Audi’s new TT coupe is pumped and fierce

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Bottom Line: 2008 Audi TT 3.2 quattro

Base price: $48,020

Fuel economy: 17 MPG city; 24 MPG highway (Note: Scores for model year 2008 cars are lower due to a tougher new EPA test)

Standard equipment: 3.2-liter, 250-horsepower, directed-injected V-6 engine, 6-speed manual transmission, quattro all-wheel-drive, heated 10-way power seats.

Safety equipment: Electronic stability control system, front and side air bags, antilock brakes and traction control.

Major options: Magnetic ride suspension, Nappa leather seats, Bose premium sounds system with Sirius satellite radio, 18-inch aluminum wheels, bi-xenon adaptive headlights.

Pros: Menacing looks, crisp handling and all-wheel-drive security.

Cons: A premium price tag, a thirst for fuel and a cramped cabin.

Verdict: The new TT is a real head-turner (especially in the Brilliant Red version I tested), and driving it will put a smile on the face of any car enthusiast. Plus, you can fit a couple kids in the back for short trips.

Source: Audi

The new 250 horsepower V-6 engine propels the 3,200-lb TT with vigor, and leaves a great sound in its wake while doing so. But inescapably, such commotion requires fuel and the TT uses lots of it for such a small car.

The EPA’s estimate is 17 MPG in the city and 24 MPG on the highway. Combined everyday mileage in the upper teens is probably a realistic bet. That’s not very high for a car of this size, but the narrow-angle VW/Audi V-6 engine has never been a model of efficiency, even with Audi’s advanced direct fuel injection technology.

Thrifty-minded drivers can choose a less-expensive and more-efficient 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo version, but its engine is only available in front-wheel-drive form, a layout that compromises the TT’s sporting qualities.

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Inside the cockpit the TT has made an unfortunate step toward convention.

While the cabin is indisputably handsome and comfortable (for those in the front seat), even with rings of brightwork encircling the instruments and vents, the new TT’s interior has an austerity that was pleasantly absent from the iconoclastic baseball glove interior of the original car. The solid black interior of the car I tested was an extreme example, although there are optional colors available for the door panels and seat inserts that provide a reprieve from the black hole effect of the all-black cabin.

One welcome change inside the car is welcome is a back seat that’s at least suitable for ferrying children to day care (the old car’s back seat was only really big enough to carry their backpacks).

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Under the hood, Audi’s Steve Jobs-like attention to detail extends to the styling of the engine and its related components.

Open the TT’s hood and you’ll find something that actually looks like the power plant for a premium automobile. Too often, premium brands simply hide their hardware with a giant plastic sound shield. But under the TT’s hood you’ll find bits of plastic, rubber and metal convincingly arrayed in a configuration that speaks of taste and power.

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