BosTTon

Visited the dealership today and chatted up one of the salesmen about the TTS. He felt that dropping the V6 and manny trans may be the death of the TT. He says that a surprisingly large number of customers don't want an auto tran (even if DSG) and are very put off by the 4cyl turbo (he said it had become more of a woman's car re appeal). The killer for him was the test drives, where there were a lot of complaints about the lag even though the ride was otherwise VERY responsive.

I'd test drove 2 TTS before buying the V6 (was very hard to find) and found the lag totally unacceptable (especially given that it's a sportscar). Decided to do a search just now of the net to see how opinion has been shaped by reviews (as I know the modifiers here don't care about the lag). Below are some of the comments. An aside....the salesman said he thought the TTS would be a tough resale (as it's been a tough sell) and would not fair well vs other sportscars for people wanting that class of cars. The salesman said the already poor selling TT is now even worse in the new config. He said he would not be surprised if Audi dropped the model.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/audi-tts-coupe-review.html
Floor it from a dead stop, and for the first second or two, no, the TTS does not go. Any time you stick a big turbo on a small, four-cylinder motor, turbo lag is hard to avoid. That’s what Audi has done here and, surprise, surprise, they haven’t avoided it. The Boxster S you were racing will be 50 yards down the road before you really start moving. So the TTS isn’t a green light dragster; fine, we’ll have to learn live with that because, once the turbo is spooled up, holy moley, you better have a radar detector.

Man, that turbo lag sure is rough. Once you get past it, the performance is great, but, ya gotta get off the line, too


http://cars.about.com/od/audi/gr/09_TTS_roadster.htm
The TTS' Kryptonite is turbo lag. Floor it off the line, and you can sleep through the first two seconds -- but when the tach hits 3,000 RPM, all hell breaks loose.

http://buyersguide.caranddriver.com/...i-tts-roadster
The open-air TTS loses the tiny rear seats from the coupe but adds a lot of sunshine. Powerful turbocharged four is strong but suffers from turbo lag. The firm chassis has quick reflexes and satisfying feel, but a Porsche Boxster feels better and sportier

http://www.nadaguides.com/GARAGE-BLO...-Audi-TTS.aspx
Something was leaving me slightly disappointed however and it is easy to pinpoint the cause. The Audi TTS is fitted with the six-speed S-tronic transmission. This is a dual-clutch automatic which can be manually shifted via steering wheel mounted paddles. The paddles respond quick enough but since this car is not a true manual transmission, I don’t always want to use them - and here is where the problems start. In normal auto mode, the system shifts often and early. Couple this with the very noticeable turbo lag and I am no longer driving a sports car but a slowly moving sunrise. Not a problem you say… just put it into SPORT! I put the transmission into SPO- HOLY C&@P! Now the Audi shifts like it is only allowed to do so once hitting redline. Maybe its me but I can’t find a middle ground. I don’t always want to be pushing the car to the limit nor do I feel like being left in the dust at the stop light by city bus.

http://www.autoweek.com/article/2009...iews/910099997
the car--at least in Sport mode--is a hoot to drive. In regular Drive, the turbo lag is often unbearable, so keeping the revs up is imperative.

Cabern A

I guess I'm an old guy (53 years old) who has a regular 2.0TT that has unbearable turbo lag, also. Maybe the TTS is worse than the TT in that department.

I find it fast as h*ll, a hoot at the track (the only time it's in "S" mode) and a fine upgrade from my 1995 Model 90.

Oh well don't care what "they" say. Let's meet at the track and settle it. Can a Boxster kick my a**? Yep, but my ride is all I need.

To each his own, IMHO.

Plan_Man

Now BTT, I respect your choice of powertrain, and especially your taste in interiors, but I begin to believe you have a hair up your tushy re this whole V6 thing.

I love this quote: The paddles respond quick enough but since this car is not a true manual transmission, I don’t always want to use them - and here is where the problems start. In normal auto mode, the system shifts often and early. Couple this with the very noticeable turbo lag and I am no longer driving a sports car but a slowly moving sunrise. Not a problem you say… just put it into SPORT! I put the transmission into SPO- HOLY C&@P! Now the Audi shifts like it is only allowed to do so once hitting redline. Maybe its me but I can’t find a middle ground. I don’t always want to be pushing the car to the limit nor do I feel like being left in the dust at the stop light by city bus.

So, because it doesn't have a third pedal, he doesn't want to shift all the time? As opposed to a three-pedal in which he wouldn't have a choice?
Well, uhhh, okey dokey then, you betcha. This guy's channeling Palin! And if he's being left in the dust by anything of merit, then he doesn't know his left foot from his right in the first place!

I'm going to assume, since Autosite no longer gives sales data by model (that was a cool feature) and I can't look it up, that the V6 TT sales numbers did not warrant shipping it here. I recall looking at it on the configurator, and IIRC the upgrade price was pretty subtantial, and put you in Premium Plus trim automatically. Now there wasn't a lot of overlap in availability of the 3.2 TT and the TTS, but I'm guessing that others felt as I did that the jump to hypersonic TTS ownership was more worthy of the sheckels involved than loading up a slower 3.2, and I'm banking that Audi saw it that way too.

