[veloR]

Hi all, I've been looking at one of the left over 2013 R's, and I've been pouring over this forum for tips and ideas.

I've been in my 2002 S6 Avant for 9 years, and for the most part it has been a fantastic ride. I love the pace/space combo, and that lusty V8 and short gearing has been a blast. It was a car that always felt like every drive was an "occasion."

But it is getting to be about that time to move on.

I've been in an Audi for the past 25 years, and my brief test drives of the R feel familiar. I have a feeling I'll want more power, however.

How have some of your experiences been with warranty coverage if you have done some mods?
Does a stage I/flash tune cause a problem for most at the service department? I know it varies from dealer to dealer, but it seemed almost universal with Audi that they were looking for any reason not to honor warranty work. Is that most people's experience in the VW world?


Thanks

 

[R20dude]

From my experience, it depends on the dealership. The one I frequent has no problem with mods. Although, I have heard of other places rejecting warranty work because of aftermarket parts.

So it really depends on where you go, but there are definitely mod-friendly VW dealerships out there.

 

[HandyBanana]

Anytime I see a first post containing warranty issues, I instantly think CK... weird.

 

[redduc]

I have owned a bunch of s4's including an Avant and even had an RS4 cab for awhile. I would say the most noticeable different is the lack of refinement in the R. It diffidently rattles a bit more and you feel more of the road. Neither of which really bother me considering the cost savings. To me the car still feels very high quality. My wife on the other hand hates it (him).

The R is a blast to drive and fun and cheap to modify. I've done APR's stage 1 and a few other minor mods with great results. My local dealer (Alexandria VW) has given me zero issues about the tune. That said, nothing has broken yet. Best of luck with your decision. That S6 avant is one of my all time favorite cars.

 

[LoyalSage]

Hi all, I've been looking at one of the left over 2013 R's, and I've been pouring over this forum for tips and ideas.

I've been in my 2002 S6 Avant for 9 years, and for the most part it has been a fantastic ride. I love the pace/space combo, and that lusty V8 and short gearing has been a blast. It was a car that always felt like every drive was an "occasion."

But it is getting to be about that time to move on.

I've been in an Audi for the past 25 years, and my brief test drives of the R feel familiar. I have a feeling I'll want more power, however.

How have some of your experiences been with warranty coverage if you have done some mods?
Does a stage I/flash tune cause a problem for most at the service department? I know it varies from dealer to dealer, but it seemed almost universal with Audi that they were looking for any reason not to honor warranty work. Is that most people's experience in the VW world?


Thanks

I went into the R from two R32's back to back. I miss all the available torque I had on demand. You will REALLY miss it coming from a V8.

The R is fast, zippy and fun, but is more of a high reving machine, you won't get much down low and power will always have to be built, it's not always ready. Driving a smaller 2.0 with a bigger turbo K04 requires planning.

Once you are in boost, you are in heaven, I would say for gas savings it's worthit, but honestly, the R does not even save you much gas in comparisson to modern V8 motors. It's kind of a fail if you ask me.

Don't get me wrong, I love my R, it's an awesome ride, but I won't sugar coat it.

Best of luck deciding!

 

[Bozzimus]

I've been in an Audi for the past 25 years, and my brief test drives of the R feel familiar.

it should feel familiar -- the Golf R has the same engine and drivetrain (and shifter) as the Audi S3.

As far as warranty and modding, as you stated, it does depend on dealer, but I would also say that generally speaking compared to Audi, VW tends to be a bit more relaxed about the modding issue and warranty.

 

[veloR]

Thanks for the input.

I know I'm going to miss the V8 grunt, but for a daily driver I could use a little more economy (17mpg, on highway, with a tailwind).

The S6 is getting a little loose and rattly now, and believe it or not, starting to show some rust. That's the real killer for me.

If I'm really jonesin' for speed, I can pull out the '06 Carrera or the '01 Moto Guzzi

 

[LoyalSage]

Thanks for the input.

I know I'm going to miss the V8 grunt, but for a daily driver I could use a little more economy (17mpg, on highway, with a tailwind).

