās a coupe then the GT86 exists? A good drivers car apparently, never driven one. Seem expensive to me the GT86 for what youāre getting.
Personally the small power band of the N/A engine isnāt really my thing and I guess I got bored of it and did start looking at turbo cars like the TT.
The BMW 135i, Ford Fiesta ST 180 and Bmw Mini F56 Cooper were other options.
I think in regards to Mk1 and MK2 MX5 the fun factor is very good but mk3 mx5, plenty of other cars will beat that on fun factor.
My neighbor bought a Audi TT new back in 2016, itās the 226hp version, DSG box, she said it has been faultless and thatās after 50,000 miles of use.
Thanks everyone so far for chipping in
Seems a bit of a mixed bag of comments
The 2.0 tdi Quattro coupe would be my choice if I did take the plunge
This very one
Why the diesel?
I would really find out the engine code for such a car and see how reliable the lump and what potential issues might arise. I know some of the 2.0 tdi lumps have excessive oil consumption but not sure if VW put those in a TT. (VolkswagenAudiGroup)
For me the diesel doesnāt make a nice noise, itās heavier, more expensive to repair and will have DPF filters so youāll need to take it on motorway runs to make sure it doesnāt clog up. Then thereās all these clean air zones in cities so older diesels are probably one of the most depreciating vehicles around, unless itās euro 6.
Iāve owned a 2015 TT 2.0 TFSI DSG Quattro Coupe since new and itās been faultless; reliable, fast, fun to drive every day as well as on longer trips to France and Germany. Managed 51 MPG while M4 commuting, usually get around 30 MPG here on the Island. Handling is on another level compared to the MX-5, as is the build quality. I paid around the same sort of money for both cars (admittedly 6 years apart) and the Mazda feels plasticky and cheap by comparison. But it makes me smile like nothing else.
I can understand why youāre looking at the TT, the mk2 2.0 2wd cars seem to get the best reviews. My MX5 is a fantastic experience to drive but being a 17 yr old car with a ātightā cabin and no a/c some long drives in summer on the motorway are an uncomfortable slog. My wife says āwhy didnāt you take the Volvoā to which I reply ābecause when I get off the motorway on B-roads and drop the hood all of that is forgottenā
Now if only Volvo made a āVX5ā
Its not really comparing apples with apples.for meā¦
I have had 2 TTās in the past and other than the image thing which i got past i found both to be typical Audiās; reliable, expensive to service and unfortunately a bit bland. The passion we have as an MX5 owners group for me is testimony to the history and ethis of the 5. Affordable, fun and hard tonlive without when they get under your skinā¦ The Audi is a bit more sterile and clinicalā¦ great car but built by techinicians who wanted to get into a market where as the 5 was a spiritual succesor to the 50ās and 60ās Italian and British roaddstwrs but that didnt let you down at the side of the road every time it rained lolā¦ i am sure you will enjoy whatever you drive but nothing makes you feel as alive as a 5 lol
Ah!
Got it.
Mx5 Fun, Dub reliability.
0-60 coming up at a cinema near youā¦sometime.
BRG 'n all eh?
Apologies
Should Have Added
As I Was Being Tongue in Cheek
Understand You Feeling the Need for Complete Change after Ownership of So Many MX5s
[Iām Waiting on My Upgrade to the Aston Martin When I When the Lotteryā¦Drat I Donāt Play It ]
Seriouslyā¦Life is Shortā¦Whatever Makes You Happy
Kindest
i knew you were pulling my leg
Why diesel?
Ive had a diesel car since 1997 ā¦ maybe 20+
I quite like the sound of a Diesel engine
Everyone is different š«£
The timing belt is probably (hopefully) the most expensive service item / maintenance/ repair cost ,
( Iāve heard the 2 litre petrol has timing chain issues around 60 -70 k miles which is an expensive fix )
DPF/ EGR issues , the car will be given a good run out most weeks so hopefully keep those sweet š«£š«£
The TT Iām looking at is 63 plate so assume itās euro5
Still not sure which way Iāll jump
I would only buy the TT RS purely for the 5pot engine. Sports car it is not, more of a GT type car. Definitely not diesel but each to their own.
Having worked for Volksagen and Audi im afraid to say they are not what they used to be. Electrical faults spring to mind. If you go for a TT go for a low mileage original. ā¦all modern cars have become a bit soulless for me.
Romberg those Germans have been lying to us for years about there cars stick with the jap good honest cars
I enjoyed this post very much indeed. I also sympathise with it a great deal
Own both, had a NC from new 113k miles followed by TT mk3 Quattro petrol 98k miles Now acquired a NA for fun and pleasure. TT great mile eater but feels remote compared to a MX5. If you enjoy the journey itās a 5
Maybe a bit late but from experience i wouldnt touch a diesel one
Egr valves
DMF problems
Injector seals and injectors
and if you dont use it for long runs a lot of DPF issues
Thats ownership and working on vehicles for the last 35 yrs especially vag cars
And im 100% Petrol only would never buy a modern diesel from the last 10yrs maybe longer
TT itself is ok as reliable as anything these days as everything has issues
anyone who tells you any different is either deluded or trying to sell you a car .
Have fun with whatever you buy .
what sort of car do you want, and what is your budget?
TT is ok as everyday car and cruising, so maybe the diesel is ok - but itās already heavy with not great handling, and the heavy engine of a diesel will make that a lot worse. So itāll not be nimble, electrifying, but will be comfy.
If you want a faster nimble larger MX5 and have a slightly better budget, and like VAG, what about a good used R8? Ā£30k or so gets you supercar looks and speed with better reliability, a decent fun factor and comfort.
Or consider keeping the MX5 and adding in something like a Mark 5 Golf GTI - 5 seats, comfortable, cruising easy, but if lowered slightly and gently tuned, a fine handling weapon of a vehicle for modest outlay.
Hiya @bally3,
My advice is if you are in a financial position to buy one just go for it. Better to experience the car for yourself and learn what the TT is about.
Looks like you like chopping your cars around so why not just try it. If you donāt like it we can decide what you can buy next in 6 monthāsā¦
Theo