I've been looking to buy a car and I've recently fell in love with the B6 design. At first I didn't even consider a 1.8t because 170 hp is quite lame and it is only a 4-banger. I was only really interested in the 3.0 cvt because of its relatively good gas mileage and the fact that it's supposedly quicker. I would love a 3.0 quattro but the gas mileage is pretty abysmal. Lately however, I've been thinking that I could also live with a 1.8t tippy if I chipped it, especially since the 1.8t quattro gets good mileage so I could get a quattro.

So my question is: should I go with a 3.0 cvt or a chipped 1.8t?

I have a few more concerns, however. Is a 1.8t quick enough? How badly is the mileage affected by a GIAC chip? I've read a 1.8t isn't as reliable as the 3.0, is this true? How badly does the chip affect the reliability. Keep in mind I don't plan on being an intense modder, maybe just debadging and a tint besides a chip.

Also, although this is undoubtedly a biased crowd, the only other car I'm really considering is an 04 Mazda 6 s. Any feelings about a Mazda 6 or A4?

 

The 1.8 with the chip is much quicker, and it doesn’t effect the reliability of the motor at all, on my car it didn’t hurt gas mileage at all, in fact it seems to be better when I’m not constantly getting on it.

 

The 02 3.0 cvt does 0-60 in 6.9 and a 1/4 in 15.4. The 02 1.8t Quattro stock does 7.9 0-60 w/stick and 8.5 w/ tip. The 1/4 is 16.1 w/stick and 16.6 w/tip. If you chip it it will be faster but with a tip Id think it would be slower than the 3.0 cvt.

 

Chipped 1.8T is plenty for my needs, especially as I commute 150 miles a day.

 

1.8T. CVT's are the weakest tranny's Audi makes.