Gentlemen, your thoughts? 02 TT 225q

[e.Mills]

Gentlemen, I'm a TT n00b. I drive a shit-ton of them during my nights as a Valet, but never over long trips or anything requiring service. just around the corner, in the lot, etc. and so forth.

here's my question: compare in your best words the driving and fit/finish of a Mk1 TT as it would compare to a 20th AE (if you can, it was my old ride), or in more general terms compare to a B6 USP...

The reason that I ask, is that I recently lucked out and picked up a company car (B7 A4 S-Line), and I'm thinking about making a trip for a 2002 w/ only 27k miles on it.

so, your thoughts? worth the hassle of selling the B6 and picking up the Mk1?

Danke!

[myownstylett]

My OP the TT is more for look's but if you have the $$ then you can have look's and power. It all depend's on what you like. I consider the TT to be a great car for track and look's but not for straight away's. Again IMO. Getting a 02 TT with low miles is a plus cuz you can start working on Aftermarket part's before you have to do the timing belt at 60K. One thing Just MOP get a suspension set up first Then the wheels. Wish I had did it. Good luck

[scoTT la rock]

hmmmm well i cant compare it EXACTLY to the 20th AE but i did drive a regular MK4 GTI before i got the TT.

i was always a BMW guy back in the day, and around 4 years ago i was hit from behind and my e36 was totalled. as i didnt have rental coverage on my insurance, i was forced to buy a new car within 3 days of my accident. i wanted to get away from the RWD on the bimmers, so in an impulse i picked up the GTI because my coworker had one and loved it.

i really liked the versatility of the GTI- the fact that it was a small car but you could still get 5 people in there if needed. i also loved the fact that the seats could fold down very well and allow a TON of storage in the back. the parts were pretty cheap.

what i DIDNT like about the GTI was the constant quality issues. the leather was thin and got warped after a while. the spare tire wheel well had a leak that was impossible to trace and it was always wet back there. the windshield motor broke. the side-mirror knob broke off. the engine covers on the bottom of the car broke off. the shift linkage broke. the passenger seat release lever broke off. the lights got cloudy and yellow. the cupholder fell apart. need i go on??

again, i really liked the versatility of the seat configurations, the small-car feel, and in general while a lot of stuff broke only one or two things actually left me stranded. however i hated the build quality, and due to the fact that this car was in cosmic green (like i said it was an impulse buy) it was a total cop-magnet. i also felt like it was a little bit too "Boy Racer" and it was time to move on to a better-quality and more mature car.

so that brought me to two years ago when i was ready to get rid of the GTI. i had been back and forth a lot debating between the BMW Z3 coupe and the TT coupe (i dont like roadsters in either brand). i was 95% closed on a black Z3 3.0 and ready to close the deal but someone got to the dealer before me and snagged it. heading home depressed, i decided to turn to my search for a TT as they were easier to find, and after a long debate i decided i did NOT want to get back into RWD with a BMW.

i finally found what i was searching long and hard for after months of stalking out autotrader. an 01 225 coupe quattro in lake silver with denim blue & black interior. i was totally in love. great power, AWD, and IMO the best styling available. i loved the retro 50s airplane cockpit feel, i loved the outside lines, the slight reminders of james-dean porsche-like qualities, and the overall solid build quality. nothing broken, solid thick leather interior, everything felt 100% wonderful- and with a smile and a much-thinner wallet i did the trade. the TT costs me twice as much per month than the GTI, but its totally worth it to me!

as far as quality goes everything feels totally solid. the fit and finish is superb. the only thing you are going to need to do is change the timing belt @ 60K because they are a known weak-spot. other than that you should be good-to-go.

whoops sorry for the long-winded response!! i have a little time on my hands today at work =)

bottom line is that IMO the TT is going to run circles around the VW in terms of quality.

EDIT: one thing i forgot- the other downside of the TT is that you will never fit more than yourself and one passenger in it. but in a way i see that as a GOOD thing!! no more lugging your buddies around haha!! =)

[e.Mills]

the parts were pretty cheap.

i miss that feature, but a mk1 parts will be coming down further into the mk2's run... at least i'm speculating they will.

the cupholder fell apart. need i go on??

no need to go on. i lucked out and had a 20th, so i avoided some of the standard GTI issues, but i understand the frustrations COMPLETELY as i had a Chrysler Cirrus as a winter beater :D

this car was in cosmic green (like i said it was an impulse buy) it was a total cop-magnet. i also felt like it was a little bit too "Boy Racer" and it was time to move on to a better-quality and more mature car.

do you still get the attention from the fuzz? most of the TT's that i park up here in Park City aren't cop magnets, but that's b/c it's PC... and they're looking for hondas with fart cannons on their ass end.

as far as quality goes everything feels totally solid. the fit and finish is superb. the only thing you are going to need to do is change the timing belt @ 60K because they are a known weak-spot.

