Second-hand sense: Six years ago there were not many cars outside the super league to compete with the Audi TT, a 1.8 litre turbo-charged coupé that moved at a clip, looked very smooth indeed and drove like a dream.
It was the latter quality, however, that proved short-lived. It soon became apparent that if the TT looked almost as good as the super-league machines, it was definitely not as stable. Within a short time Audi was forced to add a spoiler and an electronic stability control system.
Thus the TT was retrieved from the brink of a safety problem reputation and, a bit like the re-called and infamous early Mercedes A-Class, the TT became a much better and safer car. So too did the cabriolet version, which came slightly later than the roadster coupé. I liked the car from day one, liked it even better after the improvements. Sure-footed, fast and with a lovely sports car ride quality it gave Audi a new image and a new lease of life to some of its older fans.
The coupé is probably the better bet mainly because of the weather here and also because it drives better than the open-top version. With both you will get leather upholstery, one of the best-designed dashboards ever and a good interior - but not a lot of space. Some coupés have pretensions towards allowing room in the back but not the TT. The coupé, as distinct from the cabriolet, has two seats that might just take a Chinese take away while the cabriolet is strictly for you, one other and the open road.
Apart from its rocky start the TT has a good record of reliability. The early roadster models that need modification had to be recalled and if you are going for a pre-2001 model check with a reputable garage that the work was done. Some of the coupés were also recalled for problems with rear axle ball joints - again this affected earlier models.
The roadster cabriolet open-top scored four out of a possible five stars in the EuroNCAP crash tests. The tests were carried out on the open-top version to get worst case scenario results so the scoring is quite high. However, the side impact tests were done with the top up to ensure there were not big problems with the supports for the hood. Pedestrian protection for passengers, though, was described as "abysmal".
Because of the high initial purchase price you will not find the forecourts littered with Audi TT roadsters and cabriolets. A 2001 model with all the trimmings and 32,000 on the clock has an asking price of €31,950, a 2002 model with the same level of equipment and 34,000 on the clock has an asking price of €37,950 and a 2003 model an asking price of €38,500, with 19,000 on the clock. They are all pretty hefty prices for a limited enough car but they are better value than a second-hand Porsche.