The S6 is getting a little loose and rattly now, and believe it or not, starting to show some rust. That's the real killer for me.

If I'm really jonesin' for speed, I can pull out the '06 Carrera or the '01 Moto Guzzi

If what you want is a DD, I do not recommend the high reving 2.0T with the K04. If you want fun, this is the car. If you want DD, go with a GTI or a TDI. Both will get into boost WAY quicker. Unless you have the requiremend for AWD which unfortunately I do due to snowboarding in the winters.

Seriously, do not fool yourself, this motor is not tuned for DD, it's tuned for a fun drive, you have to rev it. The more time I spend with the car, the more I am realizing this.

Perhaps some will disagree with me.

 

[Xanderips]

Thanks for the input.

I know I'm going to miss the V8 grunt, but for a daily driver I could use a little more economy (17mpg, on highway, with a tailwind).

The S6 is getting a little loose and rattly now, and believe it or not, starting to show some rust. That's the real killer for me.

If I'm really jonesin' for speed, I can pull out the '06 Carrera or the '01 Moto Guzzi

I have my R sitting next to my '05 Carrera, and I can tell you they are a great combo. Either one is fun to drive. When deciding what to drive in the morning, it's like Heads I win, Tails you lose. LOL

X...

 

[webcrawlr]

If what you want is a DD, I do not recommend the high reving 2.0T with the K04. If you want fun, this is the car. If you want DD, go with a GTI or a TDI. Both will get into boost WAY quicker. Unless you have the requiremend for AWD which unfortunately I do due to snowboarding in the winters.

Seriously, do not fool yourself, this motor is not tuned for DD, it's tuned for a fun drive, you have to rev it. The more time I spend with the car, the more I am realizing this.

Perhaps some will disagree with me.

Why would a GTI be better than an R for DD? Because it has more TQ until 3000 rpms? That's silly to me. After you shift out of first gear you're above 3k for the rest of the pull anyway. Need to play around? Downshift.

 

[veloR]

I do need the awd here in WI. Getting called into work in the middle of the night in a snowstorm makes it a must.

I've had 3 turbo Audi's, a 5000tq, a 1.8tq A4 and an allroad with 2.7tt. All needed to be on the pipe to get anything out of them, so I'm not too worried about revs. Never been a fan of fwd cars.

 

[LoyalSage]

Why would a GTI be better than an R for DD? Because it has more TQ until 3000 rpms? That's silly to me. After you shift out of first gear you're above 3k for the rest of the pull anyway. Need to play around? Downshift.

We can agree to disagree, but this man is coming into the R from a V8. He has all the torque in the world coming right off the line. I had a 3.2 liter VR6 and I cannot help but have an issue with how anemic the 2.0+K04 is off the line until the turbo spools up at 3.5k.

Yes, the GTI or TDI would be much better off the line, it all depends what type of driving he is doing, 30 miles on the freeway on cruise control? Or bumper to bumper traffic for an hour.

Please do not allow my comments to upset you because you own the R, I own it also and think it's an amazing car. But I won't sugar coat things. Up to 3k this setup has NOTHING. And if you try to push it a bit it sounds like a sewing machine.

Now once you get into boost, you better have good health insurance for the whiplash you are about to get :laugh:

I do need the awd here in WI. Getting called into work in the middle of the night in a snowstorm makes it a must.

I've had 3 turbo Audi's, a 5000tq, a 1.8tq A4 and an allroad with 2.7tt. All needed to be on the pipe to get anything out of them, so I'm not too worried about revs. Never been a fan of fwd cars.

The allroad must have been nice, V6 off the line then K03's kick in super quick... unless you upgraded them to K04s, but you still have 6 off the line. I am sure you will love the R, I just have to be honest with what I miss from larger displacement motors. In the end, this is what you started this thread for.

:beer:

 

[smoothsix]

Seriously, do not fool yourself, this motor is not tuned for DD, it's tuned for a fun drive, you have to rev it. The more time I spend with the car, the more I am realizing this.

Perhaps some will disagree with me.

