Audi TTS - will the gamble pay off?
Discussion
Preamble to a (small) gamble
About a year ago, I consolidated an RS3 and a Skoda Fabia, and in the end I settled on a Golf GTD as the combined replacement. I gave up my local lockup garage, and enjoyed a little more time. All the while we've still had our van, a T5 Transporter.
But I've come to revisit the decision. We do actually need two cars for work and family life - albeit, this car wouldn't be 100% necessary - and ideally the Bus would be retired to a nice big garage. But living in a Victorian terrace in a city centre makes a big garage an impossible ask, so over Christmas I managed to find another lockup... for a car.
A choice...
Being a standard UK garage does, however, limit the choices of what could fit in it. I've been through many hot hatches over the years and decided to start the hunt with VAG options for familiarity of controls, maintenance and a range of options. I wanted AWD, 250+hp, token room for 4 people and ideally something with more of a sense of occasion than the Golf GTD.
Having been looking at 3-door Golf Rs and R/S3s beforehand, I settled on a TTS Mk3. It seemed to make sense as a compact high performance option that's competitively-priced on the used market and better-equipped than the Golfs and R/S3s. The reviews are good, too, and performance is slightly stronger owing to lower weight. I didn't have a budget in mind, but wanted a good value car that wouldn't depreciate too much because I'm expecting to do 3,000 miles a year or so visiting parents and the odd work trip on sunny days.
...and a throw of the dice
I looked around the 2016-19 mark initially, before finally settling on this 2015 model. This car was priced towards the bottom end for what was listed as a vanilla spec car, and had been reduced six times since it was listed in October 2023.
A quick check of Audi's ErWin online history showed the first possible reason... it was missing some services online. It was also listed without some popular options that I suspected it did, in fact, have.
Being a 2-owner car with a history at Audi, I decided to take a punt. It's also in exactly the colourscheme I wanted, with clear glass and the lighter interior option. I decided to have it delivered sight unseen, which felt like a gamble to a degree but does offer the option of a quick rejection within 14 days if it's not to taste.
So, what's it got?
Options confirmed now that I have the car:
- Sepang Blue Pearl paint
- Technology pack (upgraded navigation and connectivity)
- Comfort & Sound pack (Bang & Olusen audio, climate with digital display in the rotary heater controls etc)
- Matrix LED lighting (very rare)
- Parking system plus pack with self-parking
The car also has adaptive dampers, digital display, leather interior and a bunch of other comforts as standard - which were a draw over hot hatch options.
History
The service history also turned out to be worth the gamble, with paper receipts covering services not listed online.
- PDI - Audi dealer (2015)
- 18,745 - Inspection & oil change - Audi dealer (2017)
- 33,164 - Inspection, oil change and rear brakes - VAG specialist (2018)
- 42,172 - Inspection, oil change, brake fluid, spark plugs - Audi dealer (2020)
- 47,981 - Oil change, DSG oil - Audi dealer (2022)
- 51,238 - Oil change - VAG specialist (2023)
I'd like to have seen more oil changes in the early years of its life, but that's VAG Longlife servicing for you. The car had two owners before me, the first for 3 years and the second for over 5.
First stop will be my local VAG specialist for an oil change, brake fluid and Haldex oil renewal.
Condition
Also something of a gamble on an unseen car and, again, it seems pretty good news. It wears 4 recent, matching Continental tyres and everything looks genuine, accident-free and without wear. But there are some points I will be sorting:
- Stone chips to front end, with evidence of one (older) repair to front bumper - I will probably paint the front end
- Wheels have had some spot paint repair recently; they're fine from a few feet away but I will want to get the diamond edges properly re-cut
- Sports seats have loose side trim - a common TT issue
- Stone chip to the windscreen
- Piece of centre console trim has broken off
- Remove magnetic phone holder
- A detail will sort a pleasingly low number of scratches, dirty engine bay and exhaust tips
As I'd assumed, it's unlikely to have been an enthusiast's car and has been subject to reconditioning by a non-specialist market car dealer. It'd be fine for most people already and has probably had mature owners.
