Discussion
hmmmm...
considering trying to lower my monthly outgoings on my motor, but still ensure I have something which fits the bill for my daily hack
currently drive a 350z and while its a cracking all round car, I do change my cars quite frequently and am wondering whether a tt would be a good step "down" in terms of running costs (loan payments, servicing & fuel) whilst at the same time keeping most of what the zed has, and does, in terms of on road ability and grunt.
In standard guise, power is obviously down, but a remap would see 260bhp which combined with the lower kerb weight, would put it on a par with the zed in a straight line. Handling I am sure will be a little more "wooly" than the zed but most of my driving is motorway athough I do enjoy a spirited drive or two, am sure the quattro would be highly competent if a little anodyne though? (TBH that doesnt really bother me- cant say I ever drive round with the zed's tail wagging anyway!)
Economy, I know that the 180bhp motor can do upper 30s on a run (im averaging 26 in my zed) so I imagine the 225 would be similar
Servicing, ive no idea on costs for the 225 (I know it needs cambelt doing at 60k) but my zed recently cost me £170 for the big, P3 service, which I thought was excellent.
Ive been over to the TT forum and had a read but was wondering if any pistonheaders had done a similar move or can give any info on the above points
My initial calcs show I may be able to cut circa £300p/m on my car spend by going with a TT (based on a £10-11k model).
Any comments on post-chipped performance, running costs etc would be good.
Oh and if anyone has seen a 225 coop in dolomite grey for £10-12k, please let me know- they seem to be rare as rocking horse poo!!
considering trying to lower my monthly outgoings on my motor, but still ensure I have something which fits the bill for my daily hack
currently drive a 350z and while its a cracking all round car, I do change my cars quite frequently and am wondering whether a tt would be a good step "down" in terms of running costs (loan payments, servicing & fuel) whilst at the same time keeping most of what the zed has, and does, in terms of on road ability and grunt.
In standard guise, power is obviously down, but a remap would see 260bhp which combined with the lower kerb weight, would put it on a par with the zed in a straight line. Handling I am sure will be a little more "wooly" than the zed but most of my driving is motorway athough I do enjoy a spirited drive or two, am sure the quattro would be highly competent if a little anodyne though? (TBH that doesnt really bother me- cant say I ever drive round with the zed's tail wagging anyway!)
Economy, I know that the 180bhp motor can do upper 30s on a run (im averaging 26 in my zed) so I imagine the 225 would be similar
Servicing, ive no idea on costs for the 225 (I know it needs cambelt doing at 60k) but my zed recently cost me £170 for the big, P3 service, which I thought was excellent.
Ive been over to the TT forum and had a read but was wondering if any pistonheaders had done a similar move or can give any info on the above points
My initial calcs show I may be able to cut circa £300p/m on my car spend by going with a TT (based on a £10-11k model).
Any comments on post-chipped performance, running costs etc would be good.
Oh and if anyone has seen a 225 coop in dolomite grey for £10-12k, please let me know- they seem to be rare as rocking horse poo!!
Hi;
I was also looking for a good but sporty car to use on a daily basis that I can rely on and is good quality and decided on a TT.
I opted for a roadster b/c it was a bit more fun in the summer. Straight away I was impressed with the build quailty but the solidity does make it a heavy car and it feels solid too which is a good and bad thing.
Post 2001 cars are 20mm lower and handle better, the 225 as you say is very tunable and you can get 270bhp with a remap from APR. Miltek, Magnex and Blueflame all make good catback exhausts for the 225 and not too expensive.
Running costs are good, I drive mine in a fairly spirited manner and still get an average of 29 to 31 mpg and can get as much as 39mpg on a run (it has a standard 6 speed box).
The car is essentially part time 4WD using the Haldex system, it is very good but does understeer a bit but you can hit the ESP off button to get drive to all wheels and no ESP intrusion. Cornering and handling I'd say are pretty good and mine is still at standard ride height.
The only weak points are the Dashpods are known to fail and show weird readings for temperature and fuel but the good news is that Audi will replace it FOC even if it's outside of warranty as long as you have a UK supplied car. Anti roll bar bushes also wear but that is true of many cars, you can of course get poly bush kits for these fairly cheaply or you can fit upgraded bars for not too much money. The turbo diverter valves are bosch and can fail but will not leave you stranded, they just get noisy and impair performance - Forge motorsport make a great great all alloy piston replacement valve (the original is a plastic bodied and rubber diaphram type) for very little money and they take about 10 mins to fit.