On my local lot, the sales manager has bemoaned a lack of TTS product in the pipeline for the past six months, saying if he could get them he could sell them, so I'm not sure why there would be such a vast regional difference.

I can't vouch for stoplight racing as it's just not my bag, but what lag there is just isn't enough to write about, IMO. I have no difficulty in getting where I need to be whenever I need to be there, so the carping is utterly wasted on me, and it leads me to think that these folks just don't get it. But of course I would feel that way!

The points about the automatic mode being indiscriminately soft and the sport mode being indiscriminately aggressive are both correct. The programming is funky. I understand the auto mode, because of fuel efficiency ratings concerns, but the sport mode will hold on to second gear just about up to RL even if you're feather-light on the gas. The algorithms on that? Weak. But that's why I drive it predominantly in manual mode. Because it's a manual!

tranquility

Ya, I'd have to side more w/ Plan Man. I didn't notice that the turbo lag was that bad at all. It's overall a very spirited car.

A bit OT: besides full-on 'DSG' mode and the regular 'D' mode, there is also a 'sports D' mode (plus you can tap the DSG paddles during those 2 modes as well)? On top of that, there is a 'sports' button? I would think that these should cover all the different types of driving most would want.

i3adSaab

hey guys...are you referring to the old 2.0T or the new 2.0T that's in the A4. The new one has less lag for sure as I recall in my test drives.....

Plan_Man

The TTS 2.0T is a bit different from either of those, as I understand it. Obviously the architecture is the same, but the turbo is larger, the block, heads and pistons are all different.

JimInSF

Interesting - Sport mode in mine doesn't seem to overdo it like that - it shifts way before redline, in every gear, if I'm not on the gas. Change in programming?

In any event, I believe you're right, without trying to be offensive here, about BTT's fixation - he goes out of his way to post about turbo lag over and over again in many threads (I guess because he needs to try to convince the world that the V6 is really the better model?), and some of the delay being spoken of here is very clearly the delay in the DSG engaging after you take your foot off the brake pedal from a stop, not turbo lag. Even in D mode, it takes a little adaptation (letting off the brake a half second before you expect to go, etc.), but you can easily give it enough throttle to flow with traffic without revving it to the moon, you just have to learn how to drive the DSG and I think folks who are used to a slushbox and aren't told about this are not getting what they're used to.

Plan_Man

Yes, you can use the paddles in either of the two automatic modes. The difference is that without subsequent driver input the tranny resumes automatic function after a few seconds or a complete stop, whereas manual mode will hold your gear selection.

TTSMike

I have to agree with Plan Man and tranquility. I have had 3 TT's (2 TTS's), VW R32 (TT with your engine and a steel top) and a Porsche Cayman S which were/are tracked once or twice a year at Barber or Talladega. In it's 1st outing at a PCA DE Barber, the 2009 TTS with APR flash passed everything on the track (mostly Porsche Boxsters and Caymans) including even a GT3. The only car that needed a pass was a race prepared 924. As to straight line performance, the TTS with the flash does 0-60 in 4.2 (stock 4.9)and the 1/4 mile in 12.7 while your engine choice does 0-60 in something like 6 right.

Being performance oriented, the TTS was a much better choice for me. The 3.2 is too slow in the straights and handles badly (understeer/pushes) in the turns because of the extra weight up front. I have come to terms with the turbo lag and find it very manageable.

Mike

BosTTon

ROFLMAO....all I did was relay comments from a salesman and post a few links and it's BosTTon has a bug about dis and dat LOLOLOLOL

My post was about the appeal or lack of for a 4cyl high end sports car without a clutch and some lag....it's not helping Audi and might bury the TT. Nuff said.

Re:

"Oh well don't care what "they" say. Let's meet at the track and settle it. Can a Boxster kick my a**? Yep, but my ride is all I need."

" can't vouch for stoplight racing as it's just not my bag, but what lag there is just isn't enough to write about, IMO."

....I'm not referring to the track (no doubt it blazes a trail) and stoplight racing?........ is for little boys and girls with no hair on their nuggies.



The bottom line is that everyone should buy what he or she wants/likes, myself no exception. Yes, I do think a spirited sportscar with lag after a stop is an oxymoron. However, my post is about the general perception of the TTS. Does someone who mods the car care about the lag? Most probably not. Does someone who loves the track care? Probably not. If you adapt to the cars shortcomings you won't care.

The issue is the package: 4cyl, lag and no manual tranny. Read the subject header, don't be justifying yer ride.

Ask an Audi salesman what has greater appeal to a sportscar fan, 4cyl or 6 cyl. Ask an Audi salesman what has more appeal to a new Audi owner.......manual or auto tranny (as they won't have enough of a clue re DSG).

My post was about the potential of the TT R.I.P....and a select few methinks have the discomfort of a few misplaced hairs as they become all defensive



BosTTon