Audi TT Coupe 1.8 TFSI S tronic Review: Acing the base

What we like:

Brilliant driving character

handles very well for a front-wheel drive

S-tronic transmission works very well with the smaller engine

timeless exterior design.

What we dislike:

Barren cabin with no fancy MMI might turn off buyers

hard to get into a comfortable driving position if you're slightly on the bigger side

rear seat best reserved for shopping bags.

The TT has quite a fabulous chassis. It turns in with determination and accuracy, and refuses to roll. It has almost exactly the right amount of grip and is constantly prodding you to go on.

On a twisting road, you’ll be in for a quick and exciting drive. The steering is properly weighted, and although not as precise as a Lotus Evora’s, it’s still sharp over here – you can easily know what the front two tyres are up to. Turn in too aggressively and the TT understeers mildly; turn in with too much speed and you see the ESP kicking in. But get it right and the TT will ‘float’ controllably right through the corner. At the end of the day, it will become apparent just how easily and accurately you could place the car on the road.

So you’re rather tempted by this base TT, because you’ve been aspiring to buy one for so long. Then again looking at the marketplace right now, that same amount of money could also buy you quite a list of cars – Mini Cooper S Coupe, Peugeot RCZ and even a Volkswagen Scirocco R.

But what makes the Audi TT standout from the rest is simply the fact that it has, successfully, stood the test of time and is bound to be a future classic. Plus, it holds a better resale value.

The driving experience is quite a lovely one too…

Credits: Story by Azfar Hashim, photos by Azfar Hashim and Joel Tam