Audi TT Roadster (2007-2015)

The Audi TT Roadster is a convertible sports car that rivals models like the BMW Z4 Roadster, the Mercedes SLK cabriolet and the Porsche Boxster roadster. And it’s a superb car.

The current version was launched in 2007, after the previous model had been around for 10 years. It has the same iconic shape with just enough changes to keep it looking sporty and modern – and even after seven years on sale, it still looks good. It has a folding electric roof rather than the folding hard-top favoured by many of its rivals. This may not look as good, but it folds down quicker and takes up a lot less space once it’s down.

As with all Audis, the interior is superb – material and build quality are top-notch, while the design is really stylish. And the TT Roadster is great to drive, too, thanks to a range of great engines, balanced handling and loads of grip. The Audi TT Roadster comes in three specifications: entry-level Sport, S line and the range-topping Black Edition.

This generation of TT has now been replaced. Read our in-depth review of the latest Audi TT Roadster.

Engine choices on the Audi TT include two petrols and a diesel. The latter – a 2.0-litre TDI – is the most efficient and will return 51.4mpg and emit 144g/km of CO2. That puts it in tax band F, which costs £140 a year.

The diesel Mercedes SLK cabriolet does offer slightly better figures, but only just, and it’s quite a bit more expensive. The BMW Z4 doesn’t come with a diesel option, so its running costs are quite a bit higher.

Petrol engines on the TT Roadster include a 1.8-litre TFSI and a 2.0-litre TFSI, and both are quite expensive to run. The smaller engine will return 43.5mpg and emit 152g/km CO2, while the larger will return 42.2mpg and emit 156g/km of CO2, putting both in tax band G with an annual cost of £175. Choosing the S tronic automatic gearbox instead of the six-speed manual will reduce fuel economy by a few MPG on all engines.

The TT Roadster is brilliant on the road. The steering is accurate, there's plenty of grip, it slices through corners with ease and it feels pretty comfortable while doing it. The engine range consists of a 208bhp 2.0-litre TFSI petrol, a 158bhp 1.8-litre TFSI petrol and a 168bhp 2.0-litre TDI. The range-topping petrol engine offers very rapid performance and will go from 0-62mph in just 6.2 seconds.

But we’d recommend the diesel – it’s smooth, quiet, punchy and economical. It’s not quite as quick as the big petrol engine, but with a 0-62mph time of 7.8 seconds, it’s no slouch. Taking the roof down doesn’t affect performance and the cabin does a good job of keeping the wind out, so it’s enjoyable even at motorway speeds.

The Audi TT Roadster is a sports car – it’s been designed to handle well and that means it has relatively stiff suspension. But the engineers at Audi have done a great job of balancing its performance with comfort, so while it’s not as cosseting as a luxury limo, it certainly won’t break your back.

The seats are comfortable and supportive and there’s plenty of adjustment in the driving position and the steering wheel, so it’s easy to settle in to. Audi offers adaptive suspension as an optional extra. This lets you manually firm up the suspension for sportier handling at the flick of a switch, but it’s expensive.

Sporty roadsters are never going to be practical vehicles, but the Audi TT trails behind rivals in this respect. The boot holds just 250 litres – quite a bit less than the 310 litres available in the BMW Z4 and the 335 litres of the Mercedes SLK. In fact, even the sportier Porsche Boxster has a bigger boot.

The interior does feel fairly spacious, though. But the TT Roadster is strictly a two-seater: if you need rear seats, you’ll be better off looking at the larger Audi A5 cabriolet.

Material and build quality in the TT Roadster is first class – you’ll struggle to find an interior that’s more pleasant to sit in. And Audi has performed relatively well in customer satisfaction surveys in recent years. It came 10th out of 32 in the 2013 Driver Power manufacturer rankings. That put it ahead of BMW, but still some way behind other premium rivals like Mercedes in fifth and Jaguar in third. It didn't feature in the 2014 survey.

The TT also put in a decent showing in the Top 100 Cars league table in 2013, coming 96th – not bad for a car that had been on sale for seven years at that point. And while that result was behind the Porsche Boxster, neither the Mercedes SLK nor the BMW Z4 managed to make it into the Top 100 that year.

It’s a safe car, too, with a full range of airbags, electronic stability control, traction control and anti-lock brakes.

The Audi TT Roadster is a premium sports car, so it’s not cheap to buy, but it is pretty good value compared to rivals. There are three specification levels: Sport, S line and Black Edition. Prices for the entry-level 1.8-litre petrol Sport model is lower than for the BMW Z4 and Mercedes SLK, but equipment levels are pretty basic – you get alloy wheels and air-conditioning, but not leather upholstery.

The diesel engine is quite a bit more expensive and comparable with the Mercedes SLK. But the TT Roadster has some of the strongest used values of any car on the market. These cars usually retain around 60 per cent of their value after three years, which is far higher than the average for a used car of that age.