[Skipton01]

I'm in a bit of a pickle and I need the accumulated wisdom of TTOC:

I need to buy a DSG (or S-tronic as Audi now prefer) car as my left knee is pretty shot and I'll soon be having another operation on it.

The DSG doesn't have to be in a TT, but I've always loved the style of the TT, but have never owned one. I've been an Audi owner for over a decade now, so this is the perfect time to 'pull the trigger' on the TT purchase I've been pondering for so long.

However, with the Mk3 order books being opened late next year, is now a good time to be taking out a 3 year PCP on a car?

My ideal spec is a TDi Black Edition with a sprinkling of options (full leather, hill hold, technology pack, interior light pack, tyre pressure monitor and comfort pack), which comes in around £36k but my dealer is steering me towards one that's currently going to build in September, which is also a Black Edition TDi, but only comes with Comfort pack, for around £33.5k. It's also in Oolong Grey, which initially, I liked the sound of (having had Ebony Black Pearl for the last 10 years), but I now see many reports of it looking a bit brown/golden in sunlight.

I need to be in a DSG car before October, as my knee op is scheduled for then and I need to be able to carry on with work without a break.

Lastly, the PCP is coming in around £470 p/m with a £3k deposit and mgfv of around £16k. Does this sound a bit rich?

Answers on a postcard, or stuck down envelope, or failing that, just reply to this thread - need some impartial guidance.

Ta, Mike

 

[MoreGooderTT]

Personally, I wouldn't buy the first production year of a new model. Granted, Audi will stand by their new model and repair/recall to make it right, but do you want to be the early adopter? That's what you must ask yourself. I have a 2012 S-Tronic TT and couldn't be happier.

That being said, I do plan to keep my eye on the MK3, starting say year 3 of production.

 

[MoreGooderTT]

Oh, and wrt Oolong gray. If you like brown, then yeah. Personally, I think it would look fantastic if they would take the gold flake out of the paint.

Keep resale value in mind. Weird colors, unless they are exclusive or simply amazing, won't likely sell well. Especially polarizing colors that people "love" or "hate".

 

[missile]

With a bad knee, I would be a bit warry of a TT as your only car.

Get the car YOU want. Do not buy a colour you do not like. There are many dealers phone around, one may be able to source the ideal car for you.

 

[wja96]

£31298.47 is what your spec of car comes out at on Drive the Deal.

Audi TT Coupe TDi Black Edition S-tronic - £33040
Technology Pack - £1275
Comfort Pack - £510
Interior Light Pack - £125
Tyre Pressure Monitor - £75
Fine Nappa Leather - £560
Extended Leather - £365
Metallic/Pearlescent Paint - £510
Hill Hold Assist - £90

(£3510 in options makes the whole thing £36550)

And then DtD's Audi dealer discounts that down to £31298.47 and they will give you auction price on your trade-in if you have one.

DtD's dealer will still use VW Finance for the PCP - 7.4% APR so the residual value should be the same. It's really hard to calculate PCP repayments but £470/month looks high.

The only thing I would say is the residual would suggest a low-ish mileage (mine was originally on a 4-year 120,000 mile PCP with a residual of £11,000). If you're doing less than 20,000 miles per year I'd get the 2.0 petrol or even the 1.8 as the economy isn't a lot different in the real world and they perform better out of the box. The 2.0 is also significantly cheaper if you don't need/want quattro.

 

[phil3012]

First of all I would try and see an Oolong Grey one in the flesh, my local dealer had one in and I wasn't keen. It was actually car they'd tried to sell me a few months before, so not popular.

1.8 petrol wouldn't do for you as I don't believe they do an S-Tronic.

Have you priced up deals based on a build to order for your spec vs the one they have going into build? Also try other dealers when I got mine there were a fair few Black Editions about in stock.

There are some good deals to be had at the moment, don't Audi have a PCP deal on at present?

Regarding the new model I was in a similar boat as I know others have been, should I buy or not?, the way I looked at it was there are so many rumours around the Mk 3, will it be 2013 or 2014, will the TDi have quattro?, will it go up a market segment and start at £40K, it may end up looking rubbish as well. Too many unknowns, I loved my first Mk 2 TDi so plumped for a second. Also when the Mk 2 came out the wait was around 9 months anyway.

On PCP you'll always know the car is going to be worth at least £x come the end of the term.

 

[Nyxx]

Hi Mike,
I'm, going to come from a different angle on this but bare in mind I think you will love the TT and I hope you get one.

First your left knee, the TT is not like getting in a Z4 but its no A6 and the door size make getting in and out when in the garage hard. I would just get in and out one a few time to see how your knee does.
Hope the opp goes well Mike.

