1.8T vs 3.0 v6

[hank_marvinson]

hey all, nYooOBeE hEre. seriously thinking of a b6 at the mo

i had a search but couldnt find anything on this subject, it must have been discussed before, but i cant find it! what are the pro's and cons of both the 1.8T and 3.0 v6 versions of the a4 in your opinion?

i was thinking of a leon cupra r but the price tag has put me off to be honest. i did quite a bit of research on the 1.8T and have always liked the engine but you cant dismiss a v6 just like that.

cheers!

simon

[nickynibbles]

I asked myself the same question early last year before I ended up with my 3.0 Quattro Sport, the way to answer it is to ask yourself a good few questions:

1. Whats my spending limit on purchasing a car?
2. Whats the difference between insurance premiums?
3. What will I be using the car for, urban driving, motorways or a mix.
4. How many miles a year will I be driving?

etc etc. Basically examine what driving you'll be doing and ask yourself can you afford a V6 over the 1.8T. Now then, a V6 will cost more to buy, more to insure and more to fill up with fuel each month, but if you can justify all the costs of ownership and having a mpg of 25-30 on an urban/motoway mix at best then get a V6, they're so much more fun! Costs aside though, lets look at the cars themselves. The 1.8T comes in various guises, 150bhp, 163 bhp & 190 bhp, and also has option of 2wd or Quattro 4wd. Obviously the more power you've got the quicker it goes but its bascially the same engine, just with the boost turned up a bit! Turbo lag is the only thing to be aware of which is the bain of all turbo'd cars, its dosent go very fast below the rev limit of the turbo, but when you hit it all hell breaks loose. The V6 on the other hand will pull from standstill in 4th gear (with a little clutch feathering!) and will pull like a beast from 1000rpm, basically much more torque lower down. The V6 is a very happy revving engine so no problems hitting the red line to show off! The V6 does 0-60 1.5 secs quicker than the 1.8T 163bhp which shows up the performance difference. The V6 also only comes in Quattro 4wd guise so you've got the added "coolness" factor there, certainly is great for handling. There's another thread on here comparing a 1.8T 2wd & Quattro version so have a read there too. Hunting for the right car takes time, I took 3 months to find the right one for me and had to go 300 miles to get it! Once you've made yor mind up what spec your going for, stick to it and search far & wide, what you want will come up for sale if your patient! This replies got a bit long so here's the summary, if you can afford it, get the V6 as it sounds much better and goes a lot quicker!

[hank_marvinson]

i havent compared insurances to be honest, i got a quote for a v6 and it was affordable so i didnt look at the 1.8T...

thats great though, plenty to think about. driving them both would give me the definitive answer. at the mo im leaning towards the v6. i had seen a v6 yesterday that i liked but its automatic. as you say, patience is the key

[nickynibbles]

I test drove a 1.8T & a V6 at a local garage when I was making my mind up, had no intention of buying either car, just wanted to compare the 2 and im glad I did! Check out your local Audi garage and see what they can get for you to drive before you make your final decision.