marc snyder

greetings, all.

i'm not looking to make people crazy talking about chips again but i'd love some real world advice on my car.

i bought an 01 imola s4 tip back in september of 01. it has 19k miles on it, and i have about 4 months left on the lease. it's stock, and in immaculate condition.

audi financial told me that at the end of the lease, i could buy it for about $24.5k -- i originally paid about $38.5k for the car. firstly, what do you all think of that buyout price?

also, for anyone with first hand experience with audi financial, and lease buyouts, will they negotiate?

secondly, if i decide to buy the car out, i was thinking about putting a chip in. originally, when i was reading the boards, the mtm seemed to be everyone's favorite. i'm seeing some posts lately that contradict that fact.

anyone out there chipped an 01 tip and have some comments about the chip they chose and why?

thanks all

WideSuppie

GIAC, got it for cheap.

dscottjr

all the other manufacturers financial arms negotiate so I would but they would too. Good luck...low ball em'

dan farmer

The old-style, 1-bar GIAC chip seems to not kill turbos often. Tip cars are easier on turbos because the on/off throttle transitions are less severe. The tip chip helps the tranny deal with the extra power. I've driven a chipped car (I've got an '01 tip wagon) and the difference is quite noticable. It really transforms the car. You probably will have to deal with the spontaneous downshifting/hunting that comes with the package. It didn't bother me after a short while. You can anticipate how much throttle is going to provoke the downshift.

Go for it-
-df

WindyCityS4

I bought the chip used (price too good to pass up). I ran it for a few weeks to ensure its functionality (~2 weeks--5 tanks of gas). I am back to stock to ride out my warranty.
The chip was seemless. The car was as smooth as stock only stronger. I did not notice any "gear hunting". I have never had or been in another chipped S4, so I cannot comment on others. I cannot wait for my 50K mark. I do not regret my choice.

S4Per

...got it since it's the only one that keeps torque in spec. for the tranny.
it's very smooth, lots of power..i'm a happy customer.

Miles

$24.5K seems like a pretty good buyout to me, especially with only 19K