dfv3.2CL-S

iTrader: (1)

Hey, he also used profanity in his post, how come he does not get a warning?

CrockPot

maybe because YOU are the instigator.

TypeS_boi

Amir, your pm box is full. Thanks again!

CCns24

Well, if that is the case, then start talking like a big boy.

Also, I haven't bitched about my A4 at all. Yes it is underpowered, but on the highway, it does just fine. I can cruise at 80 and the engine doesn't strain at all. Yes, I do miss the CL-S and it took a bit to get adjusted to the hp difference, but the A4 is all class.

If I wanted a car that could smoke the CL, I would have gotten the 350Z that I had on order.

0-60 times aren't the only thing that is important to all of us.

And to respond to people who buy a 30K car and then bitch about it....how many peeps here had transmission problems???

Now grow the f up:P

YuppieCL

dude, stop instigating and making stupid assumptions.
i paid for my own CL at 18. mommy and daddy dont pay for dick. sorry to burst your bubble. personally, i dont care what u did at my age. i already appreciate my car since i made the sole decision to buy it in the first place. yes my car does suck donkey balls in the snow, but thats still not enough reason for me to not buy a car. what am i NOT gonna buy an M3 cuz i live in a region where it snows? get real. i have my Accord to drive around when it snows during the winter anyway, i'd just prefer a more versatile car which doesnt compromise overall performance for inclement weather driving. I'm just saying i LIKE the A4 convertible, no one said i'm gonna go out and buy one. i dont doubt the A4 isnt fast and cant handle twisties. i think it could in fact outperform the CL in the handling aspect tho. anyway, if i wanted to go fast and get down on twisties, i'd just take my bike out for a spin and whoop on ANYTHING.

Zoot

Yuppie, u do know that the A4 convertible is fwd only, right?

Bulldog01

Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

cusdaddy

I just want to be the voice of reason for those of you who keep insisting that if I just want extra power with my 1.8T, I'll just chip it.

Just to let you know that from experience, having a chipped 1.8T even in stage 1 form can do damage to the engine and turbo. And my good friend to foot the bill as it voided the warranty. It's not exactly free HP as some of you make it out to seem. It was designed to run at 170-180 for a reason

civic4982

loads of ppl run the APR chip with no problems. They just turn it off when taking it into the dealer. I'm not sure what problems your friend had. The 1.8T motor can easily handle it. If you want real reliabale answers try going to http://www.18turbo.com/ ... Ask around. There will be little to NO complaints about chips or any problems associated with them.

Sorry but your friend may have just gotten a weak drivetrain.

amir was here

look into Direct Port programming, there is NO WAY dealer will find out....as the stock chip isnt even TOUCHED.

Jon Bon Bonachinballs

amir, you got pics of your audi... sounds nice

tmk70

It's nice but it's a bruised banana

amir was here

i'l post pics in a couple weeks...getting a bodykit put on right now.

DISRUPTV

i wish audi made an a4 quattro coupe ala 3series coupe

cusdaddy

I'm not saying he's the norm, but he has an APR chip and has been running it close to 1.5 years before engine trouble started. Again, you are running a higher boost than the engine was designed for. If you care about long-term reliability, IMO it's not the best choice

SilverCL225hp

I always found A4 1.8T stupid, there is no way I would choose it over Accord EX V6 sedan or TSX.

amir was here

cusdaddy,

u can get the same "chips" in europe from audi, and its covered under warranty.

CrockPot

didn't realize one's of its shortcomings was in mental capacity.

eclipse23

zeroday

haha

civic4982

My car is WAY smarter than yours...

hemants

I own both the A4 and the TLS.

Stock for stock they are very different cars; neither is perfect. The A4 has amazing handling that makes the Acura seem like a Camry in comparison. The TLS has amazing power that makes the A4 seem like a chevette.

As long as both were stock, I drove each 50/50 but slightly preferred the A4 as the fit and finish of the interior is nicer (despite leatherette).

Now that I have CT springs and Sways the handling gap has narrowed (the A4 is still better with it's stock sport suspension) so the performance gap of the 260hp engine is the overriding thing.

I haven't driven the A4 in months.

A chip will give the A4 210hp but in a lighter car, this would put the performance probably better than the TLP but not as good as the TLS.

But to be honest, I think that a chipped A4 is a better all round car than a stock TLS.

Now to compare a chipped A4 to a Comptech suspension TLS it comes down to preference I think.

But Audi and Lexus need to wake up and respond to the horsepower bar that Infiniti and Acura have raised.

If Acura or Infiniti come out with an AWD G35 or TLS, the A4 is toast.

Ray Khan

wow...I love this post...great to hear all this usefull slinging of what people read in magazine x and how great their 0-60 times are. This is really usefull

this is very true. The 1.8T is underpowered. The new body albeit better handling is heavier. I think it's about 200 lbs haevier than the old. So the 1.8T which wasn't particularly fast before just gained about 200+ lbs. A chip does make a nice difference. It's all about the tq you get. The hp increase is about 30 hp, but you get a ton of extra, usable tq. The car still isn't super fast, but it goes fine. Even with a chip it won't keep up with a stock TLS/CLS. When you consider an Audi, you are pretty much getting it for AWD and maybe for the cool aftermarket scene created by the 1.8T engine. Otherwise, it's a nice car, but there isn't much else to separate it from other cars in it's class. One other thing you get in an Audi warranty is free service every 5000 miles. It's a nice touch.

