Audi A6 vs Audi TT

What's the difference?

I was thoroughly impressed by the Audi A6 Allroad 45 TDI quattro 2020 model. It is excellent on road, resolved and comfortable on unsealed surfaces, and very well packaged for family touring.

I’d personally have it in a heartbeat over a Q7 or any SUV, for that matter. I can understand why some buyers wouldn’t consider it, but if you’re someone who likes to think outside of the boxy SUV, then be sure to take a look at the Audi A6 Allroad.

Audi is finally saying hooroo to this model which has made the world stop and stare like I did on that Parisian street all those years ago.

The Final Edition is a fitting tribute to this iconic sports car and I’m glad Audi didn’t go ‘OTT’ and deck it out with gimmicky features. 

At the same time the Final Edition’s big rear wing, blacked out badges, wheels and interior colour coding hint that this is not just any ordinary TT and those that know will know.

Farewell Audi TT, we hope something just like you but probably electric appears to stop us in our tracks again. 

If this isn’t the best looking genre of car, I must have been blindfolded since birth. You might think differently - be sure to let me know in the comments section below.

But for me, I just love the idea of a station wagon that is beefed up with SUV styling cues, and the Audi Allroad formula has been en pointe for generations now. This latest A6 Allroad doesn’t disappoint, either, with all the elements you’d expect.

Things like the bulging contrasting wheel-arch liners, the rugged underbody protection bash plates, and even the silver roof rails and silver metallic side sill protectors with ‘quattro’ emblazoned upon them - it just all works. 

And being an Audi A6 wagon underneath the glittery bits, it’s a sizeable vehicle. The dimensions read like so: length - 4951mm; wheelbase - 2925mm; width - 1902mm; height - 1458mm, though that depends on the height of the air suspension. 

The A6 Allroad sits about 45 millimetres higher than the standard A6 Avant wagon (not sold in Australia). And the ground clearance also varies depending on the air suspension height setting, but it is officially recorded at 139mm - which isn’t very high at all, but that’s for the regular driving setup. In its raised height, that jumps by 45mm to 184mm. Nowhere near an off-road Toyota, but still high enough to stop the belly from scraping.

And there are other hardware bits to help you out if the going gets tough - out of sight is Audi’s ‘quattro’ all-wheel drive system with a self-locking centre differential that the brand says provides “superior traction and its high level of safety and agile handling”. There is hill descent control, and the infotainment screen can display the location, elevation, compass and driving angles, too.

As for the design of the interior? It’s high-tech Audi opulence and comfort at its best. Check out the interior pictures to see what I mean.

The Audi TT’s shape has morphed over the past 25 years from the cute, rounded bubble car that first appeared in the late 1990s to the more aggressively and sleek looking sports car with the sharp creases we see today.

Still, there are the familiar pumped-out wheel arches and, while not as prominent as it used to be, that arching roof and the way it flows down to those tail-lights and stumpy tail remains so true to the original TT.

The TT Final Edition has a more menacing and athletic look than the regular 45 TFSI its based on thanks to the S Line Competition Plus exterior package.

So you’re getting the big fixed wing, an aggressive front bumper, and the 19-inch alloy wheels in gloss black.

There’s a black package, too, which add the decals down the side, the blacked-out badges, the black exhaust tips and black wing mirrors.

My test car’s paint colour was Turbo Blue and you can see in the images of the cabin how Audi matches interior elements in the same colour. The contrast stitching on the seats also lifts the sporty feel into high-end territory.

It’s a simple cabin, though, free from busy buttons and giant screens and the incorporation of climate controls into the air vents is genius. 

If you’re wondering what the TT Final Edition’s dimensions are its 4191mm long, 1832mm wide and 1376mm tall. 

Technical. Practical. Glorious. Three words I’d use to describe the cabin of the Audi A6 Allroad. 

The cockpit isn’t anything out of the ordinary for an Audi of the modern era, and as such it will feel familiar to you if you’ve been in or around any of its more recent stablemates. It also means that you’ll find yourself in a high-end, high-tech and highly pleasant interior. The materials used are beautiful and of a high standard. They look very nice and it is an extremely pleasant place to be. And you can hate on me if you want, but I’m sold on brown leather. Yummo!

It will take some time for you to get to grips with the dual-touchscreen layout of the cabin, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature.

