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Our Fleet Test Drive: Audi TT TDI - Final Report
Date: 01 June 2009 | Author:
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I thought the Audi TT diesel was impressive when I first drove it ahead of the UK launch this time last year, and spending six months with the coupe has only enhanced that opinion
We covered more than 9500 miles in the half-year the car was in our company, and averaged more than 40mpg, achieving 41.4mpg over the last 3000 miles, while often travelling 500 miles between visits to the petrol station.
Editor Young even managed 51.5mpg from one tank on a particularly economical run, which was better than the official combined figure. However, he blew that by registering the only sub-30mpg figure in six months with his following fill-up.
The predicted cost per mile figure from KwikCarcost has shifted little in the past few months, moving from 49.3p in October to 48.7p now. The residual value figure has moved slightly, too, from 52.9% down to a still excellent 49.7%, but that has been pretty much negated by falling fuel prices.
The TT is more practical than expected. The boot's big enough [1] for a couple with no children, and the rear seats will hold one adult, as long as they're not too tall. However, three tall-ish blokes in a car up to Oldham for a football match was a stretch too far, so the one lumbered in the back still tells me every time I see him. Yet on another occasion, three adults, two of them smaller and female, and a baby [2] were easily swallowed.
To speed up the delivery process we took a car from stock that had already been specced with options to the tune of more than £7000. Given the choice now, though, we'd have skipped the £150 iPod connection because it's hopelessly poor at doing anything other than playing songs on a shuffle; you're better off using the now-standard auxillary socket, although that doesn't charge the machine. Also, having the iPod socket doesn't allow for a six-disc CD changer in the glovebox, which left us with just the single CD slot in the dash - which would have been fine if we didn't also have satnav [3]. Its addition meant the only way to play a CD was to eject the navigation disc, and that meant no map on the screen let alone actual guidance. However, not many users will specify the £1650 navigation system, which in itself is fine.
Despite those speccing grumbles, the TT TDI joins a very exclusive band of cars I'm genuinely upset to see leave our long-term fleet, and we'd recommend it as a cost-efficient, glamorous, potent, practical coupe capable of putting a smile on any face.
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