2009 Audi TT Performance Review

Performance updates to the 2009 Audi TT make this car the choice for anyone looking for a marriage of pep, handling, and all-weather traction.

According to Edmunds, the new Audi TT 2009 model offers a range of engine choices, from a "turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder" in the Audi TT 2.0T to the Audi TT 3.2's "3.2-liter V6 that makes 250 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque." Consumer Reports prefers the 3.2, saying the "3.2-liter V6 is smooth and powerful." Kelley Blue Book has a different take on the 2009 Audi TT's engines—one that’s shared with TheCarConnection.com’s editors—and opts for the "lighter feel of the four-cylinder/front-drive combination" compared to the "heavier V6/all-wheel drive pairing."

The 2009 Audi TT comes with both manual and automatic transmissions on the V-6, but only automatics with four-cylinder models. Fortunately, the automatic transmission isn’t a typical slush box, and most reviewers rave about the automated manual transmission. Kelley Blue Book notes that both transmissions perform well, with the Audi TT having a "smooth-shifting automatic transmission" and the "S tronic dual-clutch transmission (also called DSG)," which they deem "truly revolutionary." The Washington Post finds that the V-6 in the Roadster versions of the Audi TT 2009 "just wants to have fun, which it does quite easily."

Motor Trend raves about the power delivery from the more powerful 265-hp version of the 2.0T engine in the TTS, saying that it “can surf along on a wave of torque on the freeway, big power just a toe-flick away.” They also complement its “real kick” for driving on twisty roads.

According to the Washington Post, the 3.2-liter 2009 TT "drinks premium unleaded gasoline and does so at the rather alarming rate—for a little two-seater—of 18 miles per gallon in the city and 24 miles per gallon on the highway." There is a more economical option in the TT 2.0T Coupe, which gets "23 in the city and 31 on the highway" per EPA estimates.

The handling of the Audi TT 2009 is "akin to writing with the finest, most perfectly balanced pen. It feels that good in hand," according to a reviewer from the Washington Post, and Motor Trend comments that “it’s easy to drive briskly.” Edmunds.com finds that "Steering is precise, although some drivers might find the rack devoid of feel." AutoWeek pans the shifting, saying that "upshifts come way too quickly"; they go on to gripe that "it's so slow on downshifts that you're forced to go down a couple gears manually with the paddles." Of the ride, Consumer Reports remarks that the Audi TT 2009 has "responsive but not overtly sporty handling." Kelley Blue Book cites the 2009 Audi TT's handling ability, which "holds the road with a firm grip and minimal lean."