Category: Affordable Sports 
Price Range: £25,420 to £42,985
Fabulous cabin, still looks terrific, a much better car to drive than the previous model.
Not the styling sensation the original was - and that's about it.
Audi chose not to mess too much with a winning formula, opting instead to improve upon the original in just about every area.
Audi really has moved the TT's game on here. Starting with a far stiffer structure, a slightly lower centre of gravity, wider front and rear tracks, and electromechanical steering tuned for better feedback, this TT is a much better drive than the previous model. It's also lighter, thanks mainly to a body structure that is 69% aluminium in the coupe, 58% in the roadster.
The optional 'magnetic ride' suspension also adapts the stiffness of the dampers to react to the way the car is being driven and the type of road. Go hard on the twisties and the suspension stiffens up, lighten up on the motorway and the ride gets more compliant. There's also the option of a 'sport' setting, which firms things up regardless.
The system works well most of the time, although it can be caught out by rough, broken patches of tarmac when you're just cruising.
The TT's high-speed composure is remarkable, too. There is a balance to the car that gives so much confidence to power through corners (very much fun indeed), while the steering feedback gives a good account of itself. The speed-sensitive rack and pinion set-up isn't quite as feelsome as the best, though.
The driving position is spot on, with enough adjustability in the driver's seat to get as low down as you need to and a rake/reach-adjustable steering wheel for fine tuning. The view out is good forward, but in the coupe the rear three-quarter sightline is still restricted by those stylish but long, sloping C-pillars. The cabin environment is less claustrophobic and more airy than the previous model, however.
In the two-seat roadster the cabin feels particularly spacious, even with the roof up.
The TT isn't quite as much a pure driver's car as something like BMW's Z4 Coupe - front-drive or four-wheel drive Quattro will never be as throttle-adjustable as rear-wheel drive - but it is a much better drive than before. For the majority, the TT is a massively secure, confidence-inspiring drive, even at high speeds and on challenging roads.
Two engines are offered from launch: a 200bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection four and a 250bhp 3.2-litre V6. With either engine, Audi's optional S-Tronic (nee DSG) six-speed manual auto is well worth a look. In manual mode, the shifts are lightning quick (you couldn't do it this fast with a full manual) and, in automatic mode, the smoothness is surreal. S-Tronic-equipped TTs also deliver more mpg and faster acceleration than the manual equivalent.
The 2.0-litre TFSI develops maximum torque (206lb-ft) from just 1,800rpm, which means the power comes on in a progressive, linear fashion with none of the turbo lag you might expect. With a manual six-speed gearbox blessed with an excellent spread of ratios, the 2.0 feels very responsive right through the range. The bottom line figures for the coupe are 0-62mph in 6.6sec and an electronically limited 155mph. Subjectively, the 2.0 TT feels plenty quick enough, and the engine makes a pretty good noise, too; with the paddleshift gearbox, upchanges are accompanied by a very pleasing blip of the throttle.
All of which means you'll need to find a very good reason to spend another four-and-a-half grand on the V6 Quattro. For the money, you get another 50bhp, a half-second off the run to 62mph and a more entertaining engine note. You also get an extra 130kg of weight (imagine driving around with the fattest person you've ever met sat beside you), 27.2mpg compared with 36.4mpg and a bigger tax bill because of its higher emissions. We'd recommend you stick with the 2.0 TFSI.
The roadster's figures are an also highly impressive 6.7sec 0-62mph time and 147mph top speed for the 2.0, and 6.1sec and a top speed governed to 155mph for the V6, with a similar fuel consumption penalty incurred by the bigger engine.
