I'm close to buying a 2008 A4 2.0T Quattro with manual transmission with a mind to chipping it to get the HP and torque up to where it really needs to be. I'm curious to know how much differently the car will drive after its chipped and how its engine characteristics will change. I'm not interested in additional tuning, nor am I interested in racing. I just want something that is not too painful to drive around town and in stop-and-go traffic but with that bit extra when needed.
I've been test driving the Subaru Legacy GT 2.5 Limited which puts out 243hp and 241lb-ft torque but found it horrible to drive, especially around town. When you drive it "normally" (without priming the turbo to get going) it is embarassingly slow to get moving from a stop when the lights change until the turbo kicks in a afterfew seconds and propels you forward in a rush so you close in on the car in front rather quickly. Then you have to back off, power drops off and you have to wait for it to spool back up again propelling you forward again too quickly. Its very difficult to drive smoothly in about town traffic. My wife complained about the Subaru tossing her head back and forward as the turbo came and went.
The stock Audi 2.0T has much better manners and is much easier to drive smoothly in about town traffic. No complaints from the wife.
I realize that the Subaru engine is rather torquey and according to the specs puts out its max torque 3,600rpm whereas the Audi 2.0T is putting out its max torque at around 2,000rpm so very little delay off the line.
I'm concerned that a chipped Audi 2.0T with 277lb-ft torque might behave like the Subaru. I really hope not!
So, for those of you with a chipped 2.0T how would you compare the before and after chipping, do you find the chipped engine to have good manners and is it good from about town driving?

 

Im not chiped, but I can tell you that a quattro car with that tq most certainly won't give you whiplash, lol. And welcome to turbo lag............... get used to it if you want a car that has a turbo. It sounds like you need a 3.2L which has 255hp and I think is a better fit for you and your woman.

 

3.2 isn't really an option due to extra $5,000+ cost.

C'mon guys, surely some of you must have got your 2.0T engine chipped and recall the before and after?

 

don't know how the new ones'll run, but there's a massive kick w/my turbo. drove a stock 02a4 and a saab 9-2x (rebadged wrx) and neither had anywhere near my kick. scares the snot outta people the first time they hit it, esp in the middle of a turn.

 

Thanks. What I'm really trying to determine is if the chipped 2.0T power delivery becomes more digital (all or nothing) in nature like the Subaru I described, or does it retain the smoother delivery of power like when its stock?

 

well, in my chipped 1.8 it gave me a real boost in power, but when driving it normal it is just as smooth as it was stock.

 

I'm pretty sure the more reputable companies (APR, Revo, Giac, Dahlback) give you 30 days to return the Chip for your money back, however, you might lose the labor charge if you don't do it yourself (I didn't get charged for labor), so it might be worth it to try out the chip for yourself.

 

lookin to put in a revo in mine...im gonna try their free trial and see if i like it.

 

mrvuml: the difference between most turbo's cars adn the audi, is that the audi turbo isnt huge. the torque comes in so low on the audi because its a small turbo that spools quick so you dont get that lag, then BAM as it hits. i have a chipped 1.8t, which has a even peakier power band than the larger 2.0T engine, and mine is very easy to drive in around town driving, which is almost everything i do with it. Go fro the Audi, you wont regret it in the slightest. These cars are ment to be sporty luxury cars by one of the best companies. They wouldnt make a lux. car that would snap your special someones neck ;-)

hapy hunting!

 

APR have a 50% (yes, 50) restock charge as part of their 30-day money-back guarantee. Ouch!
I just found out that Revo have a trial let you drive your car around for 5 hours to decide if you like it.
Not sure about the others (TechNine, Unitronic).