sentra_dude
04-07-2006, 11:26 PM
2002 Audi TT Quattro 1.8T Cabrio 6spd test drive
Yes, yes...not the newest, or most exciting car out there, but I’ve been wanting to drive one of these for a while, as everso is constantly going on about how brilliant they are…;)
Well today, I saw one sitting in the used car lot, so I figured, why not check it out, even though it was a Cabrio. I walked up to it, and low and behold it was a manual…so we went for a test drive.
It has a really a nice looking and feeling interior, comfy seats, nice details, and easy to read gauges. The seating position made it feel like you were sitting more on top of the car than in the car, but not a huge deal. The car’s exterior style isn’t really to my taste, it looks too much like a VW Beetle in my eyes, and the design is certainly getting tired and a bit out-dated, but its not offensive.
Once you start driving you realize this is a ‘smooth’ car, even though it’s a convertible, the car feels solid. The gearbox is nice, but a bit too rubbery, and the clutch is light and easy to modulate, lighter than in my car for sure. I drove it around for a bit, and actually hit some nice turns with it, the Quattro gives the car a planted feel, but its definitely no sports car. The steering was nice, but nothing special either, and the brakes, well I never really got on them in any big way so I don’t know.
The best thing about this car is 1st and 2nd gear. :D I ran this car hard through 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear…and while it’s a bit sluggish below 3000rpm, once you get above that, things get fun, you can hear the turbo finally and there’s a nice push. I really didn’t feel much lag at all, I put my foot down out of the turbo range a few times in 2nd and 3rd gear and the car only took a short while before it was on its way, much less than in the two cars with automatics and 1.8T’s that I’ve ridden. The difference between below and above 3000rpm isn’t really ’stark’, but its certainly fun. Once you get above that range you can hear the turbo - very cool - and when you lift off, you hear a nice little pssst sound, again, very cool.
Overall a nice little car, nothing really bad about it, although I’m not crazy about the looks (cabrio or coupe) and the gear box was rubbery, and nothing that special about it either. Not really that much faster than even my slow Celica in a straight line, but it was certainly fun to finally drive a turbo car with a manual gearbox. I’m sure the extra ponies everso’s car has make a difference, and the reduction in weight of the hardtop...but a Cabrio is all they had, so I had to drive that. :P ;)
Still trying to get in a C6...hehe :twisted:
http://img138.imagevenue.com/loc189/th_64921_Audi_TT.jpg (http://img138.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc189&image=64921_Audi_TT.jpg)
http://img129.imagevenue.com/loc261/th_64790_Audi_TT,_front.jpg (http://img129.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc261&image=64790_Audi_TT,_front.jpg)
Yes, yes...not the newest, or most exciting car out there, but I’ve been wanting to drive one of these for a while, as everso is constantly going on about how brilliant they are…;)
Well today, I saw one sitting in the used car lot, so I figured, why not check it out, even though it was a Cabrio. I walked up to it, and low and behold it was a manual…so we went for a test drive.
It has a really a nice looking and feeling interior, comfy seats, nice details, and easy to read gauges. The seating position made it feel like you were sitting more on top of the car than in the car, but not a huge deal. The car’s exterior style isn’t really to my taste, it looks too much like a VW Beetle in my eyes, and the design is certainly getting tired and a bit out-dated, but its not offensive.
Once you start driving you realize this is a ‘smooth’ car, even though it’s a convertible, the car feels solid. The gearbox is nice, but a bit too rubbery, and the clutch is light and easy to modulate, lighter than in my car for sure. I drove it around for a bit, and actually hit some nice turns with it, the Quattro gives the car a planted feel, but its definitely no sports car. The steering was nice, but nothing special either, and the brakes, well I never really got on them in any big way so I don’t know.
The best thing about this car is 1st and 2nd gear. :D I ran this car hard through 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear…and while it’s a bit sluggish below 3000rpm, once you get above that, things get fun, you can hear the turbo finally and there’s a nice push. I really didn’t feel much lag at all, I put my foot down out of the turbo range a few times in 2nd and 3rd gear and the car only took a short while before it was on its way, much less than in the two cars with automatics and 1.8T’s that I’ve ridden. The difference between below and above 3000rpm isn’t really ’stark’, but its certainly fun. Once you get above that range you can hear the turbo - very cool - and when you lift off, you hear a nice little pssst sound, again, very cool.
Overall a nice little car, nothing really bad about it, although I’m not crazy about the looks (cabrio or coupe) and the gear box was rubbery, and nothing that special about it either. Not really that much faster than even my slow Celica in a straight line, but it was certainly fun to finally drive a turbo car with a manual gearbox. I’m sure the extra ponies everso’s car has make a difference, and the reduction in weight of the hardtop...but a Cabrio is all they had, so I had to drive that. :P ;)
Still trying to get in a C6...hehe :twisted:
http://img138.imagevenue.com/loc189/th_64921_Audi_TT.jpg (http://img138.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc189&image=64921_Audi_TT.jpg)
http://img129.imagevenue.com/loc261/th_64790_Audi_TT,_front.jpg (http://img129.imagevenue.com/img.php?loc=loc261&image=64790_Audi_TT,_front.jpg)