That's the bad points, can't think of any others!
They pretty much all have lovely Nappa leather seats, the seats are heated, the dash is excellent quality and very stylish, the carpet is high quality - in fact everything inside and out ooozes quality, most cars have HID lighting too. It's also worth looking for one with the Audi Concert stereo and upgraded BOSE speaker system and 6 CD changer (sounds great) and don't worry there are plenty of plug and play kits to add an iPod to the standard stereo system.
I ignored the hairdresser comments, the car has a solid purposeful look and feel to it and isn't your typical womans car - it feels like a sports car should especially if you lower the seat position and sit low in the cockpit. Sitting a bit higher is better for daily use I find but that's just personal choice. I find the handling is great and the oversteer is only noticable when you have been driving a different sports car for a while, it's something you get used to with the ESP switched on and is very easy to accomodate and is very safe because the car never breaks traction if you load on a bit more steering input. You can of course as mentioned switch the ESP off and get neutral handling which does feel great but obviously not such a good idea in the wet or when icy.
I think other drivers are a bit surprised at how quick the 225 TT can be! The turbo gives boost fairly low in the rev range and the power band is fairly broad and hence you can even accelerate well in 6th gear at 60mph or more. In fact any gear gives brisk pick up with no turbo lag. A good APR remap will see more torque and power lower in the rev range and give a good flat and consistent power band all for about £350. Some TT owners have increased performance to over 400bhp wihout any internal engine upgrades by fitting a big turbo kit, remap and sports cats and exhaust system but I personally wouldn't go too mad on power upgrades as it's quick anyway and you will start to compromise the reliability of the engine if you go too wild.
I know we see a lot around these days but they still look great and are without a doubt an iconic design and destined to be a future classic, without a doubt!
I was also looking for a good but sporty car to use on a daily basis that I can rely on and is good quality and decided on a TT.
I opted for a roadster b/c it was a bit more fun in the summer. Straight away I was impressed with the build quailty but the solidity does make it a heavy car and it feels solid too which is a good and bad thing.
Post 2001 cars are 20mm lower and handle better, the 225 as you say is very tunable and you can get 270bhp with a remap from APR. Miltek, Magnex and Blueflame all make good catback exhausts for the 225 and not too expensive.
Running costs are good, I drive mine in a fairly spirited manner and still get an average of 29 to 31 mpg and can get as much as 39mpg on a run (it has a standard 6 speed box).
The car is essentially part time 4WD using the Haldex system, it is very good but does understeer a bit but you can hit the ESP off button to get drive to all wheels and no ESP intrusion. Cornering and handling I'd say are pretty good and mine is still at standard ride height.
The only weak points are the Dashpods are known to fail and show weird readings for temperature and fuel but the good news is that Audi will replace it FOC even if it's outside of warranty as long as you have a UK supplied car. Anti roll bar bushes also wear but that is true of many cars, you can of course get poly bush kits for these fairly cheaply or you can fit upgraded bars for not too much money. The turbo diverter valves are bosch and can fail but will not leave you stranded, they just get noisy and impair performance - Forge motorsport make a great great all alloy piston replacement valve (the original is a plastic bodied and rubber diaphram type) for very little money and they take about 10 mins to fit.
That's the bad points, can't think of any others!
They pretty much all have lovely Nappa leather seats, the seats are heated, the dash is excellent quality and very stylish, the carpet is high quality - in fact everything inside and out ooozes quality, most cars have HID lighting too. It's also worth looking for one with the Audi Concert stereo and upgraded BOSE speaker system and 6 CD changer (sounds great) and don't worry there are plenty of plug and play kits to add an iPod to the standard stereo system.
I ignored the hairdresser comments, the car has a solid purposeful look and feel to it and isn't your typical womans car - it feels like a sports car should especially if you lower the seat position and sit low in the cockpit. Sitting a bit higher is better for daily use I find but that's just personal choice. I find the handling is great and the oversteer is only noticable when you have been driving a different sports car for a while, it's something you get used to with the ESP switched on and is very easy to accomodate and is very safe because the car never breaks traction if you load on a bit more steering input. You can of course as mentioned switch the ESP off and get neutral handling which does feel great but obviously not such a good idea in the wet or when icy.
