# MK2 TT Driven - 3.2 S-Tronic with Magnetic Ride



## Jae (May 6, 2002)

Ive driven it, and I like it! Review on page 2.

Jae

Am going to the launch tomorrow in Munich, and will get a short test drive to boot (according to my invite), hopefully of both cars.

Ill do a short write up later on Saturday, with some pics.

I'm awaiting a test car from Ingolstadt, so will be doing a full review then.

Cheers

Jae


----------



## Dr.Phibes (Mar 10, 2006)

Have fun


----------



## bw64402 (Jul 30, 2006)

don't forget to sneak us some pictures!! Enjoy


----------



## Dotti (Mar 9, 2003)

Have a nice time


----------



## LazyT (Apr 13, 2006)

Remember to keep it between the ditches.


----------



## Jae (May 6, 2002)

LOL.

Test car is a light green 3.2, car in showroom is a silver 2.0T. Just popped my head in a few minutes ago. The test already has 450km on it, buggers!

Latest tomorrow.

Jae


----------



## DXN (May 18, 2002)

waiting with baited breath................


----------



## Karcsi (Mar 6, 2003)

Jae said:


> Test car is a light green 3.2.
> 
> Jae


Ah, the infamous Condor Grey. :lol:


----------



## M4L__TT (Mar 25, 2004)

Is it a defined route or can you take it for a quick spin over the border to austria?

have fun hope the weather is good ,look forward to your initial views.

regards malc


----------



## Jae (May 6, 2002)

Well, Im impressed!!! Very!

Took the 3.2 Condor out, which was one of the Journo cars that were used earlier last month.

Ive not much time at the moment to go into detail, but let me tell you, its still a TT, but with balls the size of melons!= and a chassis that strikes me as being in a very different league to what we've been used to.

I took this car out onto the Autobahn for 35 minutes, without the dealer, on my own route. The car is rock solid all the way up to the 232kph I managed, although the road noise was a little high (probably the seals were dry on the windows - the car has done 5000+ km). Handling is very planted, and there is none of the lift in the tail that was experienced in the MK1.

Ive got a small bit of video that I will put up later, only of driving down the Autobahn.

BTW, the S Line is detailed in the German Brochure, but no price is offered currently.

For all of you getting the car soon, you will be very pleased indeed!

Will post more soon.

Jae


----------



## LazyT (Apr 13, 2006)

Thanks for the update!

Jae- for comparison purposes, it's too bad you weren't able to drive the 2.0T. I'm glad to hear, however, that you were impressed with the 3.2 V6. Did you feel that this engine had plenty of hp and torque for one to be more than satisfied?


----------



## Karcsi (Mar 6, 2003)

Cheers Jae. You're making the wait VERY difficult!

To compare with Olivier's review, did the car have standard, sports, or MR suspension?


----------



## Toshiba (Jul 8, 2004)

Jae, any chance you could do a comparison to the 20T GTi as most of us have driven that car and should be able to relate to it as a point of reference?

O and the 20T vs 3.2 would also be good too.


----------



## ali_2006TT (Jan 5, 2006)

Sounds great...as others have said making it hard for us!

what about the sound of the V6 engine?..sound good?
s-tronic or manual gear box? short shift?...i'd like to hear about it.

cheers


----------



## PATT (Apr 2, 2003)

> but with balls the size of melons!


Now we're talking :wink:


----------



## Karcsi (Mar 6, 2003)

PATT said:


> > but with balls the size of melons!
> 
> 
> Now we're talking :wink:


I hope they're in the back, to help weight distribution.


----------



## LazyT (Apr 13, 2006)

Karcsi said:


> PATT said:
> 
> 
> > > but with balls the size of melons!
> ...


I think they are located just south of the stick. Hopefully, not a short shift though.


----------



## Jae (May 6, 2002)

Right, here is a bit more detail about the test.

Car on test was a 3.2 S-Tronic, with ALL options on it, including

1. Magnetic Ride
2. Sat Nav
3. Tyre Pressure Sensors
4. 18" Wheels

The car as a whole is very well finished, materials of the highest standard, and quality superb. The only thing I would say about the interior is that it doesnt have that Wow factor as much as the MK1, but then you have to expect this, as the MK1 was groundbreaking as a design icon.

Wear, unfortunately, was showing on the lower bolsters, as this car had covered 5000+kms. I didnt get the opportunity to look closer (ie, was it just scuff marks). This isnt a particularly good sign, but the leather was a horrible "Eis Blau" - Ice Blue. Would never be my choice, but hey, each to their own. The usual scuffing will occur on the lower door sill due to its wide design. The rest of the interior however, looked as new.