I'll go ahead and disagree. I don't own one, but test drove a friend's, which really sold me on the car. It felt a lot more torquey than, say, a WRX or STi off the line, which surprised me. When I think "high revving 4cyl" I think S2000 -- or even my Miata, which I have to flog like a rented mule to get to go anywhere (actually, that's half the fun, but I digress).

IMO, the R feels like a PERFECT DD. It pulls well even if you're a gear or two down; it's not a big turbo car; the tuning feels right for everyday driving. It doesn't pull quite like the 6cyl in my M Coupe right off the line (and obviously will be nothing like a V8), but, again, feels stronger than an STi.

And versus OP's car, I think the fuel economy IS something to write home about.

 

[webcrawlr]

We can agree to disagree, but this man is coming into the R from a V8. He has all the torque in the world coming right off the line. I had a 3.2 liter VR6 and I cannot help but have an issue with how anemic the 2.0+K04 is off the line until the turbo spools up at 3.5k.

Yes, the GTI or TDI would be much better off the line, it all depends what type of driving he is doing, 30 miles on the freeway on cruise control? Or bumper to bumper traffic for an hour.

Please do not allow my comments to upset you because you own the R, I own it also and think it's an amazing car. But I won't sugar coat things. Up to 3k this setup has NOTHING. And if you try to push it a bit it sounds like a sewing machine.

Now once you get into boost, you better have good health insurance for the whiplash you are about to get :laugh:

Not sure where the 3.2L comes in to this discussion about a GTI being a better DD but whatev, I'll bite. Does it have more power down low, much like the GTI? Yes and after around 3000rpms it gets slaughtered. Off the line either the GTI or your VR6 would get smoked by an R. How many GTIs or VR6's are cutting 1.7 60 foots on street tires? And once you are off the line you'll never see under 3000rpms again unless you are cruising so who cares?

I'm not upset at all. I've owned small displacement turbo cars for years. I realize what the short comings are, which have noting to do with my original comment that I think it's silly you say the GTI is a better DD because of the extra torque for a single gear, which gets more than canceled out by the launch ability the R has. Once you are off the line one simple shift in either car will put you in the meat of the power band no matter what type of driving you are doing.

 

[Kenal0]

I was a long time Audi owner, S4's A4's and the last was A6. I missed the manual transmission and decided on the R. Started at stage 1 and progressed to 2+. The car is a blast. I am in Illinois so I picked up a wheel snow tire combo from Tire Rack for winter. Car is awesome.

Kenal0

 

[PDXA4]

I've come from a 2003 D2 S8, and several Audi's before that.

As AoA were not selling any car that suited me, I went for the R. Getting the combination of Hatch/Avant, German made, AWD, manual transmission and turbo engine was what I wanted and the R met all of them.

I'm a fan of the older Audi interiors, and my D2 S8 was perfect in that regard, I love the B6 and B5 interiors also. But the B8 A4, C6 A6 took a turn back IMO. The Golf-R comes across as rather good, the mk6 has a nice interior and dash, excellent steering wheel and comfortable seats.
Performance is good, but with most VAG products they are begging to be modded.

With the R, if you put decent tires on, stage 1 or stage 1+ software, and Haldex competition controller then you will have a very enjoyable ride that will be excellent as a daily driver without going too crazy. But if you want it as stock then it is still enjoyable and fast. Once you adjust to the boost and characteristics of the K04 then you will enjoy it more, but do allow for a bit of time to get used to it.

There are a good few of us QW Audi guys who currently don't have an Audi.

I knew what was coming with the next gen A3 and it being sedan only for the US market, and the S3 version will be DSG only, that was also a factor in my decision to just go and get the mk6 R now...

Another plus was going from my 12mpg V8 to 20mpg and better on my tuned 2.0T

 

[LoyalSage]

Not sure where the 3.2L comes in to this discussion about a GTI being a better DD but whatev, I'll bite. Does it have more power down low, much like the GTI? Yes and after around 3000rpms it gets slaughtered. Off the line either the GTI or your VR6 would get smoked by an R. How many GTIs or VR6's are cutting 1.7 60 foots on street tires? And once you are off the line you'll never see under 3000rpms again unless you are cruising so who cares?