Driving & overall first impressions
The colour hits you first and is very attractive in the flesh - not something I could photograph properly today. The car drives really well and is significantly faster than my mapped GTD and likely my old S3, with no turbo lag to speak of. These supposedly do 0-60 in a bit over 4s and 0-100 in 10.something out of the box... and I can believe it. I probably won't be looking to upgrade the speed anytime soon, but I've definitely missed AWD. It feels a bit wider than its dimensions, though side / rear views are good due to the shape. The burbles and noises aren't quite as good as my old RS3, but aren't far off.
So, I'll begin to work my way through some of the items about and in the meantime just enjoy the car. I'll keep the thread updated.
About a year ago, I consolidated an RS3 and a Skoda Fabia, and in the end I settled on a Golf GTD as the combined replacement. I gave up my local lockup garage, and enjoyed a little more time. All the while we've still had our van, a T5 Transporter.
But I've come to revisit the decision. We do actually need two cars for work and family life - albeit, this car wouldn't be 100% necessary - and ideally the Bus would be retired to a nice big garage. But living in a Victorian terrace in a city centre makes a big garage an impossible ask, so over Christmas I managed to find another lockup... for a car.
A choice...
Being a standard UK garage does, however, limit the choices of what could fit in it. I've been through many hot hatches over the years and decided to start the hunt with VAG options for familiarity of controls, maintenance and a range of options. I wanted AWD, 250+hp, token room for 4 people and ideally something with more of a sense of occasion than the Golf GTD.
Having been looking at 3-door Golf Rs and R/S3s beforehand, I settled on a TTS Mk3. It seemed to make sense as a compact high performance option that's competitively-priced on the used market and better-equipped than the Golfs and R/S3s. The reviews are good, too, and performance is slightly stronger owing to lower weight. I didn't have a budget in mind, but wanted a good value car that wouldn't depreciate too much because I'm expecting to do 3,000 miles a year or so visiting parents and the odd work trip on sunny days.
...and a throw of the dice
I looked around the 2016-19 mark initially, before finally settling on this 2015 model. This car was priced towards the bottom end for what was listed as a vanilla spec car, and had been reduced six times since it was listed in October 2023.
A quick check of Audi's ErWin online history showed the first possible reason... it was missing some services online. It was also listed without some popular options that I suspected it did, in fact, have.
Being a 2-owner car with a history at Audi, I decided to take a punt. It's also in exactly the colourscheme I wanted, with clear glass and the lighter interior option. I decided to have it delivered sight unseen, which felt like a gamble to a degree but does offer the option of a quick rejection within 14 days if it's not to taste.
So, what's it got?
Options confirmed now that I have the car:
- Sepang Blue Pearl paint
- Technology pack (upgraded navigation and connectivity)
- Comfort & Sound pack (Bang & Olusen audio, climate with digital display in the rotary heater controls etc)
- Matrix LED lighting (very rare)
- Parking system plus pack with self-parking
The car also has adaptive dampers, digital display, leather interior and a bunch of other comforts as standard - which were a draw over hot hatch options.
History
The service history also turned out to be worth the gamble, with paper receipts covering services not listed online.
- PDI - Audi dealer (2015)
- 18,745 - Inspection & oil change - Audi dealer (2017)
- 33,164 - Inspection, oil change and rear brakes - VAG specialist (2018)
- 42,172 - Inspection, oil change, brake fluid, spark plugs - Audi dealer (2020)
- 47,981 - Oil change, DSG oil - Audi dealer (2022)
- 51,238 - Oil change - VAG specialist (2023)
I'd like to have seen more oil changes in the early years of its life, but that's VAG Longlife servicing for you. The car had two owners before me, the first for 3 years and the second for over 5.
