Audi A4 2.0T vs. BMW 330i / 325i

[Irish311]

Hi guys -- I'm new to this forum, so the questions I'm about to pose may have been discussed elsewhere (I was able to find some info, but not enough).

My 2001 A4 2.8L is about to come off lease and the local Audi dealer, as you can imagine, wants to keep my business. They're trying to sell me on the 2.0T car with a manual trans (my current A4 is MT) but I'm skeptical of getting into a 4 cyl engine, especially after having driven my V6 with a MT for four years and 2 325i's (with V6's) for 10 years before that. The 3.2L is certainly nice, but as it is not available in MT, I'm not interested.

To add another wrinkle into the mix, the Audi salesman has told me that I can "revo" the 2.0T and with proper software manipulation I should be able to bring the 200HP 2.0T up to 250HP. Interesting, of course, but I'm ingorant when it comes to mod's & tuning, so I can't tell if he's full of crap or not. Can anyone comment?

I'm also considering getting a new or late model BMW 330 or 325, however, I'm concerned about these cars not having AWD as I live in New England and the roads can get pretty tough from Dec to Mar. Quattro has been great, but after having owned 2 325's before (and REALLY loving the way they drove), I was set on going back to BMW.

I know that this is an AUDI forum, so I expect that most of you have bias toward the AUDI and not the BMW, but if anyone could give me their unbiased opinons (as much as possible anyway) I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks in Advance,
Irish311

[CTOM9]

Why not get either a 325xi or a 330xi? These are AWD models from BMW.

I am fairly new to Audi - as I am a long time BMW 3 series owner, but all that I have heard is that Audi is very stringent about mods - especially to the engine. Revo would void your warranty if they found out (I've heard debates on whether the dealer can ascertain if you have this done).

Personally, I will always take a V6 over a V4.

[jimmyrecluse]

I have revo on my S4 and no warranty voiding has taken place yet. Revo is made to be hidden from the dealers average means of checking. IF the dealer is telling you to chip your car then make them accept warranty claims. Truth is, you will probably be able to chip the hell out of it not to mention whatever else and you will be happy with the performance. There are 1.8T cars making 400HP. Dont know how long they will last but I know you probably arent interested in that much power. A chip on a turbo car WILL probably make 50 more HP and that is a big difference.

[kujo17]

yes, 247bhp with just a flash is what folks are getting.

If you worry about warranty, don't do it.
But as Jimmy said, it's pretty undetectable, unless they completely go through your ECM, which would never do for no reason and would only do under Severe circumstances.

If you're concerned about AWD, I'd stay with Audi.

I know 3 people that have owned BMW Xi models.
All had major issues with them and none of them were kept longer than 10 months !!!

Audi for AWD.
Bimmer for RWD !!

drive em both.
One will stand out to you and that's the one you buy.

there are advantages to both.
buy what you love to drive.

kj

[Irish311]

Firstly, I want to thank you all for taking the time to help me out with your replies / opinions. They are very much appreciated.

CTOM9: Are you satisfied with your switch from the 3 series to the Audi's? What are the major differences that you're noticing? Quattro handling vs. normal BMW RWD handling, hwy speed/passing ability, etc.? Curious to know how you feel and what you percieve the major advantages & disadvantages to both are.

Jimmyrecluse: I too am very interested in getting Revo done to the car (if I get a 2.0T), but does it still "feel" like a 4 cyl engine or does it feel that you're all of a sudden driving the 3.2 V6? I imagine that it would be VERY sporty in the lower gears and around town, but do you think that a revo'd 4 cyl will have the 'highway power / passing power' of the 3.2 V6 / BMW V6?

Kujo17: I'm very concerned about the BMW Xi probs you mentioned -- having one friend with a problem is one thing, but having 3 with major problems causes me concern. What kind of problems were they having? Were they related to the AWD in some fashion or were the cars used/CPO that had other problems I can keep on the look out for? Great Photography site by the way...

Thanks again guys.

