pcasa

I'd like your thoughts on this dilemma.

All things being equal - which engine would be preferred? I'm asking because I may trade in my 2.7T for a 4.2 - the whole turbo thing is worrying me. But it will be almost an equal trade from the standpoint of mileage and age.
Also, I intend to use as my tow vehicle. Or.. should I keep the 2.7T and add to the collection with a big brother (4.2)? I know I will get some good ideas here, so thanks.

girlroad

finding a 4.2 with a hitch will be important for your plans as the OEM's are no longer available and there is controversy over using a euro hitch or something else. That being said if your 2.7 has more than 50k miles on it and has had all the attendant 2.7T issues corrected, Tq if a tip, TB if over 70k and other issues resolved I would stay with the devil you know. If you are in the mountains they say the 2.7 is better. I will let others add their 2 cents but these are the things that pop into my head at first glance.

Judge AR

but after a number of test drives back to back, I personally just liked the feel of the 2.7T better. So my advice is go test drive a 4.2 and don't worry about our opinions.

pcasa

thanks girlroad - I always enjoy your point of view - neither has a hitch currently and since it will be a sizeable investment to add the Bosal hitch - probably $2000 with labor - I want to be sure I'm putting it on the right vehicle. The 4.2 would give me the extra horsepower, but less fuel efficiency. Since the turbo engine runs "hotter" I was wondering if that would be a negative when towing. I don't anticipate much altitude towing. And, by the way, I am attempting something that seems to be uncharted waters - I am restoring a 1966 vintage Airstream Caravel - lightweight - but no one on the Airstream forums has ever towed with an AR. So maybe I'm blazing a new trail.
I'll post photos soon of the beginning of my airstream/allroad dream.

girlroad

that sounds like a really cool project, also research here a bunch about towing as there is much discussion on load limits and such..I personally have a 4X4 truck to haul my horses and stuff so I don't pay as much attention to that as I should. They used to have a statewide airstream convention at the school I was at last and it was a riot to see all the "tin cans" (I mean that in a loving fashion lined up...I think they are really cool looking, but I kind of like "retro" (that is such a better word than old stuff...as in for me...stuff that I knew from way back when Good luck with your quest

pcasa

one more thing girlroad - I've had my 2.7T for almost a year - and have CPO coverage until March 09. I've read a lot of the posts, but can you give me a good check list to be sure that I'm addressing with Audi throughout the next year. Let's assume that none of the demons has been dealt with yet. I'm at 57K.

Misplacedyankee

Far superior. I hated my 2.7T tip. The lag was terrible. I would only go 2.7T with the 6 speed manual.

girlroad

buying an allroad and sees this post is might scare them off, so first the disclaimer...not all allroads have all of these problems (no I'm not an attorney, although many of my friends are:
torque converter if TIP transmission
watch for issues with secondary air injector fan
cam seal/valve gasket seal leaks and other oil leaks
my current personal favorite issue the "suck" valve, alternately called the vacuum booster valve, the crankcase breather valve, crankcase suction pump and my personal favorite generic the PCV valve...it freezes up, wears out and some say needs to be changed every 2-3 years regardless
tie rod ends, CV joints, control arm (the ball is part of the arm and there are 8 on the ar...see Ex_Pz I have learned a few things this week
most vibration is tires and the Hunter Road Force Balancer is your allroads' friend...many tire shops have them, not all techs know how to use them correctly
rear tail gate hatch lock (sometimes when it breaks then you can have the gorillas at your dealership, even when under warranty break all the plastic clips that keep the rear hatch cover on the triangle is also known to unleash itself on the unsupecting as well
I have also replaced my rear hatch strut
you might want to change the spark plugs and keep an eye out for a coil pack issue...might be helped by prophelactically (love to use that word changing out the plugs...search for what brand as I can't remember right now
the water reservoir for the washer system has a tendancy to leak onto electronics (mine had the decency to leak while in for other work and they replaced it)
the sprayers for the windshield washer go out (mine is currently out on the passenger side) and I have it on good authority it is usually something you have to replace the entire jet for
air suspension needs to be watched closely at your age of vehicle if you haven't already changed any of them...the rears rarely fail but I have replaced both of my fronts twice (only two were on me, two were before 35k when I got the car)
oh and be careful if you have the double spokes with the Audi logo inserts as you can still operate them with only 1 plastic clip broken, but when two go the metal "spring" doesn't hold the on the wheel...and they have gone up from $20 two years ago to $30 and they are only available from the dealer
also watch your coolant level and if you have to buy more (even a small amount) you can only get it in a huge container that is $25 from the stealer...so you can help out all your Audi friends if they need topped off
there is also controversy on the automatic side whether changing out your ATF is a good idea or not...I still am undecided as one expert I like says one thing and another says something else....I think that is all I can think of right now...oh also watch for gunk under your battery as it can cause water to leak into your cabin floor and for god's sake do not let anyone break the cup holders as they are expensive to fix/replace...not that they are that good for anything to begin with but you don't need a hole in your dash....."Anyone, anyone...Buehler??"

derekpowell

a 4.2 for very similar reasons as yours. As apprehensive as I was about driving an automatic, I've found the torque of the 4.2 to be absolutely terrific.

And torque is what you'll be wanting -- when you pull into traffic, when you're on a steep hill, when you need to pass rightnow. ESPECIALLY when towing.

And from that standpoint, you'll want an engine that's inherently unstressed when piling on the tons. I've towed everything from dirtbikes to a Ford Torino and each time I've been grateful I went for the cool and capable 4.2. If I wanted a 2.7 again, I'd save it for the A6, but I'll take my allroad in V8 guise, thank you.

Oh, and the exhaust note kicks ***.

mustbeaudi

and she was a novice just a few years ago, now she writes the book!