Audi TT RS Roadster S-tronic 2dr Car Review - April 2012

The driving experience for the TT is quite good, and the steering does respond well, but it is disappointing that you don’t get much feedback from the driving experience. The ride is generally refined but things can get a little bumpy, although the four wheel drive does mean that the high levels of grip are complemented by excellent traction too. The driving position is good and the driving seat and steering wheel can be adjusted to suit the individual, but as with many cabriolet cars rear visibility is quite poor with the roof up.

For pure engine performance there is no other Audi TT that can match this 2.5 litre engine, and the acceleration from 0-62mph is achieved in a lightning fast 4.6 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 155mph, but driving on the motorway at speed can be quite a noisy experience, with wind noise and road noise both audible.

The TT Roadster is certainly an attractive car with the low stance giving it a mean look, with the large air intakes and grille also giving the car a distinctive appearance. The lines of the body are sleek and clean, but the square tail light clusters may not be to everyone’s liking. Inside the cabin there is a lot of black plastic but it all looks stylish and the leather seats included as standard with this model are very good.

The alloy wheels are included as standard with this version of the TT, and it also comes with heated seats which are a valuable addition in a roadster. The CD stereo comes with an MP3 dock for those who prefer to carry their music collection with them, and climate control helps to keep the cabin comfortable while driving.

One of the main issues for the TT RS Roadster is that it isn’t a particularly practical car as it only has two seats, and although the boot is fairly small it isn’t the smallest in its class. Audi does have an excellent reputation for making reliable cars, and the TT does get very favourable reviews by drivers for its reliability.

This version of the Audi TT does come with a good level of safety equipment included as standard, with a range of different driving aids to help channel the power effectively and safely to the wheels. There are also driver, passenger and side airbags included with the car, but there isn’t a curtain airbag included as standard.

Those who are considering buying the RS version of the TT roadster will find that it doesn’t come cheap, and with a list price of £49,165, it is actually possible to buy a Porsche Boxster for the same kind of money. This can make the RS TT quite a hard sell, as the Boxster has the added prestige of being a Porsche.

Running the RS version of the TT is not as bad as some other cars, with the 2.5 litre engine able to deliver an average 31.0mpg. The relatively high insurance group means that premiums will not be cheap, but one plus point is that the high desirability of the RS TT means that it should hold its value well. The car is supplied with a three year or sixty thousand mile warranty, and is also supplied with a three year membership of the RAC, which is a fairly good package for a car in this class.