Having owned the TTRS for just over 3 months I thought I’d post my views on it as my daily driver. I was always going to compare it in my head to my previous long-termer, my B7 RS4, so that’s what I’ve done here. These are just my opinions and I’m expecting to get flamed by some, but at the end of the day it’s just my thoughts about my car. Oh, and apologies for the essay...
Appearance
RS4
I had the saloon, and from the moment I first saw an ad for a sprint blue B7, I was in love with the looks. With the bulging wheel arches, big wheels, aluminium effect wing mirrors & twin oval exhaust tailpipes, it’s a stylish but mean-looking car, but still fairly subtle to those not in the know. I still drool every time I see one on the road. The only let down for me were the crappy yellow DRLs…although that was easily fixed with PIAA bulbs.
TTRS
I know they’re not to everyone’s taste, but again I loved the TTRS from the first time I saw one…as long as it has the 19” or 20” alloys. On the standard 18” wheels I think the TTRS looks too ordinary and not ‘beefy’ enough. For me it had to be Sepang blue or Suzuka grey but my preference for blue cars (my RS4 was sprint blue) won. In my mind, Sepang blue with the titanium alloys is the perfect combination. Eye-catching without being too ‘in your face’. There probably aren’t enough subtle differences to differentiate it much from many other TT’s in the range, but that actually makes it stand out less which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I really like the LED sidelights & DRLs – some may think they’re a bit bling, but I think they’re great.
I still look back at it with longing looks every time I park it up – to me it’s stunning…and a little more modern than the B7.
RS4 – 8.5/10
TTRS - 9/10
Interior
RS4
My B7 had the Recaro buckets and flat bottom steering wheel, and it made me feel like I was driving a proper sports car. There’s definitely an art to getting in & out of those buckets, but once in them I always found them really comfortable & supportive, even on long journeys. The fake metal bit at the bottom of the steering wheel was a bit slippery (and cold in winter!) but it certainly looked better than the alternative MFSW. Other than that, I thought the interior held up well with age – it was starting to look a little dated but not too bad, and the quality feel of the materials was obvious.
TTRS
I didn’t go for the optional buckets as I have 2 young kids & need that extra little bit of room in the back that the standard seats allow. The standard seats are still really good though – very comfortable but still with a decent amount of lumbar support etc. The seats are also electronically adjustable which is handy although it wouldn’t bother me if they were manual. My car has the less common ‘silver’ (looks beige to me!) leather interior, which also comes with silver door cards and has the effect of brightening the cabin quite a bit. With the dark exterior it works really well.
Being a TT there’s not as much space as in the RS4 for the driver, but the controls are well laid out and the cabin has a quality feel about it. And the all leather flat bottom steering wheel is a definite improvement over the RS4 wheel. Overall it feels more modern, not at all plasticky, and is a nice place to be.
RS4 – 7.5/10
TTRS – 8.5/10
Technology/Gadgets
RS4
My RS4 had the optional CD multichanger which was functional but a bit dated. I tended to use the SD card slots, but the restriction of not being able to use SDHD cards was disappointing. The RNSE Sat Nav was ok but seemed to be a bit random at times with its directions.
Mine also had auto lights, auto dimming mirror & auto wipers, all of which I liked. And front & rear parking sensors were absolutely priceless – they made parking what was (for me at least) a big car so much easier.
On the whole it wasn’t too bad in terms of gadgets, but definitely lagged behind some of it’s competitors.
TTRS
Some of my must-have options were BOSE upgrade, Bluetooth, rear parking sensors, Sat Nav, and Audi Music Interface (AMI).
The BOSE upgrade is ok but not great – probably not worth the extra if speccing the car from new. The Bluetooth is disappointingly poor – because the microphone positioning is crap. I can hear people on the other end but they can barely hear me even when I’m shouting. Waste of time!
The parking sensors are a must and work exactly the same as on the RS4, whilst the Sat Nav is only a marginal improvement on the RNSE in the RS4. There’s a couple of extra bits of functionality (close-ups of lanes when approaching junctions etc) and the nav information shown in the DIS is a bit better, but not enough of an advancement for me. The touch screen Sat Nav in my wife’s Hyundai is so much better, and yet Audi claim to be the premium brand!
I do like the AMI – gives me full iPod connectivity with track names, folders, playlists all easily accessible from the console or from the steering wheel. It also has a USB connection, plus you can play audio CDs via the Sat Nav drive, and it still has the 2 SD card slots.
The steering wheel controls allow track selection, FFWD/Rewind, Volume control, phone book access, making/receiving calls etc and in itself the wheel is really good – it’s just a shame that some of the things it interfaces with aren’t better.