I'm currently in a 2005 B6 A4 Avant (arctic white, oh yeah), and am familiar with the downfalls of the 1.8T engine a little. The 20th had a 1.8T (albeit different 1.8T), so I was ready for that timing belt, and built it into my 2008 budget... but, i ended up selling the car off in Q1 '07 and driving the winter beater year round.

so, fit and finish of the car are ranked high. what about your driving "distances" in the vehicle. Anyone commute in one? Will I go batty in the small cabin if I decide to go on a long trip in it? I have a company car, but i don't like to milk the mileage on it on days beginning with S.

Thanks, guys!

PS - ladies are also welcome to respond to this thread... i just put Gentlemen in the title b/c it's a mostly male scene... i don't discriminate against beautiful women in German cars...

[Euroluv]

i had a 00 TT before my 02 TT and i took it from here in AZ all the way to Nashville and back with no problems. it wasn't a bad ride at all it probably would have been a lot more comfortable though if it the car wasn't pack full of my stuff i would have no problem doing it again....if i had too

you would be surprised about how much crap you can if in the lil car, but good luck trying to fit more than 2 people in it. haha!

[scoTT la rock]

do you still get the attention from the fuzz? most of the TT's that i park up here in Park City aren't cop magnets, but that's b/c it's PC... and they're looking for hondas with fart cannons on their ass end.

so, fit and finish of the car are ranked high. what about your driving "distances" in the vehicle. Anyone commute in one? Will I go batty in the small cabin if I decide to go on a long trip in it?

actually, no i dont get the attention from the fuzz anymore. ive only been pulled over once so far and i dont think it had anything to do with the car.

i work in a very rich town in new jersey, and the parking meter ladies dont bother me much anymore because the TT blends in more. the green GTI was too easy for them to spot and ticket! =)

as far as distances go, i took the TT for a few days up to niagara falls (about 5 hours away) with my girl and there was plenty of room for two suitcases and all her makeup and hair products. i also take it to the grocery store and we are able to get a full cart of groceries in there with the seats folded down. not bad at all!

also, i commute an hour each way every day to work, and due to my job i sometimes have to travel pretty far to my client's houses. i put over 25000 miles on my TT in the first year of ownership. and while that sucks, its plenty comfy for trips both near and far.

i think its time to GET ONE!!

[e.Mills]

i work in a very rich town in new jersey

park city = second homes of rich folks. they all have a porsche, ferrari, TT or something here for their summer fun car. if it's not a hondurr w/ an exhaust hole the size of a futbol, i should be fine w/ the fuzz.

i took the TT for a few days up to niagara falls (about 5 hours away) with my girl and there was plenty of room for two suitcases and all her makeup and hair products.

that's so jersey... haha j/k i keed i keed

also, i commute an hour each way every day to work, and due to my job i sometimes have to travel pretty far to my client's houses. i put over 25000 miles on my TT in the first year of ownership. and while that sucks, its plenty comfy for trips both near and far.

that's the useful comment right there. I'm 6'1", and was fine in my 20th w/ the seat adjusted down and all the way back... i've never played with the seat in a customer's car... but, i'm sure that i will fit in there. Thoughts?

[scoTT la rock]

im 5-11 and 175lbs, and i fit totally fine with no issues. it kinda still feels like the same size as a GTI but maybe 5-10% wider?? you can hit a lever on the side of the seat which will make it lower down into "sport" mode, which is how i always run it. you can also bring the seat back pretty far. the steering wheel has tilt and telescoping features, so you can get it comfortable no matter what. the roofline is a little low so if you are cranked far back you may have to lean foward to see a stoplight or whatever, but it shouldnt be too bad.

[myownstylett]

Going to the ATM and climing out the window isnt fun either

[scoTT la rock]

Going to the ATM and climing out the window isnt fun either

HAH too true! i forgot about that one. and going through the dunkin donuts drivethru is a little difficult too! =)

[e.Mills]

going through the dunkin donuts drivethru is a little difficult too! =)

problem solved! i don't eat in my cars... AND we don't have DD out here.

other little pesky flaws you guys can think of? Things that are annoying about the car - example from the B6 would be the hatch on the avant, the clip for the emergency kit keeps breaking on me... because it's 1mm of plastic...