The seats are exceptionally supporting (although I think the GTi seats offer more), and are very comfortable - a huge improvement over the MK1. The driving position is a lot lower, finallly, and the car feels lower to boot. The roof lining has been recessed above the driver and passenger seats to allow more head room, which is a neat detail. Something felt different though inside, and it took a while to put my finger on it - the dashboard - its not as imposing in the way that the last one was, it felt lower, even though the seat was in its lowest position - very nice indeed. It feels that the car is more focused on the driver and the driving together, which adds to the exeprience of TT.

The mobile preparation though, looks pants, and not realy thought about to be honest. More a case of "damn, where do we put the phone, I know, behind the driver, at the back of the center console - that will be easy to see!!"

The rear seats offer slightly more room, but dont get excited, your 12 year old may just get in! A car seat (Grp III) will fit, and there is pleanty of leg room for the front passenger if the seat is moved forward.

Now, the boot. Its about the same size of the MK1 (Quattro), BUT, and this is a little dissappointing, the FWD gets NO extra depth to it - it's exactly the same as the Quattro. This was a selling point to some, which has now been lost.

The usual build quality is there, oodles of it. The door clunk is as refined as before, screaming quality with every shut. The window drop is now marginal compared with before.

The Test Drive

I got settled into the car, and set off for my first drive of the MK II. The engine, that wonderful 3.2, sounds devine. Now, I cannot compare the 3.2 to the MK1 directly, having never driven one, but felt that having had 2 TT's, one Chipped, the other Revo'd, Id have some comparison on speed. Id driven the S-Tronic (DSG) before in the A3 Sportback and the GTi, so had that already under my belt. Personally, I dont like it, but it is clever, and I can see the benefits.

Handling in the town is firm and confident, and is easy to drive. Visibility is slighty improved out the letter box window, mainly due to the driving position being lower - you can now see the traffic lights from pole position without having to crank your neck (in germany you rarely get lights on the other side of the junction). The V6 is very easy to drive around at low speeds, and isnt noisy - you often have a dab at the throttle to hear the throaty sound, addictive as it is.

I cannot wait to hit the 120kph to get that spoiler up (I resisted the poser button!) and see what the car delivers. The lights turned green, and I shot across the junction onto the land of no speed limits! The pick up is very different to the Turbo'd engine, obviously, but its very even and pushes you into the seat. The 250ps is VERY quick to deliver, and in no time I see the spoiler raise in my rear view mirror (which is a lot smaller as I recal!). The car sounds fantastic, and is very solid on the road, eating up the tarmac with ease. The suspension is firm, but not uncomfortable and would not be a problem over distance.

Im soon pootling along the Autobahn at 180kph, and its a pleasure to drive. No instability, no wandering (yes, it seems that the problem of pulling left and right due to the road camber has been resolved) and no need to keep a "grip" of the car. The road clears, and I feel confident to take it up further. I kick down on the accelorator, it drops a gear, and pulls superbly up to 230kph, flicking up a gear without any noticable change in handling. The car is sooo much firmer than the old TT, and thanks to the ASF technology giving the car a very neutral weight distribution, it feels safe at high speed, with no lightness that was experienced before (especially with the original supension settings pre 2000).

Coming off the Autobahn, I test the brakes, and bugger me, they are good. No noise diving, just a firm, quick and confident slowing from 230 to 80 kph.

I head back up the autobahn to the city, as time is running out (I only got 30 minutes on this test), and enjoy another pay with the power of the car, and admire the interior, accepting its new orientation around me, the driver. Yes, its still a TT inside, and yes, I do like being in there.

Oh, and the looks, yes, the looks. Neck breaking individuals getting a look at the new TT. That feeling I had back in December 1998 has returned, and reminded me of when I picked up my first TT on 4th Jan, 2000!

Would I get one? Yes, but I will wait for the improved 2.0TFSi with Quattro - oh, and also convince the other half that Oliver can go in the back seat  Why not the 3.2 - nice engine, but not really necessary for me, but i could be swayed when the 3.6 comes.

As a point to note, the German Brochure is offering S Line and S Line Plus but without any pricing as yet. And interestingly, the Audi Options offer a Style Packet, that provides front lower spoiler, side skirts and rear lower skirt changes (subtly, no boy racer stuff). Oh, and those of you who want to carry your snow boards, bikes or whatever, Audi are supplying a roof rack.

