B7 2.0t buying: Auto vs Manual
 

Hi All,

New member here, and somehow managed to lose my first post so here we go...2nd time lucky...;)

I’m from the UK, moving to Toronto next month and want an A4 B7 2006/7 2.0t Quattro. Preferably an Avant, but these seem to be quite rare in Canada. I see this as the perfect car for the winter conditions I’ll be driving through in Ontario. And my wife LOVES the idea of an Audi. Anyway, I have a few questions:

Would I be right in saying that a motor of this age will be FSI?

I’d prefer a 6M as this apparently suits the engine very well, but the majority for sale seem to be Auto. How is the auto with the 2.0t? Generally accepted to be a good match/responsive/reliable/fun? Is the manual selector always present, and is this effective?

Tuning – What gains could I expect from a modest remap? 20-30 BHP without sacrificing reliability?

I'm looking forward to my first Audi (changing from AWD Jag X-Type 3.0 which I've been very pleased with).

Any advice gratefully received.

Thanks!

Re: B7 2.0t buying: Auto vs Manual
 

Welcome to the forum. The decision to go with AUDI is a good one. The quattro is amazing in the Canadian winters particularly with the traction control. The 2.0T is a highly tunable engine and with a reasonable amount of money you should have not problem gaining 20-30 BHP. As for automatic or manual that really depends on you. The norm here leans towards automatic which is particularly suited for the Toronto traffic. Manual shifting is available but as you probably noticed hard to find. I prefer the Manual shift myself but that is a personal preference.

Good luck and stay in touch.

Re: B7 2.0t buying: Auto vs Manual
 

I love the manual in my avant. I commute to Toronto and I wouldn't change it for anything. I for one prefer the 3.2. I had a 2.0T in my MKV GTI and it was tuned. I grew tired of the lag and harshness of the engine. But it was very quick. The 3.2 is far quieter and 1000 times smoother. I also find that a chip tuned 2.0T is around the same performance as a 3.2. But the 2.0T is far more mod friendly than the 3.2. Drive as many variations as you can find and decide from there. Look here for good buys

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Re: B7 2.0t buying: Auto vs Manual
 

Thanks for your replies gents. I will make sure I test drive both 2.0t and 3.2 with both transmissions before I make a decision.
I've always driven manuals until now, and also I don't expect to be driving in downtown traffic much (although have have had the "pleasure" of experiencing the 401)

I didn't see many 3.2 within my budget, but I did notice Audi have a finance offer on till end of June, which might persuade me to spend a little more...

Hope to join your ranks soon:)

Re: B7 2.0t buying: Auto vs Manual
 

Congrats! I just bought an '06 A4 this past weekend, it's a beautiful car. Only reason I went with auto is my girlfriend needs to drive it too..and I don't want to ruin the clutch trying to teach her stickshifting.

Re: B7 2.0t buying: Auto vs Manual
 

Reason why most people turn to Auto on Audi's is because rush hour and terrible drivers. Since technology has placed more advance improvements on automatics most choose comfortability over manually working. In this newer generation, automatic transmission will over take manual in due time, just a slow process of thinking (saving gas, more power torqued) etc. I mean there are tips and other ways to save money, but do u always follow? Its just a sense of whether you want to play with a stick all the time or some times (tiptronic). Im not afraid to admit most Canadians are turning lazy like the Americans soon. ^_^