[e.Mills]

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=205912

well, i'll also consider trades plus cash from you guys, but i got my eye on a white TT over in omaha... 225q, please? thanks.

[branden]

I've owned both a 2002 225 TT and a 2003 B6 A4 1.8T. If your B6 is a manual, I'd totally stick with the A4. The 225 TT was a fun, quick and very reliable car for me, however the 2 doors are impractical if you wanna go anywhere with anyone, and it's not a comfortable road trip car in my mind. However, if you're looking for something just to have fun in, a TT was a great car for that. Just not practical as a D.D.

I ended up selling my TT and got something quicker with 4 doors. I also still have the B6.

[e.Mills]

^ good thoughts. i love the '90 coupe quattro! are you part of Volksport back home? if so, i'm MN20AE on there!

my B6 is a tip - and it's still super fun to drive around, but with all the twisty canyon roads here in utah - i'm really thinking about the TT. maybe turn it into an SCCA rally car? lift kit, panzer plate, HUGE tires? haha

but in all seriousness, i'm going to be looking for a 225q in the near future.

[scoTT la rock]

also, you are going to want to be careful with the glovebox. while mine is perfect, i have heard a lot of people say that the handle breaks off easily. and unfortunately that is a 8-900 dollar piece to replace!
i heard about the weak gloveboxes on the net before i even bought my car, so when i went to check mine out that was one of the first things i looked at. i just baby mine and dont really keep anything in it, so i guess mine will be OK.
just be careful opening and closing it and you should be good to go.

[e.Mills]

just be careful opening and closing it and you should be good to go.

are there coil pack issues, too? sounding like MkIV issues to me... is that right?

[scoTT la rock]

yep. coil packs should be checked. a lot of people seem to have probs with these, but mine is perfect. i have had no problems other than a bad alternator once, and thats about it. my car is 100% perfect at this point other than the fact that i need a new drivers door sensor (the car doesnt know when the door is open) so the window doesnt do the whole 1/4-inch-down-when-opening-door-thing. no biggie for now..........

[e.Mills]

yep. coil packs should be checked.

So we're looking for:

- Timing belt wear/service history
- Glove box handle
- Coil Pack
- Electrical gremlins w/ the door regulators?
- ???

oh, and is there an extensive FAQ anywhere? or just re-read all of the mkiv faq?

[scoTT la rock]

these should help immensely:

http://www.audiforums.com/m_821245/tm.htm

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3443644

http://forums.audiworld.com/tt/msgs/1389261.phtml

enjoy!!

[philosopherking]

TT FTW!

I have a 2000 TT, and I'm absolutely in love with it. For me it's one of the most beautiful and perfectly balanced cars around. Granted it's not a 500 hp beast machine, but it's got spunk and with an after market remap plenty of torque. The interior is a thing of beauty, it's the kinda car that makes you think living in your car wouldn't be all that bad.

[blackedoutt]

I recently witnessed a group of three very attractive young ladies taking pictures of my car in the parking lot and saying how "hot" it was. I think thats reason enough.

[e.Mills]

these should help immensely: enjoy!!

thanks, scott!

[e.Mills]

another question (as search has yielded little/no results) has anyone seen a complete flat black TT? just wondering...
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the inspiration for my weekend color scheme.

[scoTT la rock]

http://www.ttgallery.fotki.com/audi-tt-mk1-the-bir/

this is the most comprehensive TT gallery on the web (at least the largest ive found). and yeah there are a few flat black ones out there!!






i wish i could find the pics of that chick's car in germany that did the whole retro 50's theme to hers- its a flat black top and mirrors with primer grey body, whitewall tires with moon caps, and a couple other goodies. i have it in a magazine here somewhere (performance VW) but cant find a pic on the web of it.

[e.Mills]

cntrl + D = tt gallery goodness!

the flat black looks better than i thought! i'm going to waste about... hmm... six hours tonight!

[e.Mills]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...EWA:PIC&ih=002

i will not be buying this one. while i like the waterfall grill adaption... i think i used to see this one in the chicagoland area...

[B5SilverS4]

Another thing to watch out for on the TT is the gauge cluster. I can't believe I was the first person to say that. They was even a class-action lawsuit with Audi of America about it. Your info in the center starts to break up and your fuel gauge goes crazy.

