Audi RS5 vs Audi TT

What's the difference?

It's hard to look past the fact that the RS 5 Sportback is more than $50k more expensive than an S5 Sportback, which itself is hardly cheap. But is it the pick of the RS 4 and RS 5 family? Probably, but I’m personally still a sucker for the RS 4’s wagon shape

I also reckon it’s currently the pick of the three fast German options, and I love that you can get it in this bodystyle.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel and meals provided.

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. 

From the B-pillar forward, the RS 5 Sportback is identical to the Coupe, with the same deep and aggressive front apron to set it aside from the lesser S5 and A5 models. The same applies at the rear, with a bespoke rear bumper with large oval exhaust outlets on either side.

It also scores the delightfully pumped wheelarches on each corner of its mechanical siblings, along with the same 20-inch wheels.

Like the coupe though, one detail that seems to be missing from the previous RS 5 is a significantly wider track. Compared with the S5 Sportback, the RS 5 Sportback’s track is just 11mm wider at the front and 20mm at the rear, so if you halve those figures per side they’re likely just from additional camber in the wheel alignment settings.

So those wheelarch blisters are largely for aesthetics, rather than a necessary adjustment to allow for a broader stance.

Enough of the comparisons though, the five-door liftback bodystyle gives it a uniquely sleek yet practical appearance, with all of the tasty performance cred of the coupe and wagon.

Also as I alluded before, BMW is unable to build you an M4 Gran Coupe, which would be its BMW equivalent, due to the regular Gran Coupe being built in a different factory to the 3 Series sedan and 4 Series coupe. And Mercedes-AMG’s C 63 bodystyle options are limited to sedan, coupe, wagon and convertible - there just isn’t a five-door liftback on the list.

The RS 5 Sportback’s interior is a continuation of the beautifully detailed coupe and wagon, with real carbon fibre, aluminium and leather tastefully applied leather that has a subtle edginess that really fits the Audi RS brand.

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. 

This is where it’s hard not to make Goldilocks analogies. Where the RS 5 coupe has a decent boot with a small, sedan-like opening and a back seat for two that’s difficult to access via the front doors, the RS 4 has a great wagon boot with a huge opening and a back seat for three that’s easy to access because it has back doors.

The RS 5 Sportback is closer to the latter, but sacrifices the cargo height of the wagon and the sloping roofline will mean that taller passengers may want for more headroom and easier access to the back seat. It does retain the wagon’s third seating position back there though, and neither back seat compromise is an issue for my 172cm height.

Its 480 Litres VDA seats-up boot capacity is a match for the S5 Sportback, which is only 25 litres short of the RS 4. Like the S5, a space saver spare sits beneath the boot floor.

The RS 5 Sportback also ticks important convenience boxes like dual cup holders front and rear, bottle holders in each door, decent oddments storage and auxiliary connections front and rear, plus ISOFIX child seat mounts for both outward rear seat positions.

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. 

The RS 5 Sportback is a genuine mechanical match for the coupe and RS 4, which means the same and impressive 331kW/600Nm 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 and delightfully adaptive eight-speed ZF torque converter auto.

Max power is available from 5700-6700rom, while peak torque is accessible all the way from 1900-5000rpm.

The Quattro all-wheel drive system retains it 60 per cent native torque bias for more of a rear-drive dynamic. 

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.

Given the familiarity of the RS 5 Sportback’s mechanical package, there’s also no surprises with its fuel consumption.

The official combined fuel consumption figure is 8.9L/100km, which is 0.1 more than the coupe, and the same as the RS 4.

We managed a rare feat during our 350-plus kilometre drive taking the back way from Canberra to Goulburn, to Oberon, then to Bathurst via Lithgow, where we managed to match the official combined figure on the car’s trip computer.

While it’s a good rule of thumb that you can do this on a steady motorway cruise, it was mighty impressive to do it along the flowing country route with regular climbs and overtaking.

It is worth noting though that like all RS models, the RS 5 Sportback commands expensive 98 RON Premium unleaded as a minimum.

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.

There’s a good chance you’ve skipped straight to this point, and if you've driven the excellent RS 5 Coupe or the RS 4 you won’t find any surprises in the RS 5 Sportback. This is a very good thing.

Compared to its muscular looks, its general refinement around town is still a really nice surprise for a car of this performance calbre. It’s not hard to imagine driving your grandmother around in comfort. In fact, she would have been right at home on our 350-plus kilometre country cruise between Canberra and Bathurst. 

You might miss the V8 growl from an AMG, but the V6 does make a nice bark once you give it some decent throttle, and it delivers those 331kW and 600Nm very effectively through those two turbos. As I often find myself saying these days, this thing is so easy to drive so fast!

Its very impressive 3.9 second 0-100km/h claim feels entirely realistic, which matches the coupe and trumps the RS 4 by two tenths.

You probably won’t be surprised to hear that the ZF eight speed torque converter auto feels right at home with the RS5, being smooth as around town, and as responsive and quick to shift as you’d ever want it to be when you’re getting up it.

Its overall refinement does mean it’s not quite as exciting to drive fast as the AMGs or BMW Ms, even with the controls and mechanicals tightened up in Dynamic mode.

Our best opportunity to put it through its performance paces was via the surprise set of bends hidden between Bathurst and Sofala, where it simply honked its way uphill. You instantly forget that it's a rather large five seater with almost room for a pony in the boot. There’s miles of grip, it steers really nicely and the big brakes do a really good job under pressure. This, is a proper RS.

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.  

Like all Audis, the new RS 5 Sportback is covered by a three year, unlimited kilometre warranty. This is short of the five year-plus periods that now form the status quo among mainstream brands, but equal to the terms offered by BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Lexus differs by offering a four year, 100,000km plan. 

RS 5 Sportback service intervals are a generous 12 month/15,000km though. 

Another detail to be aware of is that RS models are still exempt from Audi’s Service Plan Pricing capped price servicing plan.

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.