About your 33k and I see you will be left with 16k still to find after 3 years. Well how about saving a ton of cash? My son loves my TT so much he wants one and the lad has a good well paid job and can afford one, but with the miles he does for work he is thinking of a TDI also.
He went for a test drive in this TT, it was like brand new, not a mark on it, it might not tick all your box's but at under 20k it would save your a ton of cash. Just a thought as this car is stunning in side and out.
http://www.audi.co.uk/used-cars/use...e/derby/602537812-35651.aspx?srcmdc=se_na_re_

GL Mike and hope you end up in a TT as imo they are an iconic car.

 

[Skipton01]

Thanks for the replies so far - really helpful.

I must try to see this Oolong grey in the metal, to see if it is as brown as suggested. The dealer basically said it was a slightly lighter than Phantom Black, but much darker than Daytona grey.

I'm reluctant to get a petrol, even through economy v fuel costs mean that there's little in it, the initial price of the TDi is around £150 more than the front wheel drive petrol and actually cheaper than the quattro petrol! This, plus tha fact that I've been in TDi's for over 10 years now, pretty much makes my mind up on the powerplant.

I live out in the Pennines, where we've had bad snow for the last 3 years in a row, so quattro would be useful (even if it's not full time quattro, I daresay this can be dialled in by an aftermarket specialist).

What is meant by having the TT as an only car is I've got a dodgy knee? Getting in and out seems to be pretty easy, although I would have to choose parking spaces carfully with those long doors!

I'm just torn as to which way to go - do I get the one that the dealer is pushing (I think it must be a cancelled order that was too late to stop going to build), do I get the spec I want for a couple of grand more, but than wait up to 6 months (not really practical as my knee of is in October, unless the dealer can help me out with a loan DSG car for a while). There's also a TT TDi Black Edition in Liverpool that is up for £27.5k, but my dealer says it'll work out more expensive to buy than the Oolong one, due to APR rates and depreciation, even though the Liverpool one is 4 months old!

Decisions, decisions!

 

[Patrizio72]

I cant wait for the MK3 to arrive, will have to be an RS again though so the wait will be a bit longer

 

[missile]

What is meant by having the TT as an only car is I've got a dodgy knee? Getting in and out seems to be pretty easy, although I would have to choose parking spaces carfully with those long doors!

It was just a heads up for you to consider.

How bad is your knee and is it likely to be aggravated by climbing in and out of a low slung sports car? Only you can judge. Buy it and enjoy it whilst you can. You can always trade it, if and when it becomes a problem.

I have a dodgy left hip, after one too many motorcycle accidents. [smiley=bigcry.gif]
My TT is a second car. It is easier to access than many other sports cars, but I could not live with it as my only vehicle.

and ........... I would not believe everything your dealer tells you. Speak to the man in Liverpool.

 

[phil3012]

I'm just torn as to which way to go - do I get the one that the dealer is pushing (I think it must be a cancelled order that was too late to stop going to build), do I get the spec I want for a couple of grand more, but than wait up to 6 months (not really practical as my knee of is in October, unless the dealer can help me out with a loan DSG car for a while). There's also a TT TDi Black Edition in Liverpool that is up for £27.5k, but my dealer says it'll work out more expensive to buy than the Oolong one, due to APR rates and depreciation, even though the Liverpool one is 4 months old!

Decisions, decisions!

It could be one the dealer has ordered for stock rather than a cancelled order.

I would never believe what the dealers tells you, my black one was from stock. When I ordered it they claimed it was at port for entry when I know it was sat at a dealers for about 3 months beforehand...

It would be interesting to find out what they mean by "more expensive". Is that per month or in the long run?

On new ones they are offering a dealer contribution at the moment and you normally get a favourable APR on a brand new one that you may not get used, which may make a new one cheaper.

Or do they just mean that the balloon payment is lower but the monthly payments more expensive?, but could still be cheaper overall?

 

[35mphspeedlimit]

1.8 petrol wouldn't do for you as I don't believe they do an S-Tronic.

Petrol 1.8 has been available for almost a year I think in S-tronic and the significant benefit here over the 2.0 is that the 7 speed S-tronic (as compared with the 6 speed in the 2.0) delivers 33.6mpg (urban) compared to 28.5 - an improvement of some 5.1mpg (about 9%). Still some 6.8mpg behind the TDI but not too bad. Figures aren't quite so good Extra Urban but the 1.8 at £25k is some £4k cheaper than the TDI (albeit thats without Quattro) and 0-60 in the 1.8 is 0.4sec quicker than the TDI!!

As regards when to buy, the view I took when ordering in May was that it would still probably be about 2 to 2.5 yrs before the first Mark 3 TTs become available in the UK so with a 5yr warranty on mine, selling after say 4yrs wouldn't be all that bad. As for colour, let the choice be yours and don't be afraid to be bold!! :lol: :roll:

 

[Skipton01]

My knee isn't too bad - once I'm in the car, it's fine - just the constant dipping of the clutch in Manchester traffic that's the pain (literally).