I'm not upset at all. I've owned small displacement turbo cars for years. I realize what the short comings are, which have noting to do with my original comment that I think it's silly you say the GTI is a better DD because of the extra torque for a single gear, which gets more than canceled out by the launch ability the R has. Once you are off the line one simple shift in either car will put you in the meat of the power band no matter what type of driving you are doing.

I did not mention numbers or how fast it is off the line or talked about any car "smoking" any other cars. You are taking the discussion on a tangent that has nothing to do with anything I said.

My comments are mostly about feel, he has displacement, he understands, i mentioned the 3.2 because it's the last motor I drove that has some displacement.

I have owned a MKIV R32, a MKV GTI, a MKV R32 and a MKVI R. I currently have both the MKV R32 and the MKVI R and drive them both several times a week. I know a thing or two about how these cars feel and no matter how many numbers you throw out, the VR6 is a great example of how a little displacement and always available torque can impact the driving experience for a DD.

We also need to realize that the term DD may mean something different to me than it does to you. I mentioned this in one of my earlier posts. The OP may have a 30 mile commute where he can use cruise control or he might run through stop signs the entire way.

The OP mentioned he has had turbo charged engines and he understands the difference at which point I gave him a thumbs up. I was just trying to make sure he does not come into a 2.0/K04 with the wrong expectations. It's a huge difference from a V8.

 

[ocramida]

I'll go ahead and disagree. I don't own one, but test drove a friend's, which really sold me on the car. It felt a lot more torquey than, say, a WRX or STi off the line, which surprised me. When I think "high revving 4cyl" I think S2000 -- or even my Miata, which I have to flog like a rented mule to get to go anywhere (actually, that's half the fun, but I digress).

IMO, the R feels like a PERFECT DD. It pulls well even if you're a gear or two down; it's not a big turbo car; the tuning feels right for everyday driving. It doesn't pull quite like the 6cyl in my M Coupe right off the line (and obviously will be nothing like a V8), but, again, feels stronger than an STi.

And versus OP's car, I think the fuel economy IS something to write home about.

+1

The R is a great DD. I've had V6's and I had an MS3 and the R is a really nice well rounded car, that can be pushed one minute and relaxing the next. I find the 2.0 pretty flexible and torquey even when I'm not in boost.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[Creepingdeath]

+1

The R is a great DD. I've had V6's and I had an MS3 and the R is a really nice well rounded car, that can be pushed one minute and relaxing the next. I find the 2.0 pretty flexible and torquey even when I'm not in boost.

^This^
I will say from a suspension setup perspective, the R gets annoying when driven on bad streets. For me, 99% of my commute to work is on ****ty streets and the R lets you know it. It would be a different story if my commute was a highway drive.

 

[veloR]

Thanks everyone.

This is the discussion I was looking for.

The torque off the line in the S6 is neck snapping, especially with the short gearing. I've got RS6 sport mufflers on it too, so the music it makes is also to die for.

But I need to move on, and like someone else mentioned, Audi has no product out there that appeals to me. The RS7? Sure, its fast. But its bloated and fat. Opinion, sure, but I hate the look.
No avants other than the new allroad, which is a far cry from my old one with the V6tt and manual 6 speed. The Merc E63AMG 4matic wagon looks pretty sweet. But at $115k, doesn't make sense. Drove the Caddy STSV wagon with a 6 speed. A hoot, but can't imagine its going to age well. And the mileage and rwd both are deal breakers. And I don't care for suv's. Wife already has one. Cayenne GTS fun, but not fun enough to make me spend that much.

I have driven the R a couple times now, and it feels really good. A little more power needed? Sure, but that seems easy enough. I'm a little concerned about warranty issues should I mod, which started this thread. But the package seems right. It even looks like I can fit a bike in the back with the seats down without even pulling the front wheel off. Anyone?

And the money I save not going super high end leaves plenty for wheels, mods, and that 993 c2S that I can't stop thinking about.....