milkncheese

Hey all,

I've had a chipped 01' A4 MT Qtr and an 04' MT WRX wagon. I'm looking at buying an A3.

My research hasn't turned up any significant differences between the 06-08 model years. Is the 06 sport package much different from the 07 and 08 s-line packages?

Is there any compelling reason to spend more for an 08 or 07 if a low mileage 06 is available?

I'm definitely leaning towards a 2.0T with DSG (fiance' can't drive manual) but I'm starting to see 06 3.2's come down into my budget (22-27k).

Everything I read about the 3.2's makes them sound worse than the 2.0T's but I like AWD. Any good reasons to take a 3.2 over a 2.0T besides Quattro?

I heard the 09 A3 2.0T will be offered with Quattro but I'm guessing that'll be a 35k+ car with the options I'm interested in (S-Line, DSG, opensky).

On a side note, for those that have chipped your 2.0T's how's your freeway mileage? Any problems with torque steer?

Finally (and thanks in advance for any tips, advice etc. for a former Audi guy eager to return to the fold), any advice on where to shop for a used (or new) A3? I live in San Francisco, CA and the local dealers' pricing seems a little crazy.

Milk&Cheese

April

break-in period during which it doesn't "sparkle" as much as it will once it's got 10K miles on the clock. For town commuting, the 2.0T is the perfect traffic terrorist. The fat slug of torque at 2000rpms lets you pounce into gaps that you might not otherwise be able to make. The 3.2 is more a mountains, canyons, and all weather machine. It can do the town stuff just fine, but the advantage of QTR won't be as clear. The linear power delivery is also nicer on the track when compared to the turbo surge.

So you need to decide how the car will be used, and your priorities.

I had a 2.0T stick. Even stock, it's possible to spin the front wheels w/o trying hard. The DSG cars are a tad bit harder to modulate to avoid spin. Chipped means upgraded tires, dogbone, and maybe even a real mechanical limited slip if you like going to the tight twisties. Bigger rear anti-sway bar helps deal with understeer. In the 3.2, get the Haldex controller for more rear power bias.

As I recall, sport package cars got power seats in '07, which gave a wider range of adjustment in case you or girlfriend are finicky about seating position (I'm short and the manual seats in the '06 did not work for me - so I got a car with Premium package which had a power driver seat).

Contact Chris Bearman at Carlson. He knows his Audis inside and out, and can help you choose.

Craig3Q

Always glad to read your comments about the 3.2, April. No smack-down, even some admiration for it.

April

Not sure if anybody is doing a full intake and cams for that version of motor, but it's one car I would mod in heartbeat! Intake, full exhaust, Haldex controller, sways, more sound deadening, etc. Maybe even lighten the flywheel and crank.

Missing the utility of the hatch already;-)

Craig3Q

I need to get your sound deadening ideas again. Maybe I'll work on that this summer. Oh, and I think I'll put on new sways too, after I get my suspension issues resolved. This car is coming together and is even more fun to drive now.

Ub3rS4

no power passenger seats my GF hates it 08 3.2 s-line

milkncheese

Sort of resparked my interest in the 3.2 esp. if there's haldex mods to make it more rear biased. the prof reviews of it were pretty poor but I've always thought that was a good engine in other VW/Audi applications.

April

Go drive some! You're the only one who can decide if either is right for you.

milkncheese

Does chipping the 2.0T make the same huge difference it did with the 1.8T?

April

but have driven a few modified ones. As I mentioned though, fwd does get in the way a bit, especially if you're used to hooking up w/QTR. You can learn to drive a bit differently, but you'll need to mod a few other items (as noted above) to maximize the output under the widest possible range of conditions.