The media screen is very easy to use, the menus are simple to learn, and over my week there were absolutely no issues with Apple CarPlay - either when connected via USB, or when used wirelessly.

The second screen below controls a lot of the main functions of the air conditioning system, and while I’m not a huge fan of using a screen to touch through temperature and fan controls, this one has haptic feedback and is well positioned - it’s not as much of a glance away from the road as in, say, a Land Rover or Range Rover. There’s also a volume knob which is good, and quick buttons for Drive Select and demister for front and rear windscreens.

In terms of the practicalities, there are bottle holders in the doors, a pair of cup holders between the front seats, a covered centre console bin with Qi wireless phone charging (remember not to leave your phone in there!) and there are two USB ports in there, plus a SIM card slot and SD card slot as well.   

The seat comfort is very good - there’s electric adjustment on both seats with lumbar adjustment, and the driver’s seat gets memory settings as well. The electric steering wheel adjust is a nice touch as well, and there’s a remote boot release trigger, too.

There are twin sunroofs, and the front one can tilt and slide while the rear one is fixed. It helps lighten things up a bit if you have the optional dark headlining, which I personally wouldn’t choose.

Rear seat space is excellent. Sitting behind my own 182cm driver’s seat position, I had easily enough legroom, headroom and shoulder room - in fact, the rear pew is so accommodating, it could easily fit three of me across - but foot space is a little tight due to the large transmission tunnel. 

Those in the back are well catered for – there are 2x USB ports, a pair of large door pockets with bottle holders, twin mesh map pockets, a flip down armrest with storage and cupholders, and our car had quad zone climate control (as part of the optional Premium Plus package - standard is three-zone climate), plus there are centrally mounted directional air vents and in the door pillars at face height. Our tester also had those optional manual sunblinds, which would certainly help those in the back get some shut-eye on longer trips. 

The centre section of the rear seat can be split folded down on its own as well – so you have 40:20:40 rear seat folding, which is great for skis or snowboards. Plus there are two ISOFIX child seat attachments and three top-tether points available for baby seats. And one of the most excellent additions to any car ever – illuminated seat belt buckle receivers. It just makes it that much easier to see at night.

If you need to fold down those rear seats, there are boot-mounted triggers. That’ll help expand the luggage capacity from the standard 565 litres (VDA) to an expansive 1680L (VDA). The cargo hold easily fit the three CarsGuide suitcases (124L, 95L and 36L) with room to spare.

There is no Audi Allroad seven seater, though. And that’s potentially where something like a Q7 makes more sense, depending on your intent. 

The Audi TT isn’t going to cut it as a family car, but it’s more practical than a lot of people might think.

First this is a '2+2' sports car meaning those two rear seats are there for the odd occasion when you might need them, because the space back there is limited.

But for most of the time having a place to throw a jacket or extra luggage and not have to ask your co-plot to rest it on their lap will feel like absolute luxury.

Up front head and legroom is good, even for me at 189cm tall. Being a coupe the doors are long and although the car is low I found getting in and out easy.

There’s a pretty clever use of space when it comes down to cabin storage. You’ll find door pockets, a glove box, a covered centre console box and a hidey hole/wireless phone charger in the dash.

Back seat passengers have built-in shelves near their armrests. Surprisingly there are four cupholders - two of which fold out of the dash.   

The boot isn’t huge at 305 litres but you can fold the rear seats down to open up the cargo capacity to 712 litres.

So, compared to its two-seater sports car rivals, the TT is relatively and pleasantly practical.

Audi has taken the $84,000 TT Coupe 45 TFSI quattro and created this TT Final Edition with extra features for a list price of $88,749. 

Here’s what you’re getting. First there’s the 'S Line Competition Plus' exterior package which beefs up the TT’s looks with the big, fixed rear wing and 19-inch Audi Sport wheels in gloss 'Anthracite Black' with red brake calipers.

There’s also the black exterior package which brings the black Audi rings badging, black chunky exhaust tips, black side trims and Audi logo decals.  

Inside there’s Nappa leather S sport seats; an Alcantara and leather flat-bottomed steering wheel with paddle shifters; while the armrests, door handles and the centre console are covered by the 'Leather Package' which includes contrasting stitching.  

Metallic paint is also included as part of the Final Edition’s features. Ours was 'Turbo Blue'.