First stop will be my local VAG specialist for an oil change, brake fluid and Haldex oil renewal.
Condition
Also something of a gamble on an unseen car and, again, it seems pretty good news. It wears 4 recent, matching Continental tyres and everything looks genuine, accident-free and without wear. But there are some points I will be sorting:
- Stone chips to front end, with evidence of one (older) repair to front bumper - I will probably paint the front end
- Wheels have had some spot paint repair recently; they're fine from a few feet away but I will want to get the diamond edges properly re-cut
- Sports seats have loose side trim - a common TT issue
- Stone chip to the windscreen
- Piece of centre console trim has broken off
- Remove magnetic phone holder
- A detail will sort a pleasingly low number of scratches, dirty engine bay and exhaust tips
As I'd assumed, it's unlikely to have been an enthusiast's car and has been subject to reconditioning by a non-specialist market car dealer. It'd be fine for most people already and has probably had mature owners.
Driving & overall first impressions
The colour hits you first and is very attractive in the flesh - not something I could photograph properly today. The car drives really well and is significantly faster than my mapped GTD and likely my old S3, with no turbo lag to speak of. These supposedly do 0-60 in a bit over 4s and 0-100 in 10.something out of the box... and I can believe it. I probably won't be looking to upgrade the speed anytime soon, but I've definitely missed AWD. It feels a bit wider than its dimensions, though side / rear views are good due to the shape. The burbles and noises aren't quite as good as my old RS3, but aren't far off.
So, I'll begin to work my way through some of the items about and in the meantime just enjoy the car. I'll keep the thread updated.
Edited by The Cardinal on Wednesday 10th January 12:50
I had one of these - a 2016 Roadster - for a while and really liked it. They're not the last word in driver involvement but for everyday use they're highly underrated. 300+ bhp, Quattro drive, an excellent DSG 'box and a stylish well-built cabin is a good package. Your example looks like a good purchase. Keep an eye on the coolant level - the water pump/thermostat is a weak point on these and a replacement is £1000 at a specialist. Loose trim around the - very nice - seats is also very common but a fairly cheap fix and your plan to get the Haldex unit serviced is very wise. Ignore those who'll make oh so original comments such as "VW Golf in a frock" and "hairdresser's car"; they are fools. Enjoy!
Luke. said:
Are these more fun to drive than a Golf R? Only reason I ask is I found our Golf dull as ditch water, but quite drawn to a TTS. But not if it's like the R...
They're something like 200kg lighter with a lower centre of gravity and better aero, so you'd imagine they'd easily be at least as good as the golf. I only test drove the Mk2 TTS but that was quite good fun for something so plush and comfortable. That little shiny trim on the cubby hole lid is notorious for breaking off, and required buying a whole new lid. I've glued plenty back on over the years.
Sticks. said:
Has it had a Haldex oil change? Should be @40k I think. As it's had what might be a mixed history, it'd be worth checking the tyre tread depths front to back. There's a max difference, 5mm iirc.
3 years (although did used to be 40), and without history worth removing the pump to thoroughly clean the gauze too. No issue with differing tread depths front/rear.That is a lovely looking thing. The colour really brings it out and I've grown to rather the like the TT in the last few years.
Looks like the gamble paid of with the history and the condition as overall it is rather tidy. Won't take much at all to have it as mint as you're planning.
Looks like the gamble paid of with the history and the condition as overall it is rather tidy. Won't take much at all to have it as mint as you're planning.
Nice car.
I have been looking at these for a while and noticed that the prices have dropped in the non franchised Audi world. Back in November they were around £20k for a 2015/2016 car and now they seem to be around £17k which seems like a bargain. What sort of price was this one as it does look the sort of thing I would be after?
I have been looking at these for a while and noticed that the prices have dropped in the non franchised Audi world. Back in November they were around £20k for a 2015/2016 car and now they seem to be around £17k which seems like a bargain. What sort of price was this one as it does look the sort of thing I would be after?
