At $14,500, Will This 2005 Audi TT 3.2 Quattro Gain Any Traction?

Possessing a V6 engine and up-market S Line trim, today’s Nice Price or No Dice Audi TT looks and should act the part of a proper sports car. Let’s see if it’s appropriately priced for such an important position.

Fashions come, and fashions go, but getting a good deal is something most people never tire of. With its Joseph Abboud designer style and a good number of mechanical upgrades, the 2002 Buick Regal GS that came our way yesterday offered both solid fashion sense and, at an $8,500 asking price, sparked debate over whether it represented a reasonable value. Being a Buick also meant it carried the unfortunate mystique of blue-haired ladies and 4:30 dinnertimes, but that could all be easily overlooked. Ultimately, the Regal’s tidy presentation, laudably low miles, and all the upgrades made a strong case for the $8,500 asking price. That was seen in the comments and in the solid 69% “Nice Price” win the car enjoyed.

Jeremy Clarkson once derisively described the Audi TT as a “hair scrunchie thing… for men.” That came from a track test of the 3.2 coupe edition he undertook on Top Gear. Clarkson’s dismissal of the TT’s supposed form over function proved all the more confusing as, in the same episode, he compared it to the similarly priced, positioned, and performing classic Mercedes-Benz W113 280 SL, proclaiming that he didn’t like the Audi, but wouldn’t kick the Benz out of bed for eating crackers.

Not everyone shared Clarkson’s vitriol when it came to the TT. The Audi earned a nod for North American Car of the Year at the 2000 Detroit Auto Show. It likely only lost to the Ford Focus after the organizers realized the TT was being built in Hungary, not North America.

Another bit of discordance involves the Audi sports car’s name. The TT title comes from Tourist Trophy, the famous (and infamous) Isle of Man motorcycle race, of which Audi has never turned a tire in anger. The German carmaker has never, in fact, made a motorbike under its name. Honda had feted the race two decades earlier with the Café-style GB500 TT, an actual motorcycle. Audi’s tenuous connection to the annual Isle of Man bike race is through its defunct predecessor brand, NSU, which did have a history of success on the course.

Regardless of Clarkson’s ranting and the naming association that requires a history lesson, the Audi TT proved a modest success, spanning three generations and overcoming some early teething issues with the first iteration’s high-speed stability. The car’s original Bauhaus-inspired styling was diluted with every ensuing refresh, but the intent and packaging remained consistent. Offered in both 2+2 coupe and two-seater convertible, the TT also proved unique among its Audi stablemates for employing a transverse engine and Haldex Sychro-based AWD system rather than a longitudinal/Quattro setup. That was owed to the TT being a reskin of the Volkswagen platform shared with the likes of the Golf, Jetta, and Audi’s own A3.

This 2005 Audi TT 3.2 roadster rocks S Line trim and a subtle, yet elegant metallic gray over light gray interior, and, based on the pictures in the ad, appears very well cared for. It also boasts extremely low (65,000) miles for its age and a clean title.

It’s this TT’s drivetrain where things really get interesting, though. There’s more Volkswagen at play here, with that brand having lent Audi the 3.2-liter narrow-angle VR6 engine, the sidewinder six-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission, and the Synchro-based AWD. As fitted to the Audi, the 24-valve V6 produces 247 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. And while many of us might prefer a straight stick shift, hardly a one among us could shift faster than the DSG.

The seller doesn’t give us much in that way of specifics regarding the car’s mechanical condition, but then doesn’t call out any issues either. The ad does note some aesthetic flaws, including a bit of peppering in the paint on the nose, curb rash on some of the alloys, and a bit of creasing in the leather on the seats.

On the plus side, the car is very well equipped, featuring the aforementioned S Line trim package, a Bose sound system, automatic climate control, heated seats, and power-operated convertible top. Overall, it presents as clean and unmolested, right down to its engine bay with that sweet-looking VR6 mill.

The asking price for this well-equipped, and seemingly loved TT is $14,500, and while that’s not break-the-bank territory, it does reside in a somewhat rough-and-tough neighborhood where many just as interesting, if not more so, competitors also live. After all, that kind of money could buy a solid Porsche Boxster that is just a couple of years older than the Audi. Then there’s Nissan’s 350Z, which many enthusiasts sorely underrate. And that’s just two cars that could cloud Audi’s prospects. That also helps explain why the ad for the car has been up on the Craigslists for more than three weeks. 

What do you think? Does this Audi deserve better than to be compared to its peers? Or does it simply need a lower price to enter real competition?

You decide!

Nice Price or No Dice:

Boulder, Colorado, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to Don R. for the hookup!

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