Does anyone have experience with the Audi TT Quattro and the MCS. Particular info of interest:
Comparitive handling (street only, all weather conditions; assume i'll put high-performance summer tires and a good winter set on as needed)
Acceleration (not top speed)
Overall build quality
Reliability
Quality of interior

I'm interested in a very good handling high performance car for all weather driving. 50% 50 mile radius; 50% long (500+ mile) trips.

I set a ceiling price of $50K that includes any options, mods, etc. I scratched the WRX STI and EVO off the list for poor interior, MX5 for not being a hardtop, RX8 for reliability, 350Z/GT5 for build quality, VW reliability. This leaves MINI and the Audi TT as my top two choices. Price difference is not much of an issue -- it is $10K with both cars configured as I'd wish and over a 5+ year lifetime that doesn't amount to enough to worry about.

Your experience and judgements are appreciated.

Thnks, TerryNYC

 

If you are at $50K range, get the 3.2 DSG. What-a-car

But the MCS with all the options imaginable is going to cost almost $15,000.00 less, which will give you a leg to put more stuff in it and transform it to a spaceshuttle

 

The only difference between the two and your list is AWD vs. FWD and about $15,000... Honestly, the Audi AWD is amazing, we owned a 1.8TQ 8E Audi A4 (2003), and the handling was amazing. We come from a long line of German engineered vehicles, and honestly our MINI's have NOT let us down.


Forget the TT, stay with the MINI, have more fun, and MORE money to play with it in the end!

 

I test drove a TT quattro before getting my MCS. The interior seems to be decent, but then there are the VW quality issues that will usually arise. Also, the TT is really small inside with virtually no rear seat. I'm not talking about leg room, just the seat itself is little more than a small shelf.


Also, the TT seems to be prone to rattles, but then the same can be said for the MCS. You have poor visibility, and little headroom in the TT as well.

Just some things to think about.

 

We have both a MCS and a TT convertible. The TT is a stock 225hp quattro, the MCS has a pulley, exhaust, rear sway and a few other things.

Power - They are similar, though the turbo 1.8 and the Mini motor pull very differently. TT is quicker off the line with the quattro. I'd take an 06 Mini with LSD and a 15% pulley over a stock TT. A chip in the TT gives huge gains and may blow the doors off a pullied MCS. I wouldnt bother with the 180hp TT.

Handling - The Mini with a sway wins hands down. The TT is a nose heavy pig, and the quattro doesn't make up for it. A rear sway is i nthe works for that car to see if it helps. The quattro only handles the elements as well as the tires that are on it. We have performance tires and it can get squirly in the rain. No contest here.

Price - Huge upside in the Mini resale. Huge upside in TT used market values. You can get a 10-20k TT in like new shape for ~25k. TT with a extended factory warranty would be a smart buy.

Quality - Nod to the Mini. Mini has some ECU quirks that aren't a big deal to me. The Audi should be solid though the electricals are troublesome. People are having instrument clusters fail at $800 a pop. I have some sort of traction control sensor problem at less than 20k. Water pumps are garbage. It's a VW. Both cars should have solid main bits like motors and trans.

Intertior - TT wins. I though the Mini had a rocking interior until we got the TT. The TT is a couple steps above. 90% of what looks like aluminum is aluminum. Mini leather sucks.

 

The TT is a VW

 

WIth a $50K price cap, I think you are looking at the wrong cars all together!!

How about a M3? Kills both cars in all respects (though the TT has an amazing interior). If you like Audi, then the S4 is a nice ride. If you are looking for something that is more of a lightweight sports car, then a corvette should fill those shoes.

The Mini and the TT are 3 steps below all those cars. Sorry to say it, but it is true.

Oh, and you knocked off the 350z/G35 for reliability? ANd you are thinking of getting a Mini or a TT??

 

for $54070 you can get a M3 with competition package

 

I wondered about that too but decided not to go there. On a 50k budget I'd get an M3 as well.

 

You could also get a used 911 carrera...like a 2002 or so

 

There is actually a '97 F355 Challenge on Ebay right now.

Buy IT Now is 50K


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1997-...QQcmdZViewItem

 

Many thanks to all. I'm looking for new only, and after January 1. Not a single dollar above $50K. This knocked out the BMWs which otherwise would have been top choice, but for comparison a 225 TT Quattro configured as I'd wish lists for less than $41K, and the other cars on my list all ran about $30K to $36K.