When I get the car from Ingolstadt, Ill have more time to play, and see how the car handles on the windy roads of Austria.

I think that the 2.0T will be a good car, the engine combined with the chassis will lend itself to an enjoyable ride. The 2.0T is a very smooth engine, and in a lighter car will offer more of its torque and power delivery.

In conclusion then, the new TT is more than a revised Mk1, its a whole new car, now being able to be called a Sports Coupe rather than the dull ride of its predecessor.

Jae


----------



## ezzie (Jul 2, 2004)

Thanks for the thorough review.


----------



## Wallsendmag (Feb 12, 2004)

Nice write up, can't wait to get mine


----------



## Karcsi (Mar 6, 2003)

Thanks Jae. That's far too a good a write up for someone with 4 months wait to go!

Did you get a chance to come the two settings of the MR? Oh, and was ice blue really that yucky? Too light or strange colour? I'm a little worried about the wear - and that in combination with a light coloured leather doesn't bode well.


----------



## John C (Jul 5, 2002)

Thanks for the investment of time doing the write up Jae. [smiley=thumbsup.gif]


----------



## TTonyTT (Apr 24, 2006)

Thanks for the review.

I'm now counting the weeks (rather than months) for mine to arrive. I've not seen or heard anything yet that's making me regret ordering one without having driven it first - just the opposite in fact


----------



## tehdarkstar (Jul 24, 2006)

Pretty inspiring read mate! Thanks for the write up.


----------



## Jae (May 6, 2002)

Ive got video to post, but the other half has the darn camera! Will be up later!

Also, a nice comparison of a Silver Cayman, Condor TTQ and a Black SLK pic.

Jae


----------



## jam225 (Jun 24, 2003)

Thanks for the review Jae 8)

Roll on Sept 16th


----------



## Rebel (Feb 12, 2005)

> The suspension is firm, but not uncomfortable and would not be a problem over distance.


Thx Jae, but why didn't you push the magnetic ride button in both possitions? And what was the different?
And how do we now how the Normal suspension handles?
Little bit strange, or did you drive often with active suspension? Because that is one of the things that is realy new on the Mk2.
That the car handles betther as a MK1 is for sure. 
But my wife's new A3 even handles betther than the Mk1...

Ik hope you can tell us more abouth the revolutionair audi magnetic ride system


----------



## Jae (May 6, 2002)

Sorry, I forgot to mention, the magnetic ride was off at first, and I did turn it off, and to be honest, it made the car handle almost the same (I didnt get chance to push it on windy roads), albeit with a little more ability to soak up the bumps more (slightly softer than with MR on.)

Ill hopefully get MR on the car from Ingolstadt, so I can have a better play then.

Jae


----------



## Rebel (Feb 12, 2005)

Jae, strange story :?

You can't turn MR "off"


----------



## Karcsi (Mar 6, 2003)

Jae said:


> Sorry, I forgot to mention, the magnetic ride was off at first, and I did turn it off, and to be honest, it made the car handle almost the same (I didnt get chance to push it on windy roads), albeit with a little more ability to soak up the bumps more (slightly softer than with MR on.)
> 
> Ill hopefully get MR on the car from Ingolstadt, so I can have a better play then.
> 
> Jae


You mean when the MR was in normal mode, rather than off? It has two settings: normal and sport. I'm sure it's never off.

What is this car you are referring to, from Ingolstadt? Sorry, I must have missed that post.


----------



## Jae (May 6, 2002)

Sport mode or normal mode, yes, sorry.

Re Ingolstadt car, Im going to be getting a test car for a longer period to do a full write up from Audi AG, just waiting the call to go and collect her.

Jae


----------



## Karcsi (Mar 6, 2003)

Jae said:


> Re Ingolstadt car, Im going to be getting a test car for a longer period to do a full write up from Audi AG, just waiting the call to go and collect her.
> 
> Jae


Very nice. I look forward to reading that.


----------



## Rebel (Feb 12, 2005)

i find it rather strange that you didn't try it" It's only one press on the button.... ???


----------



## scoTTy (May 6, 2002)

Anyone would think you're doubting Jae's posts. :roll:


----------



## Karcsi (Mar 6, 2003)

Rebel said:


> i find it rather strange that you didn't try it" It's only one press on the button.... ???


He said he did. Just the test drive wasn't long enough to make a good comparison.


