B6 1.8T quattro (160 bhp)

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voteforpedro

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Was looking at a B5 1.8TQS but seen a B6 for a good price...

Is it worth going for the quattro over the FWD, with no extra power to offset the extra weight etc? How do they compare to the B5 1.8T FWD (150 bhp)?

Mucho gracias.
 
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Quattro FTW, heavier , yes. But the additional handling more than makes up for it, and being DBW a quick £100 remap will net you over 200 bhp and better economy, sorted !!
 
B6 will be heavier than the B5 even comparing like-for-like.... and the quattro even heavier still, so I'd said it's personal preference really: I went from a FWD Golf to a quattro B6, so I was clearly after the more planted, solid feel of the B6 A4 Quattro (so that's my bias ;) )...

When weighing up the B5 vs B6 choice: my reasons for choosing B6 over a B5 (despite preferring the external look of a B5), were that once inside, the B6 is clearly a more modern, sophisticated car and not that the B5 is "bad", but the B6 is well ahead of the B5 in terms of safety equipment... plus you get access to the B6/B7 parts bin (RNS-e, MFSW's, HID's, etc, etc)...

And for the performance / power-conscious: not only the obvious handling advantages of quattro; but also that the only limit on the 1.8T in terms of tuning is how much power u can put through the front wheels (around 200bhp for the FWD)... but for a quattro, it just opens that ceiling up a "bit" more ;)

If the B5 you were talking about was a quattro, then it'd be a lot harder choice: as that would definitely have the performance edge due to the weight advantage and similar tuning potential.
 
Surely it depends on how and where you drive? I didn't opt for the quattro because I spend most of my time in London but hit the motorways now and again with only an occasional country blast. I clearly wouldn't push it in the wet like you could a quattro, but it's such a small part of my driving it doesn't matter. If I lived in the sticks I would have opted quattro. There a slight performance advantage in a straight line in the dry over the quattro as well as better economy.

I find the handling is decent enough with the multi-link suspension even with just front wheel drive. I'm opting for a remap in the mid-range which should up mine to about 220 with a bit more torque at lower revs (will uprate the diverter valve too). That's as much as I would want to put through front wheel drive.

Styling-wise I prefer the B6 over the B5 and (dare I say it) the B7. I think the B6 evolved into a very accomplished design, whereas I find the B7 a bit over-engineered. The interior is much more modern than the B5 without being over-fussy. But then I would say that!
 
one word from me about my b6 2.5 tdi v6 quattro = WOW !!! ;)

it is fine mate & not to bad on fuel, however my 1.9 tdi fwd was fun but the 2.5 is so so smooth & much better.... .

good luck but go for thr 4wd mate.

more smiles per miles.....
 
GrayT said:
Surely it depends on how and where you drive? I didn't opt for the quattro because I spend most of my time in London but hit the motorways now and again with only an occasional country blast. I clearly wouldn't push it in the wet like you could a quattro, but it's such a small part of my driving it doesn't matter. If I lived in the sticks I would have opted quattro. There a slight performance advantage in a straight line in the dry over the quattro as well as better economy.

I find the handling is decent enough with the multi-link suspension even with just front wheel drive. I'm opting for a remap in the mid-range which should up mine to about 220 with a bit more torque at lower revs (will uprate the diverter valve too). That's as much as I would want to put through front wheel drive.

Styling-wise I prefer the B6 over the B5 and (dare I say it) the B7. I think the B6 evolved into a very accomplished design, whereas I find the B7 a bit over-engineered. The interior is much more modern than the B5 without being over-fussy. But then I would say that!
Click to expand...

agreed - fwd is plenty for most of the time... only time it really comes into it's own is accellerating out of short A-road onramps into 50mph traffic (especially in standing water!), which I have to do quite a lot (yes, in London!)... after that: snow! But then you'd probably be better off with £400 spent on winter tyres than £1k extra on quatttro: then you can have a lighter car, save money on the FWD on petrol most of the time and on your insrance excess in cold weather and snow.

Just my opinion (on the saloons, in particular):
B5 = light, nimble, pretty on the outside, but getter a bit dated on the inside.
B6 = a step change: safer and more solid, fantastic front styling, debatable rear on teh saloon and a pretty special interior (especially in leather + brushed metal trim!)
B7 = same chassis, etc, so not much difference: I like the 2.0 and 3.0TDI, rear stylign is better but really don't like the front styling though :(
B8 = another incremental improment on the B6, much more acceptable styling... only thing not to like is the price ATM :D

Just depends on wether I can splash out for an A5 Sportback or "settle" for a B8.... 3.0TDI probably :D
 
Thanks for the advice guys. Unfortunately the one I had my eye on sold fairly rapidly. :( £3,2k or best offer, Y-reg, 85k miles, 1.8TQS. Gutted, seemed like a decent price to me? Although it was in Brighton and I am in Birmingham. :)
 
ouch, nice.... seems like a good price too!

only complaint I have about the 1.8TQS's is they're all alcantera / cloth, aren't they?
 
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