I think other drivers are a bit surprised at how quick the 225 TT can be! The turbo gives boost fairly low in the rev range and the power band is fairly broad and hence you can even accelerate well in 6th gear at 60mph or more. In fact any gear gives brisk pick up with no turbo lag. A good APR remap will see more torque and power lower in the rev range and give a good flat and consistent power band all for about £350. Some TT owners have increased performance to over 400bhp wihout any internal engine upgrades by fitting a big turbo kit, remap and sports cats and exhaust system but I personally wouldn't go too mad on power upgrades as it's quick anyway and you will start to compromise the reliability of the engine if you go too wild.
I know we see a lot around these days but they still look great and are without a doubt an iconic design and destined to be a future classic, without a doubt!
Edited by Kentish on Monday 10th September 13:56
thanks for the comments Kentish.
You seem to echo the comments ive read elsewhere esp in terms of build quality. The zed does seem to get slated a little in this department but I have no qualms, although what ive seen of TTs, they are a lot better built.
There are lots about for sale (mostly silver ones!) although I would be tempted to look for a slightly modded one as a remap is, in my eyes a definite must have! (would have made my run in with a standard (I think!) TT last week a bit more interesting!)
BOSE system is also imperative as after having one in my zed, i dont think i could go back to a "normal" stereo!
still no sign of a dolomite or nimbus grey though...
You seem to echo the comments ive read elsewhere esp in terms of build quality. The zed does seem to get slated a little in this department but I have no qualms, although what ive seen of TTs, they are a lot better built.
There are lots about for sale (mostly silver ones!) although I would be tempted to look for a slightly modded one as a remap is, in my eyes a definite must have! (would have made my run in with a standard (I think!) TT last week a bit more interesting!)
BOSE system is also imperative as after having one in my zed, i dont think i could go back to a "normal" stereo!
still no sign of a dolomite or nimbus grey though...
Yes, the remap apparently quite literally transforms the car and makes it feel so much more brisk. It's one of the very next things I wish to have done!
I had a Nissan (new Primera) and an Alfa Spider before the TT and I did like the Nissan, very stylish and different for a Japanese car but was rather flimsy compared to (believe it or not) the Alfa
but it was reliable which is in contrast to the Alfa which had an electric roof with a mind of it's own 
and many things broke an that Alfa during my short ownership!
The TT is an enormous contrast to both of those cars in the way it is built, I cannot emphasize how well it is made and how nice it feels when you close the door with a reassuring thud and the boot lid thumps closed instead of the "twang" you got when you closed the Nissan and Alfa doors and boot lids. Inside is just as great, everything is so chunky and feels so solid but their is a price for this and that is weight, the TT is a heavy car but I prefer that as the weight transfers to solidity on the road. The 225 if I recall correctly has a 0-60 time of 6.3 secs and 155mph (limited) top speed so it's no slouch despite the weight.
I had a Nissan (new Primera) and an Alfa Spider before the TT and I did like the Nissan, very stylish and different for a Japanese car but was rather flimsy compared to (believe it or not) the Alfa
but it was reliable which is in contrast to the Alfa which had an electric roof with a mind of it's own and many things broke an that Alfa during my short ownership!The TT is an enormous contrast to both of those cars in the way it is built, I cannot emphasize how well it is made and how nice it feels when you close the door with a reassuring thud and the boot lid thumps closed instead of the "twang" you got when you closed the Nissan and Alfa doors and boot lids. Inside is just as great, everything is so chunky and feels so solid but their is a price for this and that is weight, the TT is a heavy car but I prefer that as the weight transfers to solidity on the road. The 225 if I recall correctly has a 0-60 time of 6.3 secs and 155mph (limited) top speed so it's no slouch despite the weight.
I had one for three years, a 180 and yes the extra power would have helped out if you weren't in the right gear!
One bonus with the Coupe is that you can get quite a bit of junk in the back with the season down and with the hatch rear it was pretty easy to load.
I think you're right with the color. Mine was Avis Silver but the darker greys looked good. I think the 225 had Xenons standard as well, at least by 2004.
One bonus with the Coupe is that you can get quite a bit of junk in the back with the season down and with the hatch rear it was pretty easy to load.
I think you're right with the color. Mine was Avis Silver but the darker greys looked good. I think the 225 had Xenons standard as well, at least by 2004.
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