WHY Mk2 is THE BEST TT + 10 TOP TIPS to buy A GOOD ONE

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE HERE AND GET ME TO 50K (big thanks all those that have got me to 40k)

In this video I explain why (in my opinion) the Mk2 is the best of the 3 BRILLIANT generations of Audi TT we have had so far. Then I share with you my 10 top tips so you can buy yourself a good one!

This video only covers the 4 cylinder models, not the TT 3.2 or TT RS though most of it applies to those too. The Mk2 TTS continued to use the old EA113 engine right throughout its production run and didn't switch to EA888 like the lower power non S 2.0L petrol models.

This video can be divided into the following chapters;
00:00 Quick preview
00:10 Introduction
01:08 Why Mk2 interior is best
04:07 Why Mk2 reliability is best
06:55 Why Mk2 looks and drives the best (please note looks are subjective)
09:34 Top buying tip 10 - tyre repair kit
10:45 Top buying tip 9 - rear lamps
11:36 Top buying tip 8 - brakes
13:07 Top buying tip 7 - BOSE amp fault
14:21 Top buying tip 6 - Glovebox fault
15:42 Top buying tip 5 - aircon issues
18:11 Top buying tip 4 - engine issues
20:10 Top buying tip 3 - Mag ride shocks
22:09 Top buying tip 2 - S tronic/DSG gearbox faults
23:28 Top buying tip 1 - Haldex AWD issues
26:00 Conclusion

[davescott]

@24:47 the tiny spider making a home on the back of the rear view mirror is pretty cute.

[RS.Outdoors]

One of the first things people should check is the rear underside metalwork, chassis. Doesn't come with much rust protection from factory and just bought a 12 year old car myself without checking it and it is rotten. Going to be a subframe off and try and treat all the rust. Never for a minute believed a fairly modern car of this age could be so bad and a reason I myself never checked. Have a look under the rear of the car when viewing to buy and see how bad it is and if it is wild look for another. Believe that there will be many MK2 MOT failures in future if folks don't do some form of preventative treatment such as a spray wax coating such as Bilt Hamber Dynax or Lanogaurd. Wish this had been mentioned in video as I did watch it before buying car last week. Note that the car I got was 1 owner, never had an MOT advisory, full service history, 75k miles and lived nowhere near the sea. Cant believe it. :(

[andyhawkins]

I have a MK2 3.2 TT manual petrol 2007 and I love it but have to re gas after watching this 😮lol but I can only say wot a joy this car has been and for me I cannot get over how good the body work holds up even though it’s 16 years old it’s still mint, it drives perfectly but have looked after with servicing etc, timing chain still holding true and engine runs lovely. Lowered springs give my 18 inch wheels a mean look and always puts a smile on my face 😊 yes stereo had same problems but upgraded whole system with new amplifier head unit and upgraded speakers and couldn’t be happier. For me this car constantly puts a smile on my face and will keep until I have trouble getting in and out 😂❤

[robbie]

Great video. I’ve owned a MK2 for 18 months and have experienced three of the issues mentioned and was aware of the others through being a member of one of the owners clubs but in this video you’ve covered the essentials in a succinct easy to watch way and hopefully will be invaluable to others wanting to own one of these great cars.

[psmvjsf]

I own a MK2 2 litre manual petrol and absolutely love it!! Owned it 2 years now and everyday I get in it, it is such a pleasure to drive. Unbelievable I only paid £7k for it with 56k miles. She has never ever put a foot wrong in all that time compared to the utterly crap MK1 version I owned before it, that broke every single month virtually - even the rear suspension decided to cave in onto the wheel arches luckily at 30mph and not 70!!! The MK2 feels like a prestigious coupe to drive almost. A long time ago I owned a 996 Turbo and 997 Turbo when I made a lot of money and this little car although not in acceleration terms, but in everything else feels just as special if not better I kid you not. Well worth getting full leather inside as opposed to the suede and get the 18" wheels. It would actually make me feel sad to sell it I have bonded with it that much!!! Well worth adding a Double din head unit conversion, focal's all round and an 8" sub in the boot as I found out Lol

[chrisml]

I bought one for £6k a year ago with 98k miles. Done 5k miles in it. ('08 PFL)

Work I've done: oil change, replaced cam follower (precaution), installed A6 washer jets, replaced a split vacuum pipe (caused fuel bank error codes), installed additional earths for rear lights (this was cheap and easy to do via ttforum).

