Test drive Audi TT compartment 1998 - 2006 compartment

Better new

A new sports car that is a new children's stroller: it is expensive, you use it not enough, and you sell it cheap. It is profitable to buy such a car first -hand, at the age of three. Today, the hero of our story will be Audi-TT The most popular sportkup in our secondary market.
 
Dear toy in half a price
Sports cars are often called adult toys. In fact, there is little practical benefit from them: a tight salon, a small trunk, poor visibility, inconvenience of planting and ease. In our conditions, winter operation problems are also added. Therefore, for most owners, a sports compartment or class is the second or third car in the garage. It drives from May to October, mainly on weekends, wrapping 10,00015,000 km per year.
 
Buying a new sports car for gentle seasonal operation is irrational. Despite the short run and good condition, in three years, he will still lose a lot in price. Just because there are few hunters in the secondary market for such cars. But if the seller loses, then the buyer wins. For half price you get a fresh car, which looks no worse than a new as a toy. And given that in the next three years, only 30,000,50,000 km will increase on its odometer, large unscheduled expenses will probably be able to avoid.
 
The main thing is that your fast horse does not turn out to be emergency or half -targeted by the previous rider. After all, the short life of many sports cars passes according to the scenario: gas in the floor is a serious accident body workshop. Therefore, careful diagnosis before buying for them is especially relevant.
 
The general recommendations are as follows. Unique sportsmen who do not have cars such as Porsche-Bokster, Mitsubishi-3000GT, Toyota-Supra, are very expensive to repair. If, God forbid, something serious will happen to them, the amount for repairs can knock out even a wealthy person. Relatively inexpensive sports models in the risk group fall for another reason. In Europe, they are most often acquired by reckless youths, who, by the time of sale, drink all juices from the car. Finding a good copy among them is not easy.
 
Audi-TT for hot youth is expensive. It is bought by more mature people. At the same time, the TT is built on the Volkswagen-Golf platform, so spare parts for it are sold not for gold. And, most importantly, Tateshka is carried a lot from Europe. Therefore, there is something to choose from.
 
Interrupted departure
A bright debut of Audi-TT was soon overshadowed by a loud scandal. The miscalculations in the body of the body led to the fact that at speeds over 150 km/h, the back of the car began to experience significant lifting force. In quick turns, even on asphalt, this led to a skid and, as a result, a severe accident.
 
In the fall of 1999, the Germans corrected the situation by finalizing the chassis, entering the standard ESP equipment and adjusting a small anti -winged to the stern. All previously produced cars were recalled into dealerships for revision. As part of the action, shock absorbers, front suspension levers, the front stabilizer and the anti -wing with more powerful gas stops of the third door were installed.
 
Nevertheless, cars may be on the market, which for some reason have not completed refinement. Only branded Audi proprietary mechanics can distinguish the changed details from the old ones, which should show the car before buying. But if the car has at least the posterior anti -wing is already good. It significantly reduces the lifting force. And if the cabin also has an ESP button and the machine suppresses provocative attempts to disrupt it in a skid (checked on a relatively slippery surface at safe speed), you can not worry. Everything is in order with this TT.
 
It's hard to resist
Actually, sports vehicles in our market are not particularly running. But against the backdrop of other sportkup, Audi-TT is sold very successfully. Without a doubt, buyers are presented before the design of the car. An amazing thing. There is no hint of predatory aggressiveness in the guise of Teteshka. But at the same time, the car looks very sporty. From some angles, this monolithic-rounded strong man on the widely arranged wheels resembles even Porsche-Bokster. Not every sportkup created from scratch shows such external swiftness. Believe me, that the TT was created on the golf platform.
 
To match the external design and interior decoration. The salon is generously flavored with aluminum inserts, which causes associations with real racing machines. Aluminum rings with stylized heads of bolts are available on the rims of devices, ventilation deflectors, on the casing of the gearbox lever, and even on the hub of lambs. And the diagonal metal spacers, coming from a torpedo to a floor tunnel, completely resemble a safety frame.
 
