2012 Audi TTS: A Reliable And Fun Sports Car That's Still Affordable

The second-gen Audi makes big improvements over the previous model but is it a sports car worth remembering?

When the original Audi TT made its debut back in 1998, the sleek 2-door sports car wowed the crowd with its stylish looks and impressive performance. Fast-forward through three generations, and the Audi TT still holds strong as a fantastic sports car that offers great value for your money. In particular, the second generation of the Audi TT manages to be both affordable and attractive, delivering plenty of driving enjoyment.

And speaking of fun, affordability, and reliability, there's an interesting new YouTube video that has surfaced on TheSketchMonkey’s channel. This video takes a closer look at what makes the 2012 Audi TTS such a standout in these aspects. So, let's delve into why this car has been capturing the hearts of enthusiasts and practical drivers alike.

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The research for this article was completed on Edmunds, CoPilot Search, Autotrader, and other online sources to find some of the most reliable information.

The Audi TTS 2012 came into the market presenting a new compact sports car that was built from the ground up on a new platform. This helped to differentiate itself from the first generation of Audi TT.

According to the host, this was the first generation of Audi TTs to be based on the Golf platform. He mentions that even though the car has a new platform, the design borrowed elements from the previous generation and the soon-to-be discontinued Audi R8. He notices the slick aspect of the car, with lines that go across the body, giving the car a very symmetrical feel.

The Sketch Monkey says that the back side of the car received an expected change because the first generation of Audi TT had stability issues during high speeds. This was caused by the lift in the back end, so the second-generation TT came with a new improved active spoiler that comes out when driving to provide a better ride.

Combined with the quad exhaust and the diffuser, the presenter expresses the same feeling of symmetry, the car giving the impression of a slick continuous stream.

Audi has also incorporated additional silver elements into the car's design, with the mirrors and fuel cap being the most eye-catching. The front part of the car keeps true to the slick and agile purpose of the car, borrowing some of the elements that we have seen on the R8 model.

The updated version of this model features LED dots placed in the lower section of the headlight. When combined with the car's sleek design and low front profile, the TTS boasts a genuinely sporty appearance.

The video states that the body is constructed fully out of Aluminum. With a perfect 50-50 weight distribution, the car handles with ease and is a true corner taker.

The video talks about 2012 being the era that would give us the perfect amount of technology that you would want in a car. The TTS 2012 interior is a testament to that period, having an elegant interior, with well-defined elements.

Although the technology features may seem old and outdated for today’s age, we have to consider that the car is more than a decade old. In that view, the video states that the amount of technology and its quality feels spot on for the period. The silver elements are present also in the interior, the air vents having their design enriched by them.

The host mentions the curved line of the interior that is given by the side window line, a design element borrowed from the Audi R8 model, almost giving the impression that you are sitting in that specific model. He shares the feeling of “being hugged” by the car, as the general space is on the limited side, and the car is built to have a compact aspect.

Keeping in line with the compact aspect of the interior, the back seats are present, but the leg space isn’t. Their main purpose, as assumed by the presenter, is for luggage that did not fit in the trunk.

Back in 2012, the car came to the U.S. market with a six-speed automatic transmission that can be switched to manual mode via the gear paddles. The host states that back in 2012, car manufacturers were favoring automatic transmission over manual transmission, especially for the United States market.

The car comes with two available modes, classic and sport, the latter giving the driver a stiffer and performance-designed experience.

The TTS 2012 model comes equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder that produces the amount of no more than 265 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Combined with the Aluminum body and a 50-50 balance ratio, the car becomes quite agile and maintains good stability at high speeds.

The six-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission, known as S Tronic, works splendidly in both modes and the all-wheel drive lets the engine distribute the power in a balanced manner. With a time of 5.2 seconds for 0-60 mph, the car is not slow, being able to top its rivals for the year like the BMW Z4 (5.8 seconds) and the Mercedes-Benz SLK (6.5 seconds).

Autotrader listings class the average price of a 2012 Audi TTS model to $12,243. Combined with its performance and general aspect, this gives the car a great price to performance value.

The video states that this second generation feels a lot more sporty than the previous generation and that the TTS model feels like a good balance between power and pricing. The engine combined with the body and its relatively low price gives the car world a fun sports car with a worth-it price.

According to edmunds.com, the car's EPA-estimated fuel economy came out at 21 MPG - city and 29 MPG – highway, giving a 24 MPG combined. This is truly impressive given the car’s sports performance and ability.

The dealership urbanmotors.com lists the model presented in the video at $31,990. This steep price is because that model presented is, as the host also mentions, a premium plus model with only 16 Audi TTS being painted in the Solar Orange color.

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The standard safety features on the Audi TTS include traction and stability control, antilock disc brakes, front-side airbags, and front knee airbags. In Edmunds' brake testing, the TTS came to a stop from 60 mph in a competent 113 feet.

One user living in Canada stated that the TTS is made for snowy weather. The car behaves nicely on the road even with the smaller 18’’ tires. Fuel consumption was also very good.

Another owner stated that the car is a bit pricey compared to its competitors, but the quality is outstanding. Though he would prefer the “Stick” version of the car, the paddle shifter behaved outstanding.

According to copilotsearch.com, the second generation is generally known as the highest-rated one, adding a modern style and a competent engine, all with a lower recall count than the previous TT generations. With only a handful being recalled over the years, most of them not being severe and mostly considered cosmetic and not life-threatening. The site also states the following:

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The final thoughts of the host are that the second generation of Audi TT brought an enhanced sport feeling to the car, mostly due to the new platform that was specially built for this generation. The host's initial impression of Audi TTs was always that the model was pretty boring to drive, being a design that looks cool, but it just doesn't handle right. Audi changed the game with the second generation of TT, giving a much sportier feel when driven.

The host classed the Audi TTS 2012 as a fantastic machine, with a great value for its price, and a sports car to be remembered, spiking the host's interest in the new generation of Audi that are to be released. For its low price of entry decent reliability, and excellent performance, it could be a great option for a used sports car.

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Catalin Curlea is a 24-year-old computer science student at "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University, with a passion for history, technology, and mechanics.With his interest in history and mechanics comes a long desire for knowledge about the early era of cars, but also tries to enhance his knowledge about the current era of cars, especially sports cars and classic cars.