Thanks for everyone's comments and suggestions.
I've managed to spend a little time on the bodywork, and despite looking exactly the same in this photo I promise it's been cleaned to within an inch of its life! The interior has scrubbed up nicely and I managed to remove the phone holder. It definitely has the classic TT sport seat fragility, but I will come to this later.
I'm on the fence now about whether to repaint the front end, and other than the engine bay and exhaust pipes I think the good condition of the paint means I wouldn't necessarily both with a detail. But even after an age with 000 wire wool and Autosol there's still some way to go on those pipes!
The wheels look fine at a casual glance, but I'll probably start the cosmetic renewal by having them properly refurbished as two of them look like this up close:
I'm using it in the next week unexpectedly, so I'll report back with some driving impressions.
I've managed to spend a little time on the bodywork, and despite looking exactly the same in this photo I promise it's been cleaned to within an inch of its life! The interior has scrubbed up nicely and I managed to remove the phone holder. It definitely has the classic TT sport seat fragility, but I will come to this later.
I'm on the fence now about whether to repaint the front end, and other than the engine bay and exhaust pipes I think the good condition of the paint means I wouldn't necessarily both with a detail. But even after an age with 000 wire wool and Autosol there's still some way to go on those pipes!
The wheels look fine at a casual glance, but I'll probably start the cosmetic renewal by having them properly refurbished as two of them look like this up close:
I'm using it in the next week unexpectedly, so I'll report back with some driving impressions.
I did a 100-mile run over to my parents' place this weekend, with the kids choosing this car over our van on account of it "looking cool". This meant squeezing two of them into the back for a short lift en route, which had a certain comedy value as they're basically mini adult-sized now. 
The first impression of this being a quick car stands - it feels only a fraction slower than my mapped RS3 despite being totally standard. Less brutal at full throttle than the RS3, but more responsive than my old mapped 2018 S3 (7sp DSG). I know the 6sp DSG generally gets the thumbs down compared to the later 7sp unit, but I think the top ratio puts it right in the power band at 2,500rpm at my preferred cruise of 65mph. This further adds to the punchy delivery, but it's a lot more noisy than I'd expected at these speeds and therefore loses out by some margin to my Golf GTD as a motorway muncher. 35mpg overall seems acceptable, but again won't make me want to take it on longer business drives while I have a quiet diesel at my disposal.
Done
- Booked car in for inspection, brake fluid and Haldex service
- Ordered some OEM replacement exhaust tips due to the irretrievable condition of the originals
Next
- Refurb wheels
Think about...
- Paint front end or not
- Detailing
- Brake discs and pads all round, or just paint disc centres for now
The first impression of this being a quick car stands - it feels only a fraction slower than my mapped RS3 despite being totally standard. Less brutal at full throttle than the RS3, but more responsive than my old mapped 2018 S3 (7sp DSG). I know the 6sp DSG generally gets the thumbs down compared to the later 7sp unit, but I think the top ratio puts it right in the power band at 2,500rpm at my preferred cruise of 65mph. This further adds to the punchy delivery, but it's a lot more noisy than I'd expected at these speeds and therefore loses out by some margin to my Golf GTD as a motorway muncher. 35mpg overall seems acceptable, but again won't make me want to take it on longer business drives while I have a quiet diesel at my disposal.
Done
- Booked car in for inspection, brake fluid and Haldex service
- Ordered some OEM replacement exhaust tips due to the irretrievable condition of the originals
Next
- Refurb wheels
Think about...
- Paint front end or not
- Detailing
- Brake discs and pads all round, or just paint disc centres for now
Does the TTS feel more sporty than the RS3? Perhaps for a moment when you sink into the seat, but all illusions are cast aside once you wake up the 5-cylinder lump in the RS3... certainly from what I recall of my old pre-facelift model with the Sports Exhaust option. The TT feels a fraction more responsive and less laggy, though as noted before definitely less brutal.
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