One Week With: 2016 Audi TTS

Groceries in the trunk, wife in the passenger seat sipping Starbucks; we’re enjoying the warm Southern California summer air with the windows down. We waft from Target to the donut shop on the corner, our backsides bathed in soft and supple leather and our ears awash with the sounds of Hugh Laurie’s piano in “St. James Infirmary.” We’re living the supposed American dream. Everything should be perfect, but the 2016 Audi TTS we’re in makes me feel like something’s missing.

Its turbocharged engine is peppy and its Quattro all-wheel drive, combined with capable Pirelli P-Zero tires, keeps the TTS planted at enthusiastic speeds on the long sweeping canyon roads of Angeles National forest. Yet I can’t seem to find a reason to care. I’m struck with the persistent notion that the TTS is just a car. It simply doesn’t feel special — a huge problem for a car costing almost $60,000.

The aforementioned soft and supple leather – the seats it wraps are comfortable and supportive for most body types – is the highlight of the interior. The rest of which is just…meh. Quality plastics, leather, and aluminum are liberally used throughout, but in a bland manner lacking any hint of spice or charming quality that makes you want to linger in the driver’s seat. It is a space inspired by Ben Stein’s soft, monotone voice.

This inspiration seems to extend, uncharacteristically for an Audi with a Bang & Olufsen, to the optional premium stereo. The fidelity and lacking bass oomph doesn’t gel with the $950 price tag.

Unlike its bulbous predecessors, the 2016 TTS has sharp, angular lines that make it look perpetually pissed off. Its R8-inspired wheels add to this effect. Unfortunately for Audi, which made the mistake of sticking the exact same body on every single one of its cars, today’s automotive marketplace is full of aggressively-styled cars – e.g. Lexus’s entire lineup. As a result, the aggression is muted and the car’s overall design suffers since nothing about it is unique.

Mechanically, what supposedly makes the TTS special mechanically has been lifted from Volkswagen’s Mk.7 Golf R. Its 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 cylinder engine develops the same 292 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque as the family-oriented hot-hatch. It even uses the same Haldex all-wheel drive system and the same six-speed dual-clutch transmission. Given that the Golf R was one of our All-Stars, you’d think that the same drivetrain in a two-door coupe would be one of our favorite things ever. You’d be wrong.

Somehow, Audi managed to remove much of the fun. On the tight switchback roads of California’s Angeles Crest Highway, the TTS feels surefooted. There’s no roll or pitch as you hammer the car through the turns. It stays flat, giving confidence to push as hard as you dare. But it doesn’t matter how hard or how long you spank the car up and down mountain roads, you’ll never really develop a connection with it. Instead, you’ll find yourself mentally scrolling through your grocery list as if the canyon drive is just another day at the office.

In the Golf R, you feel as if you shouldn’t be able to do the things it’s capable of doing. It feels like it’s entirely too fast for public consumption, let alone for strapping a child or dog into the back seats. And that’s exactly what the TTS is missing, that sense of wonderment of what the car is capable of. It just does it, and in this respect, the TTS feels like a smaller Nissan GT-R. There’s no fun in removing the driver from the equation, letting the car do all the work.

Why Not Just Buy a Cayman?

Base price for the Audi TT S is $52,825 including destination. The brand new 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman? At $54,950 with the Porsche you get so much more, as long as you’re willing to give up all-wheel drive and go easy on the options list. It’s not only faster than the TTS, but it’s more precisely balanced than the 718 Cayman thanks to its mid-engine layout. You also get the enhanced brand cachet of owning a Porsche. And those that love the act of driving are able to get a 718 Cayman with a manual transmission, something unavailable in the dual-clutch-only TTS.

Another omission is that, unlike Porsche and its Boxster, Audi doesn’t offer a convertible version of the TTS. (For now you can only get a drop-top version of the base TT, although the upcoming TT RS is expected to arrive on U.S. shores as both a coupe and convertible). Recently, we sent executive editor Mac Morrison to drive the new Boxster, and he came back with nothing but praise for the new Porsche, saying, “Indeed, the new Porsche 718s remain focused performance cars, with sublime balance through corners, and the engine and chassis changes mean they take those corners faster than ever before. It’s the best in its class.”

In the end, you’ll be happier with the Cayman or the Boxster. They’re better cars, have a better nameplate behind it and you won’t feel like you’re in a slightly more expensive Volkswagen.

2016 Audi TTS Specifications

On Sale:	Now
Price:	$52,825/$58,975 (base/as tested)
Engine:	2.0L turbocharged DOHC 16-valve Inline-4/292 hp @ 5,400 rpm, 280 lb-ft @ 1,900 rpm
Transmission:	6-speed dual clutch automatic
Layout:	2-door, 4-passenger, front-engine, AWD coupe
L x W x H	165.0 x 72.1 x 52.8
Weight	3,241 lb
EPA Mileage:	23/27 mpg (city/highway)
0-60 MPH:	4.6 sec
Top Speed:	155 mph (electronically limited)

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