2016 AUDI TT-S Review

With gawky looking first-generation body panels originally stamped and painted at Ingolstadt, the car had German origins that crossed a few borders before the final assembly at the Audi factory in Györ, Hungary. Now into its third generation, the Audi TTS Coupe continues to improve on its lineage with refinements in horsepower, handling, and ergonomics.

But did it lose anything in translation?

Break it down.

Introduced Stateside in mid-2015 as a 2016 model, the 2016 Audi TTS Coupe is the high-zoot version of the less powerful TT. Built on VW Group’s global MQB platform, it shares underpinnings with corporate cousins from SEAT, Volkswagen, and Škoda, not to mention its own A3 brother.

This direct-injected mill is a transverse front-mounted affair that feeds into a dual-clutch six-speed S-tronic automatic transmission. From there, its power is diverted in varying degrees from the front to the rear axle, through a new-generation Audi Quattro all-wheel-drive system.

Sensors at all four wheels measure traction up to 150 times per 10-milliseconds and can be varied via the Audi Drive Select system. Placing the Quattro system in dynamic mode equips the TTS with a natural rear wheel bias. Combining that with the Audi magnetic ride system that is standard on the TTS, allows the driver to choose a suitable drive mode based on conditions and his or her personal preferences, or in some cases, mood.

The Audi TTS arrives at a dealer already very well-equipped. Included in the general mix are such Audi standards as “S” exterior fitments, which include fascias, side sills, special mirrors, and chromed exhaust tips, the MMI Touch with voice control, the virtual cockpit TFT screen display, full LED head- and taillights, automatic climate control, Bluetooth, and parking sensors.

In addition to the no-cost-added Vegas Yellow paint, our charge was equipped with the Audi Technology Package, ($3,250), consisting of Audi MMI Navigation Plus, Audi Connect WiFi with online services, Audi Side Assist (blind spot warning), auto-dimming power folding exterior mirrors, and a parking system with rear-view camera. The Bang & Olufsen upgraded sound system ($950) and Fine Nappa leather interior with S-embossing ($500) rounded out all the added options.

For those without the need for such power, the standard TT is equipped with a 2.0-liter TFSI engine that produces 220 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. It’s plenty stout, still. Regardless of which powerplant is selected, all US-destined TT and TTS models are Quattro all-wheel-drive equipped. On the old continent, the TT is also available with a TDI Diesel four-cylinder, in a front-wheel-drive configuration.

Competition? Yes.

The TTS faces a spry set of competitors. Ranging from the domestic to the international, the list includes the Porsche Cayman S, BMW’s M235i coupe, and what some may consider a stretch, the Chevrolet Corvette. A second-tier set could include the Nissan 370Z and perhaps even the baseline Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustangs, which could be considered 2+2 models because of their rather sparse rear seat practicalities.

At first glance.

Compared to the first-generation TT with its hausfrau sensibilities (read: zaftig looks), not to mention bulging fender flares, the new Gen-3 Audi TTS Coupe is positively Victoria’s Secret, and then some. On the other hand, it has not quite realized its full potential, either.

The Coupe-only TTS channels the looks and feel of a not quite grown up Audi R8. With its matte-grey singleframe grille, S-style bodywork, lowered suspension and functional rear deck spoiler, there are key giveaways that the sum of this TTS is more than its lesser-equipped little brother. For those who desire their driving al-fresco, the standard TT is available in both coupe and roadster models.

The design inside.

From a driver’s standpoint, Audi’s reputation for building state-of-the-art interiors remains intact. All controls seemingly fall into place just where we like them. Most will be operated without the driver even having to remove his hands from the flat-bottomed steering wheel. Voice controls are just a pushbutton away, as is the ability to reconfigure the gauge binnacle through a touchpad-style entry device.

We like the novelty of the infotainment system located within the gauge binnacle, but our co-drivers were having none of it. As great an idea it is to have a 12.3-inch high-definition screen flashing everything from gauges, recent calls, SiriusXM Satellite radio and Google maps, it’s as though the TTS was ordered without any sort of visual stimulation for the person riding shotgun.

Though the MMI controller takes up real estate on the center console, it is largely irrelevant to the passenger, who can’t see the screen anyway. With operation of the display beyond their control, why bother? Instead, passengers can take over the role of climate control engineers, responsible for directing cool airflow from the precision-designed HVAC vents and their concentric controls.

The front seats are covered in form-fitting multi-adjustable heated leathers with adjustable side bolsters and thigh extensions. If you can’t find a good seating position here, you haven’t tried hard enough. The rear seats? That’s another story entirely.

Even though the Coupe is officially listed as a 2+2, let’s cut to the chase: The TTS is essentially a two-seater fastback that offers rather upright rear seating, with enough legroom for stick figure-sized people and seatbelts in the rear as mere suggestions. Really, they are just there to tease the owners and their would-be occupants.

But tease they will. Equipped with a 50:50 split arrangement, they can fold forward to expand the cargo capacity of the TTS from 12 cubic feet to, um, slightly more.

Wheel time.

A quick button-push cranked what sounds like a rather docile example of the 2.0-liter turbo used in the V-Dub Turbo Beetle. Lacking the quirky sound of the five-cylinder engine that appeared in the last-gen TTR-S and rooted in the Audi Sport Quattro S1 rally car from 1985, we are not quite sure what to think as we motor away.

An interior with chairs that fit like gloves are first noticed followed by a rather tall tip-in from the start. Chalk it up to turbo-lag but once into third gear, everything is whirling along at a rather brisk clip.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrapp, pffffft, brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrapp, pffffft, goes the increasing revs of the four-cylinders as they compress faster and faster before the automated manual transmission urges the TTS into the next gear.

Speaking of gears, Audi has given drivers the choice of setting and forgetting or paddling one’s self via the steering wheel-mounted paddle shift levers. Either option, combined with the tenacious grip from the suspension and the Quattro-equipped drivetrain will channel thoughts of rounding the Mulsanne Curve at the Circuit de la Sarthe at Le Mans--in a go-kart.

The Audi Drive Select control allowed for Comfort, Sport and Dynamic settings, which softened, firmed or varied the ride, as we desired. Still there were times we felt the magnetic ride control a bit too harsh, while negotiating less than ideal road surfaces and rolling over sleeping policemen in shopping center parking lots.

By the numbers, the EPA says to expect 23 city/27 highway, 25 combined in fuel economy from this 3,230 pounder that achieves 0-60 mph in 4.6-seconds. Top speed is governed to 155 mph, compared to 0-60 mph in 5.3-seconds and a top speed of 130 mph from its lesser-equipped little brother.