At least getting out won't be as tricky as the chap I know who's got a Lotus Elsie (!) - in tight-ish parking spaces, he has to turn around and put his hands on the floor to crawl out.

The trouble with Liverpool Audi and my local dealer is that they're part of the same group, so I won't fare any better for the trip to scouse-land.

As to the dealer demo being more expensive, it sounds from what I've been told, that it's the combination of APR, dealer contribution and residuals that force the monthly payments up but the balloon is about the same.

I'm not afraid of being bold, but I don't want a car that turns brown when the sun comes out! I'm somewhat dismayed that to get red leather, you now have to fork out nearly £2k for the exclusive pack. When I ordered my last new Audi, all leather colours were the same as black. And as for charging £55 for a shade band on the screen - that's just daylight robbery.

Finally, privacy glass - I've heard some reports that it's not available for the TT (as the rear quarters are just too small) and instead if you order it as part of the comfort pack, you get rear parking sensors instead. In any event, I'd be visitng Pentagon to get Supaglass installed as one of the first upgrades.

 

[35mphspeedlimit]

Privacy glass is available for £330 (inc VAT) on all TTs and is well worth having. Extended leather is also a must at £365 and adds a real touch of class! :wink:

 

[davidkoulakis]

what have you done with the mighty A2 Mike ?

 

[Toshiba]

Given you are wanting to PCP the car i dont see how the MK3 comes into play.
The only reason you wouldn't buy now is the hit you'll take upon release of the new car - given its a rental, that's Audis problem.

I'd say from an "Offer" and or "package" point of view its better to buy a car at the end of its life rather than the begin.
Much more stuff is now standard and the waiting list is not an issue. Also the bugs have been ironed out.

 

[Skipton01]

The A2 is still going strong, but my knee is the weak link I'm afraid. No plans to sell, he'll remain with me for the forseeable future.

I've got a couple of bikes that I mainly use these days - a VFR800 for general commuting and day to day use, plus a limited edition MV Agusta Brutale 990R for the sunny days. Needless to say, there's been so little sun this year that the mileage on the Brutale is still less than 1000 miles!

However, until the knee is healed, biking will be out, so I'll need a DSG car to keep me working through autumn and winter.

How's David? Still got the RS4?

 

[wja96]

I'm reluctant to get a petrol, even through economy v fuel costs mean that there's little in it, the initial price of the TDi is around £150 more than the front wheel drive petrol and actually cheaper than the quattro petrol! This, plus the fact that I've been in TDi's for over 10 years now, pretty much makes my mind up on the

I would also describe myself as a confirmed diesel person however the emissions kit on the TDi 170 kills the fuel economy (many drivers see as little as 45MPG average) plus someone at Audi decided they wanted to make the TDi 170 drive like a petrol so you have to rev it to get it to go. Maximum power is at 4250rpm, long after the torque/thrust feels like it has ended so the car feels gutless, especially if you've gotten used to the epic thrust feeling of the PD110/130/150 engines. This is exacerbated on the S-tronic as Audi have programmed the box to change up ridiculously early (you can see 6th gear being selected at 35mph) so the car often ends up hunting for a gear in 30-50mph traffic. Because of the longer rev range, this is much less of an issue with the petrol.

On the new TFSi engine, they've made a petrol engine that drives like a diesel. I has the same torque as the diesel, with the resulting excellent fuel economy, but it does produce 25% more power, so it's quite a lot faster. it's certainly a smoother drive.

I live out in the Pennines, where we've had bad snow for the last 3 years in a row, so quattro would be useful (even if it's not full time quattro, I daresay this can be dialled in by an aftermarket specialist).

You can change the Haldex controller, but you'll still end up with the same limits of front/rear power. Quattro is brilliant in wet, snowy or icy conditions, but it only helps with traction and tractive grip. You'll still need winter tyres to steer and stop on the snow.

I would also distrust the dealers. There are shed loads of pre-built TTs sitting at dealers all over the country. Unfortunately, most are fairly basic specification, so it's hard to get what you want exactly. And if you're after a PCP quote, can I guest you try StablevehicleContracts.co.uk. They are part of the group that owns Manchester and Liverpool Audi and I think you'll find on the spec you quoted they'll be close to a £2000 deposit and 395/month, which is a fairly hefty saving. I would also suggest you wait and get the car you want.

 

[phil3012]

Privacy glass is available for £330 (inc VAT) on all TTs and is well worth having. Extended leather is also a must at £365 and adds a real touch of class! :wink:

Privacy glass is standard on the Black Edition Coupe, not available on the Roadster, the Black Edition Roadster comes with parking sensors as standard instead.

 

[BrianR]

Had double knee surgery 12 months ago and finally had to sell the TT after a few vert uncomfortable longer drives; nothing to do with the car and more my ability to find a comfortable driving position for the knees, plus getting in and out was pretty uncomfortable too. Back to a four door saloon when I can decide which one to go for