Opinions -- A4 1.8 turbo quattro vs. 200 20v turbo quattro

[Brett Dikeman]

On Sat, Nov 21, 2009 at 7:52 PM,  <b1biker at aol.com> wrote:

> Thinking about upgrading my ride to a turbo model, NA 5000s quattro just dsoesn't have the punch that
> I need in the mountains. I'm interested in the pro's and con's of these two models. What kinds of
> proiblems am I likely to encounter. What kind of fuel mileage can I reasonably expect on the
> highway (I usually drive the limit or a little more.) Any other pertinent information would be
> appreciated.


The A4 will be far safer, get better gas mileage, and have better
chassis and suspension.

The 200q20v will have more room, the interior feels classier to me
(well, except for the GM climate control...ugh.)  The 200q20v has wood
that, when polished up a little, makes people say "Whoa" when they get
in; it has a depth and quality of finish to it no other car on the
market today does, which makes it a crying shame when it cracks.  The
3B has better off-the-line acceleration thanks to more displacement,
and the stock front mount intercooler means hot weather performance is
better.  With an IA3+, you'll be as fast as any S4 (save the chipped
biturbos), and give Sube STis a serious run for their money.  The 3B
engine is well understood by owners, and easy to diagnose sometimes
just based on behavior/symptoms alone.  Very little in the way of
specialized tools are needed.

Downside: 200q20v's these days have so many miles on them that the
chassis has got to be tired, and at a certain point, you're fighting a
constant battle of age and wear in everything.

I just bought a Volvo V70R, which is definitely a wild
child....especially as I try to deal with engine performance problems.
 Right now, the car overboosts and stumbles like crazy, and nobody can
figure out why.  This is from missing 4-5PSI of boost, and nobody
being able to figure out why.

The Volvo forums are largely useless.  Give a page+ describing a
problem, and people will shout out a smorgasbord of components to
replace with no justification, no suggestions on testing procedures,
etc

-B