Error parsing XSLT file: \xslt\FacebookOpenGraph.xslt Our Fleet Test Drive: Audi TT - final report
Cookies on Businesscar

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Car website. However, if you would like to, you can change your cookies at any time

BusinessCar magazine website email Awards mobile

The start point for the best source of fleet information

Our Fleet Test Drive: Audi TT - final report

Date: 01 December 2015   |   Author: Tristan Young

Equipment: Powered and heated door mirrors, 19in alloys, manual aircon, 4 airbags, Bluetooth, digital radio,trip computer
Options: Audi Connect (£1795), fine leather sport seats (£1390), matrix LED headlights (£945), active lane assist (£650), metallic paint (£550), rear parking sensors (£430), heated front seats (£325), uprated phone system (£325), cruise control (£295), uprated sound system (£270), auto-dimming rear-view mirror with light and rain sensor package (£110)

After six months of running the Audi TT 2.0-litre TDI Ultra on the BusinessCar fleet I've been left with a different impression to the one I had when it arrived

The reason we picked the TT was to find out if a sporty car - in this case, the two-door coupe version - made sense as a business car. When it arrived and was sat on my driveway for the first time, the stunning looks made me lose sight of the business element and instead made me think of the TT more as a sports car.

However, this rapidly changed for two reasons. Firstly, the driving experience is not that of a sports car. Yes, you sit low and the instruments in the car are focused toward the driver (at the expense of the passenger) but while the TT is quick-ish thanks to its 184hp 2.0-litre diesel, the drive isn't particularly fun or rewarding. At the same money a BMW 4-series is a much more fun experience.

However, the second reason for the change of opinion was for all the right reasons. The TT turned out to be very efficient in terms of fuel economy, seriously refined on long journeys - despite very firm suspension - and on top of that it was surprisingly practical.

Over the 7000 or so miles we covered in our six months with the car we averaged 50.1mpg. With an official figure of 62.8mpg, I'm very pleased with our average, especially as it was going up as the car's total odometer figure increased. And we regularly saw really impressive figures on longer journeys.

The TT also excelled for practicality. While I could never get my dogs in the boot, as you could with a proper hatchback or estate car, it was plenty large enough for a week's shopping for a hungry family of four, while the rear seats - which happily accommodated my kids - could also be folded to carry larger loads (meaning no space for children).

The other strength of the TT are the very good residual values, which at 41.3% is impressive and helped keep down whole-life costs. However, the lack of equipment for the S-line model was a surprise to many who sat in the vehicle. At a P11D of £32,605 for the standard car, you would expect climate control and cruise control. We only optioned the latter (£295), but should have gone for both.

The other option that we had a love-hate relationship with was the Technology pack (£1795). It adds satnav plus a host of connected services, although it doesn't include the necessary sim card to power it (we bought a pay-as-you-go sim and topped up £10 a month).

The system was also incredibly complex and difficult to use, although once you had fathomed your way around the controls it did prove useful. What was surprisingly good from the options were the LED matrix headlights (£945), which were easily the best automatic headlights I've ever used because they were very bright but automatically dimmed just sections of the road where there was oncoming traffic. Plus, they never got confused.

And 'confused' is how I feel about the TT after six months on the BusinessCar fleet. While it looks like a sporty car, it's actually a very sensible and cost-effective company vehicle, plus, given it's a coupe, it's also surprisingly practical.

Audi TT Coupe 2.0 TDI Ultra

Mileage 7224
Official consumption 62.8mpg
Our average consumption 50.1mpg
Forecast/actual CPM 65.7/66.2p
P11D price £32,605
Model price range £29,095-£41,630
Residual value 41.3%
Depreciation cost £19,130
Fuel £4775
Service, maintenance and repair £3355
Vehicle Excise Duty £60
National Insurance £2835
CO2 (BIK band) 114g/km (20%)
BIK 20/40% per month £109/£217

Verdict


  • Fuel economy
  • Styling
  • Practicality
  • Complicated tech
  • Lack of standard kit
  • Ride quality

Share


Subscribe