2002 TT Coupe 180 (non-quattro) with ~35K mileage.

I largely bought the car for its design aesthetics inside and out. I certainly echo what most people say about its looks so I won't repeat it. I just want to add that I think the 1st gen TT will undoubtedly become a classic and iconic car like the 80's Porsche Carreras/911's. I was tempted to keep mine because I suspected it would eventually appreciate in value in the next 10-15 years.

I know you are not considering the 180, but I thought it was "peppy" but mostly underpowered. I have driven a 225 here and there many years ago but do not recall it being a huge difference. I test drove a DSG more recently and liked that a lot better but did not like losing the manual gearbox.

With 32K on my TT, I only had a little trouble with the glovebox (lever broke), clutch replaced at 25K, and in late 09, the LCD display in the middle of the dash started to have dead lines.

As for the backseat, I guess a 4 year old would be fine in it, perhaps for short rides. But in the five years I owned the car I never imagined using it other than to hold my CD's. Has your kid sat in the back yet? It just seems so small back there!

Trunk space is fantastic. Some of that is lost in the 225 due as the floor is raised to accommodate the dual exhaust and perhaps the quattro. Just FYI, since most wouldn't know that unless they had experience with both trims.

Just as a reference and if you are hunting for a deal, my car was sold in October 2009 (California) for 11K.

Best of luck!

Christopher: I was under the impression that all 3.2s were DSG, no auto. Am I wrong?

I am not certain...

I have seen photos of 3.2s that did not have the paddle shifters... and the gearshift for Audi's automatic with tipronic looks the same as the DSG.

I have never seen a DSG equipped mk 1 TT without the S-line badge on the side aft of the door. THo I have seen 3.2s without the badge.

PS-
LOTS of used car dealers will assume the DSG to be a regular automatic and advertise the car that way...

Its odd that there is not marque anywhere on the TT to denote it has DSG...
I would say that if you see a 3.2 quattro advertised as automatic... chances are it is DSG.

So, I've now driven a few 225HP quattro TTs. I've not located a 3.2 locally, but there are several within a day-trip of here (quick flight). How much firmer is the ride on the 3.2 with s-line? I've owned a B5 A4 with the sport package, and my 330xi has the sport package as well. I didn't think that the 225-TT was too firm. I'm just wondering how much harder the ride is on the 3.2?

I tried out the 225 prior to buying the 3.2 S-line.

The extra 50 stock horsepower gave it significantly more aggressive feel on accelerations, and the heavier sway bars, stiffer suspension and low profile 18 tires made it handle like it was on rails.
Overall... I found it to be a superior car, overall in everything except weight distribution, with the 3.2 seeming a bit heavier in the front end which is not all that big a deal given the car is predominantly front wheel drive. Where I notice the weight difference most is that I can, sometimes, when going thru a curve that has uneven pavement or has water on, feel the rear end "hop" just a tiny bit... Something I did not notice in the 225...