Audi TT Coupe: review

For obvious reasons, they tend not to find out about the pacy engines and spine-tingling dynamics that make it more wonderful than ever.

And the way it holds its money on the used market? They’re already looking the other way.

Which leaves the rest of us, who leave our own hang-ups at the door and just appreciate good cars. And this latest TT is a very good car.

Let’s start with that interior. This follows the modern trend towards less and less buttons and switches, making it look very crafted, very designed – and extremely cool. Stuff that was once in the centre stack has been moved behind the steering wheel, leaving plenty of creative space everywhere else.

Talking about space, for a coupe there’s a good bit of it in the front seats. Less so in the back, obviously, where it’s definitely only for (small) kids.

In most cases, the rear seats will be used as no more than a luggage compartment. Better possibly just to fold them down and leave them that way – at which point the space accessed through the tailgate becomes surprisingly usable.

Also very usable, but this time it’s not surprising at all, are the engines you can choose from. These are a 2.0 petrol unit, whose 227 and 306bhp outputs are dished up with free-revving verve, and a 2.0 TDI whose 181bhp comes with a mighty side order of low-down torque.

A manual gearbox is standard across the board, and jolly good it is too. There’s an S tronic auto option, which becomes standard on petrol-engined quattro models.

Whether it’s front-only or all-wheel drive, the TT grips and grips and grips. Body control is pin-sharp, as is the feel you get through the steering and suspension; cornering is an absolute joy.

That’s without the optional sports suspension. So we’re not sure why you’d bother spending the extra. Especially not as, this being an Audi, there’s no shortage of other ways to ramp up the ticket price.

You want cruise control? Extra. Climate? Extra? You want it to go beep while you’re reversing? Extra. Most of this is bundled into accessory packs, which is a clever way of making you buy things you don’t want while making it look like you’re getting a bargain – possibly the biggest crime here is that you need to spring for the Technology pack just to get sat-nav.

So, observe the list price with cynicism, because few will pay it. For what it’s worth, the range starts at £29,810 and climbs to £38,945 – the latter is for the 306bhp, four-wheel drive TTS, but we’d suggest sticking with the lower-powered petrol engine and spending your hard-earned on speccing it properly (especially if you want a chance of selling it again afterwards).

After all, those haters will hate you regardless. Which has got to be once of the best excuses you’ll ever need to indulge yourself in this wonderful car.