I'm going to have to disagree there. You can run high boost on stock 1.8T internals if you take care of the car. If you let it warm up and cool down before and after driving it. Turbo cars require more care. It's as simple as that. Audi's 1.8 liter block was designed for forced induction. It's an iron block not aluminum. It has a ghigher compression ratio than I would want in a turbo car, but it's not too high for high boost. I ran a 1 bar APR chip for 45,000 miles and had 0 problems. My clutch held out fine. Now I run their turbo kit at 20 psi and still don't have any engine issues. I am making 223 AWHP...that is 100 AWHP more than my car made stock. My clutch still holds fine except there is too much power to launcht he car hard on the stock clutch. Oh well, $400 for an upgraded on and I'll be letting my clutch pedal go at about 6000 RPM. People have put over 50k miles on these engines with high boost big turbo setups with no problems. But then again most of the people with very modded cars tend to take care of their cars better.

I will give you this, if you want a car that you just put gas in and change the oil every 10k miles, then don't get an Audi 1.8T...or any turbo car for that matter. Acura def has it over Audi in reliability. What problems exactly did you friend have with his car? You are always taking a chance when you mod your car. You have to realize what you are getting into before taking the plunge.

rumor has it the S4 might be available in coupe form in the future. I've seen some cool fake photos/photshops of what it might look like....very cool. I'd still go for the S4 wagon though.

Bluto

5 pages of A4 bashing/loving and not one post from SilverBullet. :P


A4 looks like a great car. I'd have to drive one to judge it.

elliot

i drove one... the clutch was so long and i felt like couldnt go up a steep hill ... but the exterior is gorgeous.. interior is awesome, although a bit cluttered around the radio.. worth $25, not $30k

Reddly9007

Good call Elliot, I wouldn't pay more then 25 for the A4 1.8T quattro. Other then AWD, granted which is a big deal, I can not justify spending that much money on something that doesn't live up to the price. The body though with the sport package is pretty tight, thats the one i test drove. I don't recall the clutch being that annoying. I'll tell you what was the most annoying, the freaking CENTER CONSOLE. What in the hell are they thinking putting a center console that close to the stick shift, I remember it being adjustable but I couldn't find a good position for it. How the hell can you drive that car and not be annoyed by that damn thing!

Highlights of the car are obviously the tight interior, look and quality. The sport package, and sport suspension. The AWD Quattro and the stereo. Can't think of much else.

I should have test drove the 3.0 quattro also to get a feel for that, anyone test drove that car, is it that much better?

r10apple

I would've bought the A4 or IS300 if either woulda had soem more umph...My Audi dealer frowns on aftermarket stuff and the Lexus was a pig until you spent A LOT moer money to make it go...

All the handling stuff is dead on. I drove that A4 many, many times and the quatto w/ the sport package is unreal. That car would waste the Acura in the turns (but only to be caught on the straights).

Nah. I wouldn't waste the money. Felt more of a pig to me and I'd rather buy the 1.8T and chip it...If it were for my future wife, I'd get the 3.0quattro and let it go at that, but...

zeroday

where's silverbullet...I thought he'd be all over this.

chef chris

Ray...what exactly have you done to your A4? And of course, at what cost?

I've often found myself looking at an A4, but after a ride in an 03 stockie, crossed it off my list. Is it that much of a difference with a chip?

Also, after you chip the car, is it recommended to purchase an aftermarket boost controller/BOV?

Your thoughts please.

amir was here

no boost controllers

new A4 doesnt use BOV..uses bypass valves..relatively cheap

it becomes a totally different car with a chip.

Habiib

It's amazing how the A4 which IMO is the best looking entry level luxury sedan, can have a sweet interior, excellent ride quality, fit and finish etc, gets dogged because its slow. Yet the TSX which has bland styling and a nice interior (IMO below the Audi) gets away with its lack of straight line performance. isn't that a double standard?

elliot

i dont understand how the 1.8T can magically be more powerful with a simple chip, WITHOUT causing harm to the engine or increasing the likelyhood of a mechanical incident .... if that were the case, Audi would have included the chip and raised the price $500 ...

the reliability numbers of these Audis are losing ground to american and japanese motors, and with a chip, I just cant imagine it helping.. prove me wrong.

scalbert

:sqnteek:

BOV = CBV = Compressor Bypass Valve

It just doesn't dump to atmosphere so you don't hear it. But it does have one but by a different name. Otherwise you would be getting compressor surge at every lift throttle shift.

hemants

The A4 3.0 in a stick is 6.8 seconds 0 to 60.

It's not the last word in straight line performance but IT'S AN AWD SPORTS SEDAN not a sports car like a porsche.