Much of the rest of the Final Edition’s features are shared with the TT Coupe 45 TFSI quattro and includes a 12.4-inch 'Virtual Cockpit' digital instrument display, sat nav, CD and DVD player, eight-speaker stereo, digital radio, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging and proximity unlocking.

Our car had a couple of options fitted - the privacy glass which is $950 and the 20-inch gloss black alloy wheels for $1600. 

Rivals to the TT include BMW’s Z4 which lists for $99,200, and its Toyota GR Supra twin for $87,380, while the Nissan Z Coupe is also part of that sporty coupe club at $75,800.

You might already know this but the TT doesn’t have a central media screen and that can appear odd in a new car world where big screens dominate the dashboard. 

Under the bonnet of the Audi A6 Allroad is what Audi labels the ‘45 TDI’ - a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine that produces 183kW of power (from 2750-4500rpm) and 600Nm of torque (from 1500-3000rpm).

The engine is only available mated to an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission and Audi’s renowned ‘quattro’ all-wheel-drive (AWD) system. 

Audi claims this 1980kg wagon can run from 0-100km/h in just 6.5 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 250km/h. It is a hummer of an engine - more on that in the driving section below.

Towing capacity is pegged at 750kg for an unbraked trailer, and maxes out at 2500kg for a braked trailer.

Should Aussies feel short changed when it comes to the engine options here? Arguably, yes - and that’s despite the powertrain offered here still being a stormer. 

There’s only one spec available Down Under, and even it doesn’t get the most up-to-date emissions tech. There isn’t AdBlue urea treatment (meaning this is a Euro 5 engine), and our cars have essentially been de-specced to miss out on the latest 48-volt mild-hybrid tech, which is standard on all grades of the A6 Allroad in Europe. Maybe that is part of the reason the cost is down, this time around. 

And while the outputs of the 45 TDI in Australia are pretty decent, other markets have the A6 Allroad offered in 50 TDI (210kW/620Nm) and 55 TDI (257kW/700Nm) trims. Remember, though - this is a very niche player here. 

The TT Final Edition has the same 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine as the regular 45 TFSI TT Coupe with the same 180kW and 370Nm outputs.

The TT is light, though, at only 1460kg and that grunt is enough to slingshot it from 0-100km/h in 5.1 seconds.

The transmission is an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic which sends drive to all four wheels.

Sure, the TTS has more grunt and the TTRS is nothing short of wonderful with its five cylinder powerplant, but the 2.0-litre engine in the Final Edition feels perfectly suited to what is a fun and engaging sports car.

Audi claims the 45 TDI powertrain in the A6 Allroad will use 6.6 litres per 100 kilometres. That’s the official Australia fuel consumption figure on the combined-cycle test. CO2 emissions are claimed at 174g/km.

During my time in the Audi A6 Allroad I saw an average fuel use return of 7.4L/100km - which was taken over highways, back roads, unsealed roads and twisty bits. There was even some urban stop-start in there, too. I think that’s pretty darn good for a car of this size.

Fuel tank capacity is 63 litres, meaning a real-world range of 851km based on my fuel consumption.

As mentioned above, the A6 Allroad is a mild hybrid model in other markets, but not in Australia. We don’t even get the Euro 6-compliant version here, as there’s no incentive for it to be offered locally - as in, there’s not even AdBlue treatment. 

There’s no electric version (though you might want to look at the all-new Audi e-tron)  or plug in hybrid, and no petrol model either.

Audi says that after a combination of open and urban roads the TT Final Edition should use 7.0L/100km.

My own testing took in a combination of the best country roads and worst city traffic and at the fuel pump I measured 10.9L/100km.

But most of my time was spent in 'Dynamic' drive mode with the fuel-saving idle stop system switched off. 

The TT's 55-litre fuel tank means you should have a range of about 785km.

Here’s where the A6 Allroad separates itself from, say, an Audi Q5 or Q7. It’s a low-slung wagon, made for touring on country roads, doubling down on dirt backtracks and cruising comfortably on the freeway.

It’s not as upright as a Q5 or Q7, and that means it has a lower centre of gravity - so it feels more hunkered down, more settled into the surface below.  

And in the case of the A6 Allroad, there’s adaptive air suspension all around to cushion the car from what lies beneath. For the most part, that air suspension is superb - it absorbs big bumps and lumps very well, though the oversized 21-inch optional wheels can’t disguise sharp edges from those in the cabin. 