 
The rear sofa is very cramped. The plate on the left middle rack warns that the growth of passengers should not exceed 150 cm

 
The trunk is small in 270 liters of front -wheel drive cars and 220 liters of Cvattro. But if necessary, the back of the rear sofa can be folded

True, you are constantly rubbed about these ugsins. The seats in the car are so low that when planting and eating you can stretch anything. And the lateral and rear review is generally like in a tank. Yes. On Audi-S3, it is much more convenient to wander around the city daily. But, as you know, hunting is more than captivity. The one who matured on Sportkup should transfer such deprivations steadily.
    
Don't be afraid, it's a glitch
If Audi-TT has not visited a serious accident with subsequent hacks, its body should not cause any complaints. How the folding top of the Rodster will behave is unknown. We still have a few such cars.
 
In the equipment of the salon, only two possible malfunctions are noted. On the first cars, a combination of devices bugged a couple of times. In this case, you will fall on a very expensive replacement of the tidy. True, mechanics believe that today this defect is already emerging. In addition, the door glass closer sometimes refuses, which, when opening, opening the door, should be slightly lowered, leaving the seal, and then rise again. But the replacement of the windshield engine is already a trifle.
    
What is the price
Replacing devices combination $ 1400-1600
Replacement of the electric windows of the windows $ 240

The machine is impossible
So, you previously liked the Teteka and you have already tuned to choose the most interesting modification for you. They must upset those who do not like to pull the lever and press the clutch pedal. It is useless to look for a car with an automatic box. It was simply not installed on TT. Therefore, it remains only to choose the engine and type of drive.
 
From the moment of the debut, audi-TT was produced with two 1.8-liter 4-cylinder turbo engineers with a capacity of 180 and 225 forces created on the basis of 150-horsepower Volkswagen 1.8-turbo. Later, their ancestor also found himself under the hood of Teteshka, but the cars equipped with him in the secondary market had not yet appeared.
 
Machines with a 180-horsepower engine have a 5-speed gearbox and either front or a full-wheel drive of the Quattro. The character of this engine is quite even. He does not publish a bass roar and stably, assertively pulls in a wide range of revolutions. However, the maximum speed indicators of 228 km/h and acceleration to hundreds of 7.8 s is hardly called even.
 
Fans of the hotter is addressed to a 225-horsepower engine, which is combined only with a 6-speed box and all-wheel drive. He reports his presence under the hood by uterine rumbling at idle, and a high -pressure turbine at about 2200,2500 revolutions gives a tangible pickup. On paper, excess strength and Newtonian-meters lift the high-speed ceiling to 243 km/h and reduce the acceleration time to 6.6 s.
 
In operation, both engines behave the same. Which of them will be more durable is difficult to say, since Teteshka is still young. But given that in the 225-horsepower engine the Germans strengthened almost all the details, it can be assumed that a high-pressure turbine will not affect its resource.
 
The most powerful motor has another feature. It requires a very delicate handling pedal. The fact is that before turning on the turbine, this engine seems sluggish. Therefore, when touched by the place, many drivers instinctively add gas. If you wield pedals correctly, the clutch can last a long time. But mechanics know cases of replacement after 500010,000 km. Moreover, if the clutch is premature, then the captures of both the disk and the basket, and in some cases, is even a flywheel. For reference, replacing the clutch kit and a flywheel in a car with a 225-horsepower engine in a corporate technical center costs $ 2250. For a 180-horsepower engine, a set of adhesion to the flywheel cost cheaper, and burn them by inexperience much less often.
 
Not quite that quattro
It would seem that four drive wheels for a powerful sports car are an indisputable plus. Not always. The fact is that the quattro all-wheel drive on the Audi-TT is not quite that quattro.
 