----------



## Jae (May 6, 2002)

Blimey, I only had 30 minutes, 15 of which was in traffic!

J


----------



## Jae (May 6, 2002)

Here's some good pics of the TT, Cayman and SLK together.

http://www.********.co.uk/images/mk20.jpg

http://www.********.co.uk/images/mk21.jpg

http://www.********.co.uk/images/mk22.jpg

http://www.********.co.uk/images/mk24.jpg


----------



## bw64402 (Jul 30, 2006)

Damn the Porsche looks good! :wink:


----------



## Mysterio (Jan 20, 2006)

Hi Jae - thanks for this thread - its great reading

One point - where is the button for the spoiler ? Can it be used at any time?

Thanks


----------



## bw64402 (Jul 30, 2006)

Mysterio said:


> Hi Jae - thanks for this thread - its great reading
> 
> One point - where is the button for the spoiler ? Can it be used at any time?
> 
> Thanks


The button for the spoiler is located behind the gear stick (there are 5 buttons there for those who have opted for MR - i'll try and find a pic). It can be manually operated at any time.

UPDATE - Not the best photo but you can see the buttons. Spolier is the one to the right of the hazard lights (i think?!)


----------



## Jae (May 6, 2002)

Yes, its the one to the right of the hazards button. I didnt use it though.


----------



## Jae (May 6, 2002)

Video of test...






Jae


----------



## Johnnywb (May 31, 2006)

Thanks Jae, It's going to be a long few months to wait...!

IIRC, you said the car was Condor? What did you think of this colour having seen it outside in natural daylight?

Thanks again


----------



## Jae (May 6, 2002)

Well, I would say.....Green


----------



## Johnnywb (May 31, 2006)

Jae said:


> Well, I would say.....Green


Ah well! Guess i'll have to try and get to see one somewhere in the country when they finally arrive!


----------



## ali_2006TT (Jan 5, 2006)

nice...thanks for the video.


----------



## tehdarkstar (Jul 24, 2006)

Jae said:


> Video of test...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


In the video, are you changing gears manually or is it in auto? I like the way it rev up to the red line before shifting it.


----------



## Jae (May 6, 2002)

It was in Sports mode in that clip.


----------



## tehdarkstar (Jul 24, 2006)

I see that you haven't got DSG on your GTI. Is that because you don't like it? I have never driven a DSG car, so I'm really curious to know how it feels in manual and auto sport...


----------



## Jae (May 6, 2002)

Dont get me wrong the DSG (S-Tronic) is bloody clever, but the paddles are a little, well, gimmicky. The gear box is so smooth though, and I think performs best in Sport mode, but that's my opinion. Maybe an extended test would change my mind, but I had the GTi DSG for a weekend, and wasnt convinced then.

Personally, I love manual, always have, hence why I didnt get the DSG in the GTi. The gear box on the GTi is really good, I dont know if its the same box for the 2.0T TT though.

Jae


----------



## ezzie (Jul 2, 2004)

Thanks for the video. Car seems to make quite a pleasing noise as it accelerated to almost 150mph.


----------



## Toshiba (Jul 8, 2004)

tehdarkstar said:


> I see that you haven't got DSG on your GTI. Is that because you don't like it? I have never driven a DSG car, so I'm really curious to know how it feels in manual and auto sport...


Go and ask audi for a MKI test drive with DSG - they will be more than happy to help. (if not say its because you thinks its crap and want to cancel it off your order :wink: )


----------



## Wallsendmag (Feb 12, 2004)

Jae said:


> Dont get me wrong the DSG (S-Tronic) is bloody clever, but the paddles are a little, well, gimmicky. The gear box is so smooth though, and I think performs best in Sport mode, but that's my opinion. Maybe an extended test would change my mind, but I had the GTi DSG for a weekend, and wasnt convinced then.
> 
> Personally, I love manual, always have, hence why I didnt get the DSG in the GTi. The gear box on the GTi is really good, I dont know if its the same box for the 2.0T TT though.
> 
> Jae


I've never even thought of an "auto "(don't start :wink: ) before but I drive through town so much now it just seems to make sense


----------



## Rebel (Feb 12, 2005)

Thx Jae !! Great video  
The magnetic ride was in the "sport" mode, i saw on the video.

Again thx for sharing this with us.


----------



## Rebel (Feb 12, 2005)

Jae said:


> Here's some good pics of the TT, Cayman and SLK together.
> 
> http://www.********.co.uk/images/mk20.jpg
> 
> ...


