What’s Audi’s most successful car ever? The answer, if you’re interested, is the A4, which celebrated its 30th birthday this year with somewhere between 7.5 and 8 million (and counting) cars sold over five generations.
The number of Audi TTs sold is somewhat smaller at 660,000, but Shed would argue that that’s as significant an achievement as the A4’s. Not just because the TT’s 25-year production run was shorter, or even because it was so much more of a niche product than the A4, but because it’s received more four and five-star reviews (or the equivalent thereof) from journalists and owners over the course of its life than any other car ever. Probably.
The 3.2 quattro that we’re looking at here was a niche within a niche, accounting for fewer than 1 in 17 of the total number of TTs made. With 247hp, 236lb ft and the DSG twin-clutch gearbox in place it did the 0-60mph in 6.2 seconds, which was less time than it took the 30kg lighter manual 3.2. Statto types say the difference was only 0.1 seconds, but Shed will bet one of his old boots that in UK conditions at least the gap between them would have been wider. The DSG emitted less CO2 than the manual too, at 238g/km versus 254g/km. Either way, our TT slots into the mystery VED Band K* for high-CO2 cars built before 23 March 2006, making the annual tax bill £415 instead of the increasingly normal shed-killing rate of £710. Official fuel consumption was 28mpg.
Our 2003 example has done 121,000 miles, an average of under 6,000 a year. Apart from a small scuff on the offside rear wing it looks to be in very decent nick. The MOT history shows nothing untoward, the most recent test in August revealing one worn nearside rear brake disc and the classic mention of ‘product’ on the headlamp lenses. While we’re here, has anybody tried one of those miracle cures you see on Facebook where the guy squirts on his magic liquid and bang! the ‘product’ is gone? Asking for Shed, who thinks he can see an opportunity for some quick cash getting village cars through the MOT for their sobbing old owners.
We’re told that this car has had a recent offside rear wheel bearing and a nearside front CV joint. It also has a bonus misfire. Coil packs fail on TTs generally and it could just be that. If so, it’s a cheap and easy fix. Less cheap and easy would be a kiboshed fuel pump. That’s a wear and tear thing that’s more likely to happen if the car has been regularly run low on fuel as the pump enjoys the cooling effect of fuel sloshing over it. So they say anyway.
Anything else that might go phut? Well, timing chain tensioners have a bit of a reputation on this VR6 engine, another wear and tear thing that, like the fuel pump, isn’t cheap to put right. It’s also worth keeping an eye on coolant levels, and leading on from that, the condition of the water pump, radiator, thermostat, hoses and seals. There have been odd issues with the DSG box on the 3.2, and the battery does need to be in good nick if you want to avoid annoying electrical issues.
You might also get the odd squeal on startup, something Shed occasionally experiences with the postmistress. That could be worn starter motor bushes, but if Shed’s MX-5 is any guide it’s more likely to be nothing worse than a slack aux belt. Fixing it is a two-minute job on the Mazda but he hasn’t done it on a TT so don’t blame him if it turns out to be a day-spoiler.
The other common issue with these cars is misbehaviour in the instrument pod area. There might be complete or partial loss of the LCD display, loss of tacho and speedo functions, misreading fuel and temperature gauges, pulsing backlights, a failure to start because of immobiliser lockout, or all of the above. You can spend a fortune on a factory replacement pod that will come with a miserable six-month warranty or you can go on eBay to have your existing pod rebuilt for £145 with a lifetime guarantee thrown in.
Some of these issues can be avoided with half-decent maintenance so any potential buyer would be well advised to examine any paperwork that hopefully comes with this car. Shed has been examining paperwork himself recently, specifically his marriage certificate in the hopes of finding some sort of get-out clause. No luck so far, so he’s now checking to see if the old ‘in flagrante delicto’ thing of being caught with your pants down – bang! the missis is gone! – might still apply.
1 / 4
