2009 Audi TTS Review
 |
2009 Audi TTS Review by Michel Deslauriers / Auto123.com |
For those who think supercars like the R8 are a useless waste of money and resources, you're both right and wrong. Yes, a car that costs $150,000 and needs only one buyer a week across the country might seem ridiculous, but the R8 wasn't conceived to be a volume seller. The R8 is a marketing tool.
Such a car in a showroom attracts people, who are then brought back down to earth by a sales rep who tells them "yes, it's expensive, but we've got other Audis here that are much more affordable and are just like it." Ahem, not quite, but you get the idea. Think of the TTS as a poor man's R8. For one third of the price, you get two-thirds of the 'wow' factor and two-thirds of the performance. High-output four The TTS gets the base model's 2.0-litre turbo inline-4, but adds direct injection and some retuning to produce more power and torque than the 3.2-litre V6 does. With 265 ponies and 258 pound-feet, and connected to the company's excellent S tronic dual-clutch transmission with paddle shifters, the TTS scorches to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds. Compared to the V6, the 2.0-litre TSFI engine is lighter and makes for a more balanced vehicle; with less weight on the front wheels, understeer is reduced. But just about everyone who drove the car mentioned turbo lag when launching the car, a trait that doesn't seem as noticeable with the base, 200-hp version of the same engine. But despite all that power, the 4-cylinder easily consumes under 10 L/100 km on a regular basis, and our average of 9.7 L/100 km is impressive. In comparison, Mitsubishi's 2.0-litre turbo that powers the Lancer Evo may be a little more powerful, but it guzzles down 50% more fuel than the TTS. With such a short wheelbase, the car's ride isn't as smooth as in an S5, but certainly not worse than in an R8. When activated, the standard-issue Magnetic Ride shocks stiffen the car's legs even more, but their advantage can only really be exploited on a track, or on a winding, deserted country road at illegal speeds.
|