We are accustomed to the fact that Audi with a cobblestone wards have a permanent all -wheel drive with an intended differential torsen and a uniform distribution of traction between the front and rear wheels. Such a scheme provides stable, predictable behavior on a slippery road and correct all -wheel drive reactions. But it is used on Audi models with a longitudinal location of the engine.
 
On TT-Pvattro, as on A3-Kvattro, the engine is installed transversely. In this case, a scheme with an electron-ghradal clutch is used in the rear wheels drive. Under normal conditions, the car remains front -wheel drive. And only when they begin to slip, the huldex hut connects the rear wheels.
 
If you are not going to disable the dynamic stabilization system and you need all -wheel drive only to confidently accelerate on a slippery road, such a scheme will suit you quite. He pressed the pedal and instead of grinding on the spot received a peppy start. For most drivers, this is enough. But if you want to enjoy the advantages of all -wheel drive in corners, passing their fan with the ESP, wait for surprises.
 
The car enters the turn with front -wheel drive and only after the start of slipping with the addition of gas begins to turn into all -wheel drive. Moreover, the degree of full -wheel drive depends only on the degree of slipping of the front wheels relative to the rear. At the limit, the car becomes almost rear -wheel drive when Chaldex throws back to 99% traction. With such a drive scheme, demolition out of the front axle can develop into uniform sliding sideways and then into the absence of the rear axle at any time and arbitrarily sharply. In general, for sports driving on all-wheel drive TT-Kvattro is completely inappropriate.
 
A front -wheel drive TT for a prepared driver is much more interesting. He demonstrates reliable behavior and correct front -wheel drive reactions in corners. Yes, and is it worth overpaying for the quattro at all if you are not going to ride in the winter? Think again for what purposes you buy a car.
 
In operation, any transmission is trouble -free. Quattro differs only in that in Haldex every 30,000 km must be changed oil.
    
Take care of the turbine
Golden turboprovede, which states that the engine cannot be jammed immediately after stopping, for audi-TT it is especially relevant. The fact is that turbines on 180- and 225-horsepower engines are more loaded than on the base 150-horsepower. In addition, they do not drive slowly at TT, and at high speeds the turbocharger heats up heavily. If you turn off the engine immediately after the finish, without allowing it to work for 40 seconds at idle, the turbine will have to be changed every season.
 
Other possible sores are also characteristic of the usual 150-horsepower 1.8-turbo. After two or three years, an air flow meter can fly, as a result of which the car stops going, and the two gaskets of the valve cover and the camshaft chain tensioner flow. But these are not the problems because of which it is worth racking your head. In addition, over time, the gas valve begins to rattles during the discharge of gas. It also changes easily.
 
Otherwise, ordinary maintenance. Candles on our gasoline are 15,00030,000 km, and the timing belt with rollers, regardless of what is written in the instructions, is recommended to be changed after 90,000 km. The engine is sports, so the belt loads the loads considerable.
    
What is the price
Replacing turbine $ 1800
Replacing the valve of the turbine $ 130
Replacement of air flow meter $ 550
Replacing the valve cover gasket $ 145
Replacing a tensioner gasket $ 280
Replacing candles $ 90-135
Replacing timing belt with rollers $ 580
 

Almost golf
It’s too early to talk about the resource of the chassis details. Audi-center-Moscow mechanics only once changed the timing belt on the Teteshka engine. Accordingly, only one of the cars they observed overcame the line of 90,000 km. Most of the TT operated in our country have 20,00040,000 km. During this period, only frankly weaknesses could appear. Not manifested.
 