The very good critique of the TT though means MINI is my choice. Thank you. I know VW owns Audi and they share many components but was under the impression that they were built seperately and the Audi to a much higher standard, too bad for them. I'm also aware that MINI had some teething pains but according to Edwards and CR there has been on-going significant QA improvements. Many of the forum postings here and at MINI2 and elsewhere seem to confirm this so I can't say I'm highly concerned about MINI reliability.

Thanks again for the info. I'm actually delighted because in NYC MINI has one incontestable superiority -- Parking ;-)

 

YOu can still get a 6MT M3 for under $50K. Sticker price may be a little over that, but you can move on the price, especially when the new '06's come out. Right now, you can still find a few '04's on the lots (though not many) and they will move on the price to below $50K depending on the options you have. I've been thining of pickin up a M3 myself with a $50K price cap. I think it is doable....

 

I might be late to this party, but stay away from Audi. I have an A6 and it's a lemon. 18 dealer visits in 30 months of ownership. Still under warranty, but at this point the dealer decided to stop honoring it. I am on a bit of a rant, but over all I am still unhappy with the car.

 

...negotiation, just sticker price. good point. thank you.

on audi -- in addition to the excellent tt critique above by someone who owns both a tt and an mcs what i found was a lot of info about audi depreciation. if it depreciates that rapidly then the market has made a judgement aboiut value and reliability that i will not ignore.

 

how about a 2006 bmw 330i???

 

Well reasoned, and well said! Good luck with the *coughMINIcough* decision. :smile:

 

BTW, if you are in a high demand area, get on the Mini wait list now if you want any chance of getting your car in the spring.

 

I had a TT and now have 2 Mini's. The TT was a fun car but for the price/value relationship, the Mini wins hands down in my opinion. If the TT was under $30K it would be a player. But at $40K...buy a Mini and stuff the extra bucks in you pocket. My issues with the TT were cramped interior, reliability (it was in the shop a lot), and resale value.

ripley

 

I agree. Reliability is horrible. And resale value? Using the word value is a stretch in itself.

 

Well, if the resale is so bad, i'm going to say to go back to the M3 (which has very good resale) or even a G35 coupe. The resale on this car is amazing (at least the '03 like I have). I have about 35K miles on it, bought it for $34K and can probably sell it for close to $26K. A $8K depreciation isn't too bad for almost 36 months of ownership (about $220/month)!!

 

G35 will be replacing my A6.

 

The TT has been definitively classed as an enemy of the people and will be shot at dawn. Those of you who courageously defended the freedom of the people against the imperialist interloper will be awarded the Order of Lenin (second class) and advanced placement on the Trabant waiting list.

Seriously, many thanks for all your input -- the MINI has won the day.

Best, Terry

 

And for making the right decision, we, the NAMsters, as a community pronounce the Hero of Soviet Union. The pigeons will crap on your bronze likeness for years to come.

 

Well too late to the party, but since I have experience with 3 of the cars mentioned I'll put in my two cents. TT's-love 'em, had an original 180FWD bought in 1999, ran it up to 38K trouble free miles before trading it in on a 2001 225Q. Had that car for 45K miles, again no problems, maybe I got lucky. The cars were both fun, responded mightily to chipping, not super fast, but very peppy. Biggest problem I see for the TT is its girth, 3400+ pounds for a quattro. I traded in the 225 for a 2003 BMW 330I/ZHP which 7 months laters morphed into the M3 that I should have bought in the first place. Anyone who bad mouths the E46 M3 hasn't driven one. It's not perfect, it's not a sports car. A bit overweight and known to understeer with stock tire/suspension settings. On the other hand, it's stupid fast and can carry 4 people and their possessions at ultralegal speeds all day. But it's not everything to everyone, so that's why I've ordered a '06 MCS/JCW to complement it. I think the quick reflexes of the Mini will make it just as much fun as the pure speed of the M3, and get a bit better mileage besides. If you go purely on statistics, none of the German/British cars are paragons of reliability, if you want an appliance get a Toyota or Honda. I would not spend $50K on a Mini even though I could, my personal limit is around $30K. Beyond that, you are just moving into an entirely different class of cars. Just to throw a further wrench into the works, have you considered a Lotus Elise?