Hey,

I love all things Audi and hope to purchase one soon. I am currently seeking a 98-00 either A4 1.8t quattro or 2.8 quattro and I have heard several different stories about which one is the better way to go, and would appreciate any advice. I want something that will be comfortable, fast, reliable, and easy to maintain. I would eventually like to do some mods such as engine/drivetrain/electrical, etc, and just need aimed in the right direction. 1.8 , 2.8 ????????????

 

Hey bmason, welcome to the forum.

If you want reliability then stick with the 2.8.

If you want to increase the HP and enjoy modding, then go for the 1.8. You can easily get the 1.8 over 200hp with little mods.

 

Thanks for the suggestion! I drove a 98 A4 2.8q yesterday and was impressed with the car. I am wandering what I could do to push the car up to the 210-230 hp/torque range with that as opposed to the 1.8q. I'd like to keep it pretty simple and inexpensive, and I'd prefer to stay away from turbos and nos, but I could be convinced otherwise. I just am not crazy about the 150 stock hp on the 1.8q as opposed to the 190 for the 2.8. Any more suggestions?

 

First of all.. You're on the right track and you're asking all the right questions.

One thing you have to be careful of when you start reading people's opinions on these engines and their hp ratings etc etc.. is that there are many ways to describe these things. For example, a very simple thing you need to get aquainted with is crank hp vs. wheel hp. Most true car enthusiasts don't even care about crank hp anymore... because what really matters is how much hp you put to the ground. The crank hp numbers from manufacturers are usually not very highly regarded, since sometimes they're tweaked to follow a marketing plan/mix.

If you're looking for a smooth ride with decent hp, then the 2.8 with a supercharger (gives about 225whp.. and is pretty much the only big hp upgrade for the 2.8) is definitely nice... However, if you're looking for more than that, then the 1.8T is much easier to mod and has way more venues. For example, you can chip the 1.8T and immediately make up the hp difference between the two engines! Also, there are turbo upgrades for the 1.8T that can take you into the 300hp range!

My advise to you is to first figure out what you really want out of the car (handling, daily drivability, acceleration etc), and then we can help guide you in the right direction.

Welcome to the Audiforum community!

/Emil

 

Hey b,
You are asking some good questions and I think you will get different opinions - so I'll add mine
My wife has owned two A4 1.8TQ back to back and we both loved the car... never had any problems with the Turbo.
As far as performance upgrades, Renn=Art is correct in their post...
I cannot comment on the reliability factor between the 1.8T and 2.8 but we never had any problems with ours. The 1.8T is going to be more frugal on gas as well and IMO the 1.8T is not far behind the 2.8 on performance.
Either way, I think you will make a good choice (you may also want to consider the impact on car insurance between the two)

Incidentally, my wife got a new SUV so I took over the '03 A4 - which I turned in for a (C5) A6 2.7T... I'm ready to chip !!![sm=goodidea.gif]