The general compliance is very good, and as I found out first hand, you can easily soak up hundreds of kilometres without feeling the affects of the road underneath you - even over bumpy country back roads and lumpy dirt sections.

The steering could be better; it’s a little bit vague and heavy on centre at higher pace, but at lower speeds it is light and amicable. Very easy to park despite its size, and easy to manoeuvre around town, too.

The engine builds pace with superb linearity, and it’s very quiet and refined as well. There is a tiny bit of turbo lag at lower speeds or from a standstill – but it is completely manageable and never feels like it’s sluggish at all. The 0-100km/h claim of 6.5 seconds seems achievable, too. 

The eight-speed automatic transmission was mostly very smart and well sorted - although in other VAG models with this engine family/eight-speed auto, the transmission never felt quite as busy at higher speeds. I noticed it shuffling between seventh and eighth gears more than I was expecting, given how much torque the engine has. It’s not annoying at all, and nor is it unrefined, and could well have something to do with attempting to save fuel rather than leaving it in top gear.

During night driving, the optional HD Matrix LED headlights were exceptional - among the best headlight technology that I’ve ever encountered. The ‘matrix’ technology means they can blank out oncoming traffic or cars in front of you while keeping the high-beam on in other areas. The auto headlights with auto high beam worked very well, too.

The plan was never to do a serious off road review, but I did do some driving on unsealed roads and found the Allroad to be excellent. 

Through slippery unsealed corners it exhibited excellent traction, though you can feel the weight of the car shifting from side to side when you pivot through corners. There was a touch of skittishness over mid-corner bumps, but again that could be more to do with the big wheels than anything else.

I came away thinking that if you had your eyes closed, you wouldn’t even know that you were on dirt or gravel. It really is an exceptional car across sealed and unsealed roads. 

There are plenty of sports cars out there which are dynamically superb yet uncomfortable to sit in.

But the TT’s cabin is as ergonomic as it is stylish with a great, low sitting position and good pedal feel, a steering wheel that can be adjusted to be just right and still with plenty of space underneath for long legs like mine.

The shifter feels the right distance away, good visibility even out the rear window and plenty of ventilation.  And we haven’t even started driving yet.

The TT Final Edition felt to me how a TT should. Fun. Not overpowered nor brutally firm and not ridiculously loud.

Instead, my drive in the Final Edition, which took me along some of my favourite country roads, was one of the most enjoyable runs I’ve had in any car. 

This is a car which ‘listens’ to you and replies with exactly what you’ve asked for in the way it turns into corners and accelerates out of them, and pulls up when you need it too. 

There’s so much connection to the road, you can hear the sticks and stones flying up into the guards, you can feel the coarse chip bitumen through the steering wheel.

But it’s all so easy, too. The suspension is firm but soft enough that you can drive this daily. The steering is light but still with great feedback. 

Some sports cars leave you feeling exhausted, like you’ve just wrestled a bear but the TT Final Edition just leaves you feeling like you've been on a ride and all you want to do is run back around to line up and get back on it again.

This could be a deal breaker for you. The Final Edition, like all Audi TTs, falls short in terms of safety equipment compared to its rivals.

This third generation TT only managed four ANCAP stars out of a maximum of five when it was assessed in 2015.

This was due to the model not having AEB or lane keeping assistance or rear cross-traffic alert.

The only assistance features it has are blind spot warning and self parking (which is handy). It doesn’t even have adaptive cruise control.

There are two top tether points for child seats in the second row but please be aware that the TT was also scored low by ANCAP for child occupant crash protection.

If you do have children and are looking for something safer but still small and sporty, the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe or Mercedes-Benz A-Class are excellent choices. 

Something to think about.  

Audi offers a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is as good as BMW, but not as good as Lexus (four years/100,000km) or Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Genesis (five years/unlimited kilometres). It’s falling behind in the luxury sphere.

The company offers reasonably priced capped price ownership plans for maintenance. Purchasers can roll in the cost of either a three-year service plan ($2170) or a five-year plan ($3300). That covers off the usual service items due every 12 months/15,000km.

Roadside assist is included for the period of the new car warranty.

The TT Final Edition is covered by Audi’s five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

Serving is recommended every 12 months or 15,000km and although Audi doesn't have capped price servicing there is a five-year/75,000km plan which will cost about $3000 in total for regular maintenance. Yep, that's $600 per workshop visit.