VW Vortex - Volkswagen Forum banner

2020 Tiguan R Line Sleeper Upgrades Recommendations

3K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  rickyboby 
#1 ·
Hi, I recently bought my first car, a 2020 Tiguan SEL Premium R Line, and wanted to upgrade two major things the exhaust and HP & torque.

I am pretty set on the APR Stage 1 tune for now but am open to suggestions, please keep in mind I am a recent college graduate with a moderate budget, say no more than $5k.

Where I really need suggestions and help is in the exhaust department because I want something to change the current outlet to be a quad tip, similar to the Akrapovic exhausts I've seen. I want to be able to open and close the valves and make it loud or quiet when I want it. I would be fine with the APR exhaust but there is no control of the valves and it keeps the stock look with the fake chrome tips.

Can yall give me any tips and recommendations or at least give me questions to ask the shop I want to take it to?
 
#2 ·
I just had the APR stage 1+ tune done on our 2022 Tig SEL R line, and am pretty impressed. We bought the plus tune to cover Murphy's law with regards to warranty drive train issues. If you are out of warranty you are only looking at around 500 bucks which i think is a no brainer. I have absolutely no concern with a stage 1 tune causing a failure as I believe it is actually easier on the car. The car takes off from a dead stop way smoother and steadier than it did stock. When accelerating from a roll (say 45-65 mph entering the freeway) it will drop one gear and pull smoothly instead of dropping 2-3 gears and over revving while not really doing much in the way of acceleration.

I share your desire to upgrade the exhaust and checked with Akropovic to see if they offer anything, they don't except for a true R. The other problem I have is they moved the cheesy fake exhaust higher on the valance on our 22 so I don't think there is a way for me to get there. I see people modifying golf R systems but it looks like a lot of work.
 
#4 ·
I just had the APR stage 1+ tune done on our 2022 Tig SEL R line, and am pretty impressed. We bought the plus tune to cover Murphy's law with regards to warranty drive train issues. If you are out of warranty you are only looking at around 500 bucks which i think is a no brainer. I have absolutely no concern with a stage 1 tune causing a failure as I believe it is actually easier on the car. The car takes off from a dead stop way smoother and steadier than it did stock. When accelerating from a roll (say 45-65 mph entering the freeway) it will drop one gear and pull smoothly instead of dropping 2-3 gears and over revving while not really doing much in the way of acceleration.

I share your desire to upgrade the exhaust and checked with Akropovic to see if they offer anything, they don't except for a true R. The other problem I have is they moved the cheesy fake exhaust higher on the valance on our 22 so I don't think there is a way for me to get there. I see people modifying golf R systems but it looks like a lot of work.
Did you brought it to their facility in Ohio or did you get the ship by mail?
 
#3 ·
@rickyboby I have an issue with mine that in 1st and 2nd as I accelerate the car will all of a sudden "lurch" forward. I assume that is the turbo kicking in. I equate it to the powerbands in a dirt bike kicking in. The sad thing is that it is not predictable and doesn't always happen. I'm 43 and an experienced driver and I've tried adjusting my driving style and easing the throttle but nothing helps. Is this what you experienced and did the APR tune help/fix this? This car is planned to be passed to my 16 year old daughter and the way it drives I don't feel like its safe for her. Thanks for any help or advice you can provide.
 
#5 ·
My opinion of the change is more related to overall drivability rather than a huge performance gain. I am not a person that likes running engines at high RPM, I far prefer low end torque and with this tune it definitely makes better power at low RPM and has a smoother overall powerband. My tune cost me a thousand dollars because I went with the plus which provides warranty coverage. I doubt very much that it will ever be used but Murphy's law sometimes gets the better of me, then throw in the wife factor. (I told you......). The tune without the coverage is 500ish which to me is a no brainer.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top