On one hand I agree that the CLS/TLS have spoiled us in accelleration per dollar spent but Acura doesn't make an AWD sports sedan now do they? Too bad.

So while I understand your dissappointment, you can't exactly say it's "not worth the money". The CLS is better value but with a compromise. On the other hand, the Audi is far better value than a BMW 330 with very little compromise and arguably superior handling for real world conditions.

Ray Khan

If you are still interested in an A4, go to audiworld.com and ask someone in your area for a ride in a chipped car. There is a pretty good difference, although it won't be as fast as a CLS. It might feel as fast because of how the torque comes on. Ther last gen A4's were a pretty good buy. The new ones are nice too, but they seem a bit pricey.

you don't want to know how much I've spent. I started out with a chip and exhasut. $500 for a chip and $800 for cat back exhaust. There are some good ehauasts out there for a little cheaper than what I paid. The car is super driveable with a chip. It's not super fast, but it's quick enough and there is a really nice broad torque curve. It still lacks the real bottom end torque being a 1.8 liter, but after about 2000 RPM it builds nicely. The small turbo does run out of steam early. Shift time is at about 5500RPM...maybe a few hundred later with exhaust. I have just about everything done to the car now. I have a $4000 turbo kit (which includes ball bearing GT25/28 turbo, inconel steel manifold, larger injectors, colder plugs and all other fitting and lines and of ocurse software), racing clutch, homade intake, 15" wheels, 17" wheels, 18" wheels, stereo, 450lb front springs, 500 lbs rear springs, upgraded sway bars and sway bar links, clear corners, short shifter and boost gauge. The software I have to run the engine (ie chip) is pretty cool. The company who writes it is called APR, Audi Performance and Racing. They can chip the car through the OBDII port now...don't even touch the ecu. They can put up to 4 different programs on the car. They have 91 oct, 93 oct, 100 oct, 104 oct, valet and stock programs and you can have up to 4 at a time on your ecu. You simply switch through them with the cruise control buttons. This software is available for regular chips and with the turbo upgrade kit like I have. A boost controller can be used instead of a chip. Th e pros of a BC is less lag, Chip tends to be a little more refined sicne you get a timing advance and fuel map changes to compliment the higher boost. With that said, I am planning to run a BC with my kit soon as I already have good software, but I'd like the pros of a BC as well. Audis come with a diverter valve, not a blow off valve. So air is reciculated back into the intake track when off boost.

A stock 150 hp A4 puts about 115-120 to the wheels, stock 170 hp A4 puts about 125-130 hp to the wheels depeding on the AWD dyno. A chipped A4 in either case puts about 165-175 hp at the wheels. My car put down 223 to the wheels, but I was having a small boost issue. Feeel free to IM, PM, email me if you want any more info.

APR

a lot of it has to do with marketing. IT would be tough to sell the V6 A4 at substancially more $$$ if a factory chipped 1.8T was just as fast if not faster. In Europe, you can get a chip from Audi. My guess is that the V6 just isn't as popular over there. Of course you intoduce more stress to the engine, turbo and other drivetrain components with chipping, but the consensus is that the drivetrain is overbuilt and can handle it. Like I said, I had my car chipped (15 psi boost) for 45k miles. I have been running a bigger turbo (20 psi boost) for the last 10k miles. Stock boost is abotu 7 psi. There are plenty of people I know who have pretty high miles with modded 1.8T engines. The secret is taking care of the car.

I am RobG

i had a 98 1.8t....and i blew the turbo up. I love the red dash lighting and i love the RS4 kit on those cars. But for an a4 1.8t and my cls-6 they wanted the same price almost and i couldn't see that being reasonable. The seats in my CL are so much more comfortable than the audi, its faster and imo the Cl looks better.

FWD blows AWD is awesome, i had SO much fun in the snow with my audi. But i like my acura better.

Ray Khan

there is no question that you get way more for you $$ with a CLS...just comes down to the things you really want in a car. I would probably gone with a 6 speed CLS if they were out when I was looking.

I am RobG

Mod-ability...the a4 gets it hands down. I'm friends with this place called Long Island Motor Werks...that specialize in audi/vdubb and other german cars and i'm there at least 2-3 times a month to talk and shit so in the audi world i'm pretty well educated. my next car is defintiely 2000-2002 s4 bi-turbo and i if i can't afford it i'm going for an 03 1.8t. My turbo blew up because it was used as a work car and the person who had it before me didn't change the oil....so i dunno, i like my CL-S better but i'll definiteyl end up gettin another 1.8t or s4 next...plus i love hearing a turbo whistle

blackmagiCL_S

While I don't drive a 6sp CLS, you have to get the award for coolest person on the forum that doesn't drive a CL! For an Audi man you actually have an open mind. That doesn't happen around here too often! Usually they all bring FLAMES!

Windsor

Hey the CL-S is fast and smooth. But chipped the Audi 1.8T is NO JOKE and a force to be reckoned with!!! I owned a 1.8T Jetta w/ GIAC chip, 4 bar regulator and an intake. I smoked an M-coupe and would regularly run with M5s and E36 M3s like I said ---- NO JOKE.

...but the CL-s is still better