The car also came with voice control/recognition, which is useless. It rarely recognises what I’m saying (maybe my dodgy accent) so I’ve given up on it. A waste of time gimmick in my opinion…
Overall the TT feels more updated than the RS4, but probably not as much of an advancement as it should have been for a car that’s 4 years younger…
RS4 – 7.5/10
TTRS – 8/10
Performance / Driveability
Let’s get one thing clear first. I know the journos say a proper sports car has to be rear wheel drive etc etc, but for me I get more enjoyment from knowing that with quattro, my car is going to stick to the road (in most circumstances/conditions) however much I throw it around. I don’t need to get the tail moving sideways to have fun, but each to their own eh…
RS4
So, quattro and DRC – brilliant! For a big car I thought the B7 handled really well. I don’t think there’s much to beat DRC for ride quality when it’s working (which mine did). In all conditions the RS4 gave me great confidence, and I never felt out of control in it. Short sprints or long journeys, it always felt comfortable and had the ability to accelerate steadily up to blistering speeds. It didn’t give instant power in the same way that forced induction does, but once it got going it felt awesome! At the top end it just seemed to want to keep going & going…a superb engine.
Mine was never remapped or upgraded in any way, but for me the performance it gave in stock form was good enough. Fantastic to drive every time – a proper driver’s car.
TTRS
Another fantastic engine – the 5 pot is another masterstroke from Audi. The torque available from very low revs means the car accelerates effortlessly up to high speed with no turbo lag, and you can feel it pull regardless of which gear you’re in. Again mine is stock (for now!), but despite only having 335bhp it ‘feels’ faster than the RS4, and I’m sure it is in the lower gears. It runs out of puff a little at the top end, but rarely can you go anywhere near that fast (legally) on British roads. I always have mine in sport mode which sharpens the throttle response – my only gripe is that in 1st gear the throttle is too aggressive so you have to be really gentle on the clutch.
Handling-wise it’s fantastic. The ride is a little firm, but the thing corners like it’s on rails. The low centre of gravity in a relatively light car means you can throw it around with confidence and it just sticks to the road. You do feel the bumps but it’s not uncomfortable. I’ve only had mine since January so have predominantly driven it in snow, ice & wet conditions so far, and it’s handled them with ease.
I’m not naïve enough to think the TTRS is the quickest car on the roads, nor would I say it drives better than the RS4, but it’s more fun than the RS4 because of it’s agility & acceleration.
RS4 - 9.5/10
TTRS – 9.5/10
Soundtrack
RS4
It’s a V8 – and it sounded phenomenal! Mine had the standard OEM exhaust which for me sounded great without being too obtrusive. I always drove mine in Sport mode so the exhaust flaps were open…and loved the sound every time.
TTRS
Ok, so it’s not a V8. That said, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how good the exhaust sounds. Again mine has the standard exhaust, and whilst it’s a bit quiet at low revs, as soon as you put your foot down it gives what I’d describe as a ‘throaty burble’ rather than the V8 roar. Would have loved to have got one with the OEM sports exhaust, but am still happy with the noise mine makes.
RS4 - 9.5/10
TTRS – 9/10
Practicality
RS4
It was (and still is) the ultimate all-rounder. 5 proper seats, 4 doors, a big boot and decent leg room for all passengers – it terms of practicality I couldn’t fault it for my needs.
TTRS
In comparison, no it’s not practical. Only 2 doors, no room for passengers in the rear unless they’re under 4’6”, etc etc. However, for a sports coupe it has a reasonably sized boot – I can fit our pushchair, travel cot, and overnight bags in there no problem. At the end of the day, if I needed a practical car I wouldn’t have bought a TT!
RS4 - 10/10
TTRS – 7.5/10
Economy
RS4
You don’t buy a 4.2 litre V8 for economy, but running costs are still a consideration for me. On my 20 mile each way commute (which consists of approx 16 miles of 50mph A-roads with a dual carriageway blast at either end) my RS4 averaged 19-24 mpg depending on traffic. Service/maintenance costs weren’t too bad for a car of it’s prestige/value, although I did get DRC and oil cooler/pipes replaced FOC under goodwill warranty. Consumables like tyres weren’t cheap, but that’s no surprise.
TTRS
For a 2.5 litre 335bhp car, it’s actually surprisingly good for mpg so far. On my same commute it’s averaging 31-35mpg, and that does include some spirited driving. I’ve not needed any servicing or repairs yet, although Camberley Audi told me to expect the servicing costs to be less than those for the RS4. Again, tyres etc are going to be expensive.
RS4 - 3/10
TTRS – 6/10
Overall ’Manliness’/Image
RS4
It’s a proper blokes car! Nothing more worth saying…
TTRS
Ok, some still view the TT (and by that I mean all TT’s) as a bit girly or a bit gay. That doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I actually think that in RS guise, the TT doesn’t look girly or gay at all (apart from the roadsters of course
) – as long as they’ve got the 19” (preferably) or 20” wheels I think they look pretty mean whilst also looking stylish. And I also think that the RS has disproved the ‘style over substance’ argument. Regardless of how they look, that engine & that acceleration make it more than just a hairdresser’s car.RS4 - 10/10
TTRS – 8/10
Summary
RS4 – 65.5/80
TTRS – 65.5/80
As mentioned at the start this is all only my opinion. Both have their pros & cons relative to each other. If I needed the practicality then the RS4 would win hands down, but at this stage I don’t need that practicality. 95% of the time I spend in a car it’s just me – no passengers & no luggage.
The TT is such great fun to drive and as a daily driver it ticks all the boxes I need it to. Maybe it’s because it’s still my new toy, but for me the TTRS is perfect for my needs and just edges it.
