The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Minimalist cabin
- High-tech features standard
- Zippy handling
- TT RS is a thrill ride
Dislikes
- Perhaps too minimalist inside
- Light on active safety tech
- Rough ride without adaptive dampers
- Not long for this world
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2020 Audi TT delivers performance on a minimalist scale, with a minimalist look.
The 2020 Audi TT balances style and performance like few cars on the road.
The well-proportioned car is a blast to drive in any configuration, though the best of this lineup is arguably the mid-level TTS. If you happen to have a race track country club membership, however, the firmer, faster TT RS is a thrill machine with a hefty price to match.
Overall, we land at 6.2 out of 10 for the 2020 TT. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
Changes this year are minimal and are largely cosmetic, though an upgraded alarm is newly optional to help ensure that your TT stays your TT. Base and TTS cars use a 2.0-liter turbo-4 that should be a welcome sight to anyone familiar with other Volkswagen, Porsche, and Audi products. The base car’s 228 horsepower is sufficient, though we wouldn’t pass up the 280 hp found in the tuned TTS. That model also introduces magnetic dampers to the lineup, which provide a more comfortable ride and better handling. Win-win, indeed, and we even like the rapid-fire shifts from the 6-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
The TT RS is best appreciated on a track, especially with the optional carbon ceramic brakes. At its hefty price point, the nearly 400-hp turbo-5 doesn’t impress as much as it once did. The $70,000 or so Audi wants for a typical TT RS buys some impressive metal.
Few cars look as distinctive as the TT, especially inside. The driver-centric cabin leaves passengers out in the cold, but the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and minimalist controls appeal for the way they balance traditional sports car simplicity with Audi’s traditional emphasis on performance.
One letdown is that the TT is one of few new cars without automatic emergency braking, a feature we consider essential regardless of vehicle type.
2020 Audi TT Styling
The 2020 Audi TT remains very attractive, if highly derivative.
The 2020 Audi TT isn’t the knockout that this nameplate once was, though its sharp proportions have generally held up well. We rate it at 8 out of 10 for its styling, with much of our praise aimed at the car’s interior.
The 2020 TT channels the R8 supercar with its upright front end, broad grille, and clamshell-like hood design. Its small proportions serve as reminders that the TT is a rather humble hatchback underneath, though that won’t matter when the valet parks it right in front.
Upsized wheels on TTS and TT RS versions look even smarter, though their bigger, functional vents can look a little fussy.
It’s inside where we appreciate the TT the most. Its cockpit is decidedly driver-focused, with little effort made to make passengers feel at home. Hey, it’s a sporty car, after all. All tech is funneled through the instrument cluster, which can overwhelm at first but becomes second-nature convenience after just a few minutes. Gorgeous materials and attractive interior color options elevate the experience.
2020 Audi TT Performance
The 2020 Audi TT is more fun the more power is underhood.
Forget its humble platform. The 2020 Audi TT’s underpinnings are up to increasingly impressive levels of performance. We toss the lineup a 7 out of 10 for its slick gearbox and good handling, while the TTS and TT RS would earn at least an extra point for their acceleration.
Base cars make use of a 228-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo-4 that routes power to all four wheels through a confident 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with useful paddle shifters. The lightweight car runs up to 60 mph in a couple of ticks over five seconds, which is plenty fast by our stopwatches.
Better yet is the TTS with 288 horsepower from a boosted, power-dense version of the 2.0-liter turbo-4. The 0-60 sprint comes in at about four and a half seconds in the TTS, but its biggest asset may be its magnetic ride suspension that soaks up rutted pavement better than the stiffly tuned base car, while improving handling as well.
Go for the range-topping TT RS and you’ll find Audi’s quick-revving 2.5-liter turbo-5 that cranks out just shy of 400 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque, and it feels ready for the race track as it rushes to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. The TT RS is best used on a track due to its ultra-stiff suspension, and its available carbon ceramic brakes remind us that it’s a race-ready car with sound deadening and a good stereo.
2020 Audi TT Comfort & Quality
The 2020 Audi TT is one of few cars best for just a single occupant.
It’s not that the 2020 Audi TT doesn’t care about passengers, it’s just that it doesn’t really want them. This car’s interior is well-wrought and comfortable, but only for the person staring at the screen framed by its thick-rimmed steering wheel. We score the TT at 4 out of 10, with its cramped space and so-so outward vision buoyed by its quality feel.
The front bucket seats are well-bolstered and ready for action, and they offer a good range of adjustment with plenty of leg and foot room. There’s technically a rear seat in the TT coupe, but it’s really an extension of the trunk. Speaking of, it’s small.
Materials are a highlight, with nice leather covering the seats, low-sheen material on the dash and doors, and the feeling of solid assembly throughout.
2020 Audi TT Safety
The 2020 Audi TT hasn’t been crash-tested.
It would be a real shame to smack up a face this pretty, and apparently both federal and independent testers agree.
Unless the TT is subjected to a barrage of tests, we’ll have to hold back on assigning it a score.
Surprisingly, there’s no automatic emergency braking option, a byproduct of this car’s minuscule sales figures. Active lane control and blind-spot monitors are on the options list, though.
Outward vision is tricky thanks to the low seating position, high door sills, and beefy roof pillars.
2020 Audi TT Features
The base 2020 Audi TT wants for little, though prices skyrocket with a quickness.
Audi will gladly sell you a megabuck 2020 TT, though we think the best money is spent right in the middle on the TTS. Overall, the range rates a 7 out of 10 on account of decent standard equipment and a fair degree of customizability.
Base coupes can be had as coupes or roadsters, while the TTS and TT RS come as a hardtop only. Standard fare for the roughly $46,000 price of entry includes a digital instrument cluster that doubles as a navigation and audio display, leather seats that are heated up front, LED lighting, Bluetooth, and more. Options range the gamut and include upgraded audio and larger wheels.
The TTS tosses in 19-inch wheels tamed by magnetic dampers, synthetic suede upholstery, and a few other goodies. The Technology Package seems worth the coin for its Bang & Olufsen audio, navigation, blind-spot monitors, and a few other items.
Opt for the TT RS and Audi will sell you carbon ceramic brakes and a few other items for an extra $7,000 or so. Unless you plan on using your TT RS on track, skip the big brakes, even though they’re highly powerful. But at nearly $70,000 before options, the TT RS is a tough sell against more dedicated sports cars such as the Porsche 718 Cayman.
2020 Audi TT Fuel Economy
Base versions of the 2020 Audi TT are somewhat frugal, all things considered.
For a sporty car, the 2020 Audi TT isn’t too thirsty. We rate the lineup at 5 out of 10 based on the entry-level engine. Base 2020 TTs are rated at 23 mpg city, 31 highway, 26 combined, regardless of whether they’re coupes or roadsters.
The mid-level TTS is a little thirstier. The EPA says to expect 23/29/25 mpg.
The TT RS isn’t too bad, either, at 19/29/23 mpg. For a car with nearly 400 hp underhood, even tickling 30 mpg on the highway is highly impressive.
All versions of the TT are designed to run on premium fuel.
