Category: Affordable Sports 
Price Range: £25,420 to £42,985
Stylish looks, brilliant interior, Audi solidity and sky-high image
Not as engaging as a Porsche Boxster or newer rivals
Fabulously distinctive, the TT is one of the most desirable cars of the last decade
Its performance potential might be high, but the TT is a cinch to drive; the engine and transmission being well behaved during the slow speed crawl around town. The driving position may take a while for some to get used too, as you sit so low, but this only adds to the sports car feel. The pedals are all well positioned, the clutch light, with a good sized footrest to its left. The gearshift is easy to slot across the gate, perhaps a little too light for some drivers, but it ensures town driving is easy. Visibility through the rear window, and over your shoulder is restricted - a pay off for that stylish body. The TT's limits are high, stay within the UK's speed restrictions and it has no vices, start throwing it around a track and it loses some of its composure - but 99.9% of the time the TT is an enjoyable and rapid drive. Whether you find the TT enjoyable depends on the type of driver you are. For the majority of people, the sheer drama of driving one of the world's most stylish cars is fun in itself, with plenty of power to make sure you can make swift progress. The four-wheel-drive system ensures good all-weather traction, the TT's wayward rear tamed after its launch. Those looking for a more involving and communicative driving experience will be disappointed, however, as for all its dynamic appearance visually, the TT isn't quite the sharp driving machine that its specification promises, even in V6 form (though that model sounds fantastic in high-revving, wailing Sports mode). It's all a bit remote and uncommunicative, and hardly seat-of-the-pants stuff, and can feel a touch generic-VW Group.
Available in four different states of tune, the 1.8-litre turbocharged unit produces 150bhp, 180bhp, 225bhp or 240bhp. All, unsurprisingly, are rather quick, though there's not actually much to choose between them (there's just a second's difference in the 0-60mph time for the 180bhp and 225bhp models, and the two-wheel-drive 150bhp model is little slower). The quattro models are easier to sprint off the mark, however, as they're less prone to wheelspin. Not that we'd recommend such antics on a daily basis, unless you want to shorten your clutch's lifespan. Mid-range punch is good, though you'll need to stir that six-speed gearbox to maximise the effect of the turbocharged engine. Deceptively rapid, in all conditions the TT feels secure at speed, despite early concerns about its high-speed stability. The real performer, however, is the new 250bhp 3.2 V6, which comes with the sophisticated sequential-shift DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) transmission; this impressive model does 0-60mph in 6.2 seconds and has loads of mid-range muscle. The fastest model, though, is the 240bhp 1.8T quattro Sport coupe, which has had its rear seats removed to save weight and its suspension tuned for a more driver-focussed feel. It accelerates 0-60 in just 5.9 seconds, and is capable of 155mph, though it's not as effortless a motorway cruiser as the more comfortable V6, a more accomplished all-rounder.