Since the TT chassis almost copies the golf (with the exception of other settings of individual elements), it can be assumed that it will be as strong as that of Volkswagen. About 60,000 km along our roads, mechanics predict the possibility of replacing the racks of stabilizers, front brake discs and hard gas -filled shock absorbers, which are not in the best way tolerate broken roads. Other front suspension details such as ball supports and silent blocks of levers, according to the experience of golf, go more than 100,000 km. The rear suspension of front -wheel drive cars is generally eternal. It is a powerful P-shaped beam, which is extremely difficult to break. Only a complex multi -link is applied to the kvattro from behind, which will have to be sorted over time. But when it comes, again, it is unknown. Therefore, in the table, we brought the cost of replacing the chassis parts without indicating the approximate service life. Just so that you have an idea of \u200b\u200bpossible expenses.
 
Operational costs (chassis)
Front suspension and steering
Shock absorbers $ 385
 
stabilizer racks $ 115
Stabilizer racks $ 100
 
brake discs $ 500
 
 
shock absorbers $ 495
Rear suspension (kvattro)
 
steering rods and tips $ 365
Brake discs $ 255
 
ball supports $ 240
Shock absorbers $ 430
 
levers assembly (2 pcs.) $ 400
Stabilizer racks $ 100
 
 
Upper transverse levers (2 pcs.) $ 200
 
Rear suspension (front -wheel drive)
Lower transverse levers (2 pcs.) $ 200
 
brake discs $ 235
silent blocks of longitudinal levers (6 pcs.) $ 530
 
______________________________________
 
Prices of original details, taking into account the replacement in the authorized technical center Audi.
 
Buy?
According to the totality of consumer qualities, Audi-TT is a very balanced car that is difficult to reproach with anything. Unconfirmed drivers' ambitions of Cvattro versions? Those who really own sports skills on all-wheel drive (this is not purely chasing), buy other Imprezu-GT/WRX or Lancer-Evolyushn cars. And from a civilian sportkup, first of all, the style, dynamics and psychological sense of sports are required. With this, the TT has one aluminum salon of what is worth it. Therefore, his main role of a beautiful toy, capable of throwing out a sufficient dose of adrenaline into the blood, the teetska plays brilliantly.
 
 
A small anti -wing on the trunk lid appeared after the finalization of aerodynamics. A car with a 180-horsepower engine is recognized by one exhaust pipe. The 225-horsepower version has two of them on the left and right

 

In addition, it was not particularly burdensome in operation. This is partly due to kinship with successful golf. Partly by the youth and small runs of cars (even in Europe, the TT rarely passes more than 100,000 km over three years). In part, the lack of winter operation, bringing many problems. But in any case, even taking into account possible repairs, the purchase of a three -year -old Teteshka seems much more profitable than the new one. For a toy, which will be in the garage most of the time, this is a very significant argument.
 
Judge for yourself. For a new TT you need to give from $ 41,000 to $ 55,000, depending on the engine power, such as the drive and configuration. And for the three -year -olds brought from Europe, they ask $ 21,00027,000. Look at the status of the cars from there and you will understand that they did not grow old for a quarter, and in the price were lost in half.
 
A plug of prices for three -year -old Teteshka is read like this. The cheapest front-in 180-horsepower specimens. Kvattro adds to the price of about $ 2000 and the same amount of the 225-horsepower engine. The rest depends on the configuration, mileage, technical condition and appetite of the distiller. Personally, I would take a front-wheel drive 180-horsepower car. This is the most correct TETECHK.
 
Also a class
A year after the debut of the coupe, in the fall of 1999, an equally stylish 2-seater TT-TRANTER appeared. Its soft warehouse top with electric drive can be replaced with a hard roof, which is sold separately. In the open version, in case of the coup, arcs behind the headrests are provided, very successfully complementing the image of a sports relatives. And from the turbulence of air at the speed of the inhabitants of the salon protects the drawn up the glass screen from the back.
 
This season, classes will first appear in the secondary market. The same gamma of engines and transmission is offered for them as for the compartment, and they should cost about $ 2000 more than their closed counterparts. If you want to ride with a breeze, you should take a closer look at the tt-tster.
 
Alexander Konov, photo Alexander Sadovnikov
 
 

Source: Magazine "Limousine" [04/03]