[AudiGuy666]

Irish , def go with the 2.0T.
Ionce you chip that , you would leave almost any V6 behind you. I have a 1.8T chipped and have plenty of highway power. The 2.0T chipped will be a beast.
You said you had 2 BMW 325's? Pfft
Isnt that car 184HP ? The 2.0 Stock is even more then that.

[Imperial]

moving to the B7 A4 forum now...

[GrkA4]

With chip and exhaust you'll get a ton of horse power. I think Milltek already has an exhaust available for the B7 2.0T and with a chip you'll be rockin...

[Vortec4800]

One thing about turbo cars is their highway power. My friend's E36 M3 will blow my doors off if we race from a stop, but on the freeway I can pull on him slightly. I was set on a 3.0 in my B6 but got the 1.8T because of funds, and I'm glad that ended up happening. If you want AWD, maybe wait until the new BMW AWD system comes out and try that as well. Supposedly, it's going to be amazing - much MUCH better than the xi in the E46 3 series.

I'd say you will probably like the 2.0T very much and you can't go wrong there. You also may really like the new 3 series and their AWD as well. My guess is you will be very happy with either choice, and the chip in the 2.0T looks very promising. Go with whatever gives you the better deal, I say.

[qtek16]

soo yeah ive been wondering this for awhile how much different is the 2.0t compared to our 1.8ts??? maybe a dumb questiong but i dont feel like clicking the search button at the moment haha ;)

[qtek16]

and no one be a smart a@@ and say its a 2.0 litre compared to a 1.8 litre...;)

[a2a2pqk]

If you want AWD get Audi. Quattro for Audi!
Get the one that's best at it.

BMW = RWD.
Btw I test drove the 325i with my dad today.(E90) It's pretty nice. Pretty quiet compared to the CLK320. haha I'd love a BMW and Audi combo!
I actually didn't drive it but I sat in the back and I thought the car was pretty quiet! Which I liked. Performance I thought it was pretty good. Too bad dad's car is already on lease. The only way to trade in for the new 3 would be to have someone continue our lease for us!

[Irish311]

OK Guys -- thanks for all of your input. After a few more test drives and some financial negotiating, I leased a silver 2.0T.

I'll admit, I was a little skeptical at first, but to my pleasant suprise, the car's power and performance (stock) has met and exceeded my expectations. Very fast, very powerful, good highway power. Test driving the vehicles is one thing, but taking them home and driving them for a few days is something else -- so far, it's been fantastic.

To anyone out there thinking about buying the 3.2 for the V6 engine over the 2.0T (manual trans), I would [humbly] say that you shouldn't hesitate to go with a 2.0T stick. In my own opinion, the stick and FSI Turbo engine make up the difference between the two cars; I can only imagine what the power will be like once I have the 2.0T Revo'd. But no doubt that the 3.2 is also VERY powerful -- just not as fun to drive in my view b/c it's not avail in man trans (although I think it's going to be available later this year?).

As for those of you who are struggling to decide between the new BMW 3 series cars and an Audi A4 (and you've found that price for an A4 with a V6 has increased about $5K), I would recommend the 2.0T (again, man trans) without hesitation. No doubt you'll also LOVE the BMW's (can't comment on the new Xi's b/c they're not out yet and I didn't get a chance to drive them). As was posted earlier in this thread by Vortec4800 (and others), feel comfortable going with whichever brand gives you the better deal.

I'll post some pictures soon, but in the meantime, I'm happy to give any feedback to anyone who's thinking about getting a A4 2.0T. PM me and I'll do my best to be impartial and fair about the feedback I give.

Thanks again for all of you who posted messages and opinions in an effort to help in my decision.

Best regards,
Irish311

[boostinmr2]

I also was looking at the DEAL factor as I am on the market to lease a new B7 or 3 series as a daily driver.

Basically it comes down to this on a lease... On the bimmer - a decked out 325i would run you around $500 a month for 36 months. On the 2.0T (both with auto trannies) would run about $415 a month for 36 months - both leases with similar cash out of pocket. So you do the math and see if the difference is worth $85 a month.