Jae, can't we get these pictures larger, please please 
I like these very much, the Porsche looks very poor , and the MK2 very mean and awesome


----------



## Johnnywb (May 31, 2006)

Rebel said:


> I like these very much, the Porsche looks very poor , and the MK2 very mean and awesome


Crikey i agree with Rebel!! The TT certainly looks like it has more presence than the Cayman.

Definately liking Condor. Think it's going to be one of those colours which change with the light, had a Range Rover like that a few years ago, it was cool, meant you never got bored of the car!


----------



## Rebel (Feb 12, 2005)

Exept .......if it will change also in a colour which you don't like.......for example : green.......and than you wish you never bought it......LOL

I don't like suprises. and is dont like magic......and i don't like 'look at me" colours .....and i don't like that people every time going to say that the green is beautiful on my car


----------



## tehdarkstar (Jul 24, 2006)

Jae said:


> Dont get me wrong the DSG (S-Tronic) is bloody clever, but the paddles are a little, well, gimmicky. The gear box is so smooth though, and I think performs best in Sport mode, but that's my opinion. Maybe an extended test would change my mind, but I had the GTi DSG for a weekend, and wasnt convinced then.
> 
> Personally, I love manual, always have, hence why I didnt get the DSG in the GTi. The gear box on the GTi is really good, I dont know if its the same box for the 2.0T TT though.
> 
> Jae


I have never had an auto and like you I love manuals, but I had to try a paddle shift box at least once and the S-tronic seemed to be the one to have. I don't plan to use it in auto mote too often, as I do like the control of changing gears.



Toshiba said:


> Go and ask audi for a MKI test drive with DSG - they will be more than happy to help. (if not say its because you thinks its crap and want to cancel it off your order :wink: )


I have booked my test drive in the 3.2Q MK2 for the 18th. It will have S-Tronic and MR, so I will be able to satisfy my curiosity. But I will threaten to cancel my order, though, just for the fun of it... :lol:


----------



## Karcsi (Mar 6, 2003)

Johnnywb said:


> Rebel said:
> 
> 
> > I like these very much, the Porsche looks very poor , and the MK2 very mean and awesome
> ...


As I thought. The TT looks like the 'daddy' out of the 3, or the "leader of the pack".


----------



## Karcsi (Mar 6, 2003)

Oi, Jae! NOOOOO!! [smiley=rifle.gif] Discusting interior! How very dare you.

I've ordered it as it seemed to look quite nice on a few photos I thought were Ice Blue, and the idea of the colour did sound good. I have to admit that the swatch I was shown at the dealership looks quite bad - like someone had thrown up over it.

I'm hoping there will be a car with that interior someone in the country before my order goes confirmed so that I can see for myself whether it is [smiley=sick2.gif] or I need my head examined. :lol: It looked quite reasonable on your video. But video/photographs often completely misrepresent colours.

Thanks for the video. When you reached 230kph, you seemed ever so slightly pleased about the way it performed. :wink: I bet you can't wait for the car from Ingoldstadt to arrive!


----------



## Jae (May 6, 2002)

The interior was not to my taste, each to their own. I think it will look shabby quite quickly, and the scuffing on the bolters contributed to this impression.

People are not really mentioning Avus Silver or Dolphin Grey, as these, I think, will be great colours on the MK2. Avus is available in the S-Line Plus packet.

Jae


----------



## Karcsi (Mar 6, 2003)

I think the lighter leather will look worse under the same amount of wear has darker leather. The blue leather in my A3 looked fine after 27k miles and 3 years of use. But I'm sure the wear would have been more obvious if it had been a light colour.

Makes it all the more important that I get myself wrong to dealers to see what they've got - especially after several hundred people have added some wear and tear. I have a dreadful feeling that the leather seats may be to the Mk2 what the dashpod was to the Mk1. I just hope the wear we've seen so far on show / launch cars are down to the excessive and inconsiderate use by the public rather than a indication of premature wear.


----------



## saint (Dec 6, 2002)

Nice write up - can't wait for my test drive end of next week/begining week after!


----------



## Rebel (Feb 12, 2005)

Leather should be black and not light from colour.........just like all leather, at home, in the bedroom.....it should be black.


----------



## Dotti (Mar 9, 2003)

Rebel, are you a goth? [smiley=vampire.gif] [smiley=skull.gif] [smiley=whip.gif] :wink:


----------



## Rebel (Feb 12, 2005)




----------