Some annoying things:
- I had the common steering wheel judder at 80mph, had the wheels balanced and new rear tyres fitted, still got it. Will be checking top mount bushes next.
- Do not attach a phone holder to the air vents, they will break and cost £20 odd each to replace
- The floor mats unclip all the time. You can use zip ties to help, but they still come undone
- My driver's door handle stopped working. Would have to open the passenger door and climb through to unlock it. I meddled with it a bit and its been ok recently
- The ergonomics aren't great - my knee/leg occasionally gets in the way when I'm turning the steering wheel around a tight corner. However, the flat bottom steering wheel makes getting out easier!
- The doors are a nightmare when getting in/out of, especially when parked in between cars. Very heavy.
- Topping the oil up - but what used performance cars don't require this?
- Quite a harsh ride (though mine has done 100k+ now)

Overall I'm quite happy with it. I could have negotiated the price but I didn't bother. The power you get for the money and the reasonably modern looks are hard to be beaten. That's coming from an M140i and before that an FN2 Type R. However I've decided it's too low down and small for me and I'm only 6'2 - I want to get an 8P S3 for more room and a bit more power but they'll all have been ragged to oblivion compared to these. Great video, quite informative!

[ricktullemans]

I have my TT for almost 4 years now and still enjoy everytime i drive it. Probably won't be able to drive anything this fun, "cheap" and reliable.

[jans]

Youtube is out of control with these commercials

[tomthumb]

THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP OF ALL. Take a decent scan tool with you and check for current and historic faults. If you find anything that repeats or is currently showing a fault: walk away as it’s probably going to start costing large sums of money to put right. I love my TT but bought it without checking the electronics. It was almost immaculate but when I finally ran an OBDEleven on it, there were dozens of problem DTC codes which are going to cost more that I paid for the car.

[ZzxOPTICxzZ]

I really appreciate you taking the time making this. I am currently looking for a MK2 TT (PFL or FL) and you can get so caught up with the amount of info out there on the forums

[carjockey]

Yes definitely these are good points. I like the set up of the 2nd gen. But I love the sharpe lines and headlights of the 3rd gen

[F.S]

As an MK3 owner (pre facelift) I can say that its hard to judge DSG just by how smooth it delivers power. Especially the DQ250 which is notorious for jerky operation at low or "crawl" speeds.

[puravida]

I'm German/American, and have owned every Audi model. Keep your checkbook handy, you will need it for repairs and parts! I finally decided to purchase a Lexus LC500 convertible. For dependability and reliability!

[PhillipParr]

I have a 2010 TTS with the facelift. My gearbox blew up in warranty (and the replacement was much smoother), my sparks were faulty out of the factory, my rear diff has blown up (I blame a "specialist" garage - I strongly believe they drained the diff during a haldex service), my N80 / evap canister has been replaced, the PCV has been replaced, but other than that she's still sound at 164k miles 😄 Pretty much the only thing that lets one of these down which is in good working order in my opinion is the tech, but it's easy enough to upgrade the head unit and swap the cabin bulbs for canbus friendly LEDs to make it feel fresh.

Oh, my glovebox has the broken plastic bit so it flaps open though. Curious design choice, I will find a way to repair it and make it more robust.

[grahambrooks]

A well presented video. But, unless someone else has mentioned it, I think a 'big' watch out is the EA888 gen 2 engine with the earlier cam chain tensioner. Mine failed, causing a lot of expensive damage. I was lucky that Audi offered some goodwill as it has full Audi service history. I think the car may have been written off without that gesture.

[speedhunter]

I have the mk3 TTS and I'm so happy with it, zero issues I also track it sometimes and service it very often, so far the best purchase in my life I love it❤

[seanduncan]

Dear Audi this video is a timely reminder of how good your interiors used to be. I ❤️ TTs Had a Mk 1 (design classic) but Mk 2 is the biz. Great vid.

[KingNayt]

Sir your review was amazing and thank you for putting so much effort into making it!
I just got my 3.2 vr6 mk2 last summer and I still can't believe how great this car is

[andrewreddy]

Great summary I bought a Mk2 2012 TTS manual version earlier this year with 63000 miles. Had a haldex issue which the dealer fixed FOC under a 3 month warranty. I have spent £1000 on a full service and cambelt change, and bought a second hand rear subframe assembly as an insurance against rust. Have treated everything with LANOLIN as a further insurance. I intend to keep it for a long time as I think its the best all round sports car out there.

With British roads, potholes, cyclists etc any more power doesn't make sense. I also have a RSQ3 2015 automatic which is surprisingly comfortable given the 20" wheels.

I can throw my bike in the back of both and head for the national parks.

Keep the videos coming as we all appreciate you sharing your knowledge. I would like to see more people appreciating what they have and looking after it.

[scitec]

Top tip for mk2 is get a xtrons 9 inch screen octa core android head unit, works with bose or standard speaker setup and the sound is excellent, 10 times better than the crappy RNS E and only the mk2 can have this upgrade