1.8T - Best bang for your buck
 

So I finally found an A4 Avant Quattro 1.8T, and couldn't be more pleased with the car - except for one thing: it needs more power. I'm coming from a 2003 GTi with the 1.8T that was much faster (It was also manual, which helps a lot)

I'm not interested in spending loads of cash, or any mods that would decrease my engine life significantly. So far I'm looking at the APR chip, but not sure which stage I should chose.

Any recommendations?

And another issue:
The chrome gear shift trim (Automatic) is pretty ugly. Does anyone know of an aftermarket replacement? Maybe in brushed aluminum to match the dash trim?

Thanks,
Johnny

Re: 1.8T - Best bang for your buck
 

The reason the avant feels slower than your gti is because of the avants wieght and the quattro losses more power to the wheels than the gti's front wheel setup. Does the audi have a CEL? because you could also be in limp mode.

Go with the APR program which reflects what octane you usually fill up at. The diffrence bettween the 91 and 93 octane programs are very small so either one u choose your gonna fell the diffrence.

Re: 1.8T - Best bang for your buck
 

I had APR 93 and was very pleased with the performance. With the APR 93 on the k03 turbo, I took out an '04-'05 Acura TL but I had to brake boost to 5psi and launch to keep him in my rear view. Now I have a k04 turbo, aftermarket turbo manifold and a 3" de-cat downpipe, which is good enough for now.

Re: 1.8T - Best bang for your buck
 

Consider the APR 1+ program as the larger injectors make a big difference in power and the car will easily handle the add'l power without any issues. I had this on my B6 for approx 18 months prior to going the BT route and never had an issue.

Re: 1.8T - Best bang for your buck
 

+1

I would also look into othe custom tunes such as VAST, Revo, GIAC, The guy in Ontario who does custom tunes etc. there are very many of them. I know VAST gives you an additional 15hp vs the APR on chip alone