We had a 2001 225 Roadster in Nibus Gray with Baseball Glove interior and loved it. It was my wife's car but I had plans for it. We sold it last May but plan to pick up another one this year just like it. I am 6' and I had no issues driving the car for long distances.
I also own a 01 Porsche Carrera 4, 01 Audi S4 and 02 Jetta 1.8t Wagon. I can say the TT was a blast and I cannot wait to own another one.
Good luck with your search

[scoTT la rock]

I also own a 01 Porsche Carrera 4, 01 Audi S4 and 02 Jetta 1.8t Wagon.

uh, so basically you own the exact 3 other cars i would want to own!

the only one you are missing in that list is a TT, and of course a pre-67 VW bus slammed and primer-blacked out. (well at least that's how it goes in MY head!) =)

very nice...

[B5SilverS4]

uh, so basically you own the exact 3 other cars i would want to own!

the only one you are missing in that list is a TT, and of course a pre-67 VW bus slammed and primer-blacked out. (well at least that's how it goes in MY head!) =)

very nice...

Cool Bus bro!!! Good luck with the search. Your thread made me start looking for my wife's TT today. I am not having a lot of luck yet but I am sure I will find one soon.

[mtbryan816]

I have a 02 TT 225. I really like it. Apr chip only so far, but after reading through a whole bunch of stuff this morning on here and other sites, I've got that modding itch. haha.

But I"m 6'2" and have no problems fitting in it. And I've also taken it on long trips filled with stuff. SW Virginia to Central Wisconsin in one day, packed with 3 weeks worth of clothes, xmas presents, and 2 pairs of skiis. No joke. Had to be creative. It was only me in the car though.

I did have the gauge cluster problem too. Some of the pixels in the display and the temp gauge always read high. Fixed under an extended warranty so not that big of a deal, but it happened. Other than that it's been great. Auto up/down windows are a little quirky sometimes, I think they forget what they're doing. But just hit the button again. But not looking fwd to the Timing belt change at 60kish that everyone always says.

[e.Mills]

Cool Bus bro!!! Good luck with the search. Your thread made me start looking for my wife's TT today. I am not having a lot of luck yet but I am sure I will find one soon.

http://saltlakecity.craigslist.org/car/660230080.html

i'll pick you up at the airport!

[e.Mills]

another question: anyone do the rear-seat delete from OEMpl.us? I was thinking that the rear seats would be useless, and it'd be nice to have all that dedicated storage space. Also, in my 05 avant (which i sold today), i had cargo hooks and a net - anyone see someone putting those in their ride?

[scoTT la rock]

there's definitely a rear-seat delete kit available that is OEM, however it costs upwards of 1400-1600 bucks! spending all that money to take AWAY something seems kinda stupid....

i would love to have one, as the rear seat is entirely useless, but thats just way too much dough for too little of a benefit. you could probably have something custom made for less than that.

theres a dude on vortex (username stjacket or something like that) who made his own rear seat delete and it looks decent. i will try to dig up the thread:

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3687159

[B5SilverS4]

I have a 02 TT 225. I really like it. Apr chip only so far, but after reading through a whole bunch of stuff this morning on here and other sites, I've got that modding itch. haha.

But I"m 6'2" and have no problems fitting in it. And I've also taken it on long trips filled with stuff. SW Virginia to Central Wisconsin in one day, packed with 3 weeks worth of clothes, xmas presents, and 2 pairs of skiis. No joke. Had to be creative. It was only me in the car though.

I did have the gauge cluster problem too. Some of the pixels in the display and the temp gauge always read high. Fixed under an extended warranty so not that big of a deal, but it happened. Other than that it's been great. Auto up/down windows are a little quirky sometimes, I think they forget what they're doing. But just hit the button again. But not looking fwd to the Timing belt change at 60kish that everyone always says.

If you are up to the work the TB isn't that big of a deal to do on the 1.8T motors. I have to admit when I sold my 01 TT I promised the new owner the service and just had a friend who owns a Euro shop do it. I have done them on my other cars so I can say they aren't all that bad. Just make sure you change all the belts, water pump and the T-STAT while you are in there

[B5SilverS4]

http://saltlakecity.craigslist.org/car/660230080.html

i'll pick you up at the airport!

Is this your car? If so please contact me at [email protected]
If it is not then I will contact the seller directly. I am in SLC right now on business, that is too funny. I will be here through the 10th.

[e.Mills]

^ but, is there any salvage value in the rear seats? i mean, if you could get $400-600 for good quality seats... it's lower that cost!

just a dream...

[e.Mills]

avant is sold. Now, the process begins for finding a TT!