Hello, my name is Kyle, and i am a mechanical engineering student on Long Island, New York. As of now i drive a 1997 Acura Integra sedan, but im thinking of upgrading to a cooler, quicker car for my daily commute. I have 2 friends who very recently joined the VAG scene, one with a 2003 Golf GTI VR6, the other with a MK5 GTI. I love their cars, but would like something sleeker and sexier for myself, which has drawn me to the MK2 TT. I was wondering what the opinions on the 3.2L V6 model are (i love the sound of the 6 cylinder engine), and what everyone thinks of the Audi S-Tronic gearbox compared to a traditional manual (i love sticks, but i hear that this paddle shift box is the best, and i dont know if it could be as fun if not more fun than a stick. i also like the idea of a launch control). Thanks for the anticipated help!

I have not driven the 3.2 S-tronic in a mkII... But I have been driving a mkI 3.2 with what they used to call the DSG.

Personally, I love the consistent power delivered by the 3.2- it gets really great milage- ( just drove a 1,000 mile round trip and average a little over 30 mpg )
In particular, I love that it has a timing chain- rather than the always problematic belt.


The 3.2 is more front heavy than the turbo- but the mkII does have an all aluminum front half of the car to help with better weight distribution.
I really think the TT needs the extra horsepower of the 3.2... tho you can mod the turbo engines to get that much or more and still be under the weight of the 3.2.

I agree that the exhaust note is far nicer on the 3.2... and very understated compared to cars that are modded.

But if you want to mod the car... there is very little you can do to the 3.2... no real room under the hood or around the engine... and boosting torque or horsepower on the S-tronic is REALLY NOT A GOOD IDEA.


The S badged versions of the car are about as sweet you could ever want...

You stated all of the common gripes i hear about the 3.2 it seems. However, i wasnt aware of the durability issues of the S-tronic 'box.

I was also curious about the 2.0T compared to the mkV GTI. Is the mk2 TT roughly the same car as the GTI? To my knowledge that was the way the mk1 TT was. I have a friend with a mkV, and was wondering how the turbo TT would stack up against his stock car, as they both have the same engine, and would both be fwd.

And by S-badged versions, do you mean the TTS? Because that car is wayyy out of my price range, albeit awesome lol. I also love the tt-rs, and the way its 5 cylinder engine howls.

I just sold my 3.2 TT Roadster which had a 6 speed manual transmission. I have to say the exhaust note that people seem to like was pretty ho-hum on that car. The new one is a 2010 2.0 with the DSG transmission. The car feels quicker to me than the 3.2. Both are roadsters. The quickness stems from never missing a shift  with the DSG. Hands down, the 2.0 has a much sweeter exhaust sound in my view.