2012 Audi TTS Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Audi TTS review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 TTS, and includes Audi TTS safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

Horsepower is the name of the game with the TTS, a mildly heated-up version of the standard Audi TT. It’s got the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, but makes more than 50 extra horsepower for the $8,000 premium it commands.

The Audi TTS used to be the performance-oriented version of the company’s entry-level sports car, but a new TT RS model (see separate review) arrives this year, leaving the TTS as the mid-level version of the TT trifecta. Because Audi was busy creating the TT RS, the TTS carries over from 2011 without change, just like the TT. Don’t titter. This is serious business.

For 2012, Audi sells the TTS in coupe and convertible body styles (the latter called a roadster) with a choice between Premium Plus and Prestige trim. Compared to a standard Audi TT, and in addition to the stronger engine, the Audi TTS comes with standard Nappa leather, lightweight 19-inch aluminum wheels, and S-line styling details. Hardware upgrades include a magnetic ride control suspension with Normal and Sport modes, better brakes with painted calipers, a Sport button that modifies the steering, suspension, and exhaust note as the driver desires. There’s even a lap timer, just in case you decide to attend a weekend track day event.

Otherwise, the 2012 Audi TTS is equipped like the standard TT. Premium Plus models include 10-way power adjustable sport seats, automatic climate control, a tilt-and-telescopic flat-bottomed steering wheel, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, and Audi Concert sound with a CD/MP3 player, satellite radio, and an auxiliary audio input jack. As is expected as this price point, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power windows with one-touch open and close, and power side mirrors are standard, along with an information center and trip computer, an auto-dimming interior mirror with an integrated compass, a HomeLink universal remote control, and a set of floor mats. Additionally, because this car is ready to battle foul weather – unlike many sports cars – the TTS includes Xenon Plus headlights, LED running lights, fog lights, heated side mirrors, heated windshield washer nozzles, and rain-sensing wipers.

If this isn’t enough to keep you satisfied, the TTS Prestige includes a Bose AudioPilot premium sound system, an Audi Multi-Media Interface (MMI) Navigation system, and ambient LED cabin lighting, in addition to rear parking sensors and heated front seats. Regardless of the model selected, the TT Coupe has folding rear seats and four-passenger capacity while the TT Roadster is a two-seater equipped with a fabric power-folding top and a pass-through from the trunk that’s perfect for skis.

There are few options for the TTS. Prestige models can be upgraded with Audi MMI Navigation, Baseball Optic leather, and heated front seats. Prestige models can be equipped with Baseball Optic leather.

The main benefit of buying the Audi TTS instead of the Audi TT is for its engine, a direct-injected and turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder which generates 265 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque between 2,500 and 5,000 rpm operating on premium gas.

Quattro all-wheel drive delivers power to all four wheels through Audi’s S-tronic dual-clutch automated manual transmission, which works like an automatic in that it doesn’t have a clutch pedal and shifts gears all by itself. Despite the added power and performance, fuel economy estimates are identical to the TT at 23 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.

Here’s another reason to pay extra for the TTS: it goes faster. Audi claims the TTS will accelerate to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds (compared to 5.3 seconds with the TT) and achieve a top speed of 155 mph (25 more than the standard TT). The TTS Roadster is slightly slower in terms of acceleration, but not top speed.

The TTS is equipped with four-wheel ventilated-disc antilock brakes, an upgrade over the standard TT thanks to the vented rear discs. Electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist are also included, and the TTS comes with traction control, stability control, launch control, Quattro, and six airbags including dual knee airbags for the front-seat occupants. Rain-sensing wipers are also standard on the TTS, and the Prestige model comes with rear park assist sensors.

The Audi TTS has not been assessed in crash-test programs operated by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which is not uncommon for low-volume, niche-oriented vehicles like this one. As for dependability, Consumer Reports has decided it doesn’t have enough data to make a guess for how the TTS might hold up over time. That leaves us with a single rating to share, one from J.D. Power and Associates, which in its last round of reliability predictions said it would prove average over time.

To help provide buyers with confidence, the Audi TTS comes with a four-year/50,000-mile warranty and roadside assistance program, and Audi also pays for the car’s first scheduled visit to the dealer as long as you roll in sometime during the first 5,000 miles or year of ownership.

Believe it or not, the TTS Coupe’s trunk is almost the exact same size as the trunk hanging off the back of Audi’s flagship A8 sedan. With the rear seat raised, the TTS can carry 13.1 cubic-feet of cargo. Fold them down, and a generous 24.7 cu-ft of space is available.

As expected, the TTS Roadster is not as accommodating of luggage. Its trunk holds just 8.8 cu-ft. of your Louis Vuitton.

Many people overlook the Audi TTS for more conventional choices in the luxury sport coupe and convertible class. Maybe it’s the TTS Coupe’s tiny rear seat, or the TTS Roadster’s two-seat configuration, but if you’ve got no plans to carry more than one companion, this great-looking, great-driving Audi TTS deserves consideration.

-- By Christian Wardlaw