Thinking about Buying an A4 2.0 Sport.... Thoughts?

[chrisash32]

Hi Everyone.
I am new around here but not new to the VAG Scene.
I currently drive a SEAT Altea 2.0 TDi Sport.. Which i am soon to get rid of due to turbo and head issues known to that engine range.

I have been looking at A4 1.9 TDi's but quickly noticed you seem to get a lot more car for your money if you get a petrol.
I usually cover around 25k a year, but this about to decrease to about 10-15k.

I just wanted to know what peoples thoughts were on the 2.0 engine? the particular one i was looking at had just over 100k on the clock, so i was wondering what sort of life these engines expect to have.

Thoughts, ideas, things to look for, common problems etc etc are all bits of info that i am after, which would be very helpful in assisting with me making in purchase..

Also, finally, what are they "really" like for MPG? as some quotes i have seen say they are only within a few MPG of the TDI.

Thanks

Chris

 

[golf]

Avoid. The 2.0 is a bad engine and is second only to the 2.4 as being the most pointless in the B6 range.

It's slow, inefficient and antiquated. The 1.8T is a far better choice, and they're fairly cheap now too.

 

[chrisash32]

Avoid. The 2.0 is a bad engine and is second only to the 2.4 as being the most pointless in the B6 range.

It's slow, inefficient and antiquated. The 1.8T is a far better choice, and they're fairly cheap now too.

Thanks for that...
In what way are they bad? reliability? or just because they are slow?

 

[chrisash32]

Also, forgot to ask, what are the general views of the automatic gear box?

Cheers!

 

[BahnStormer77]

chrisash - careful with the multitronic boxes (I think most 2.0's are multitronic, not tiptronic)... they're fantastic when they're working, but have a long history of fualts that is only properly corrected with the 7-plate clutch upgrade costing approx £2k (from Audi).

2.0 isn't a great choice unless you're doing REALLY low mileage and just want to get into an Audi... the 1.9TDI will match it for accelleration and annihilate it on fuel economy.... the 1.8T is lighter, has comparable fuel economy (better if driven carefully, worse if you're booting it) and a lot more power and is far more tunable.

 

[technics100]

I'm sorry to disagree, but I have a 2.0 Sport, I bought after having a 340bhp S6, I find the car very smooth, as quick as a 130 TDi sport and 1/2 the price when buying... I cannot fault mine and I have owned 2 130 TDi B6 A4's also.. Yes there is no thump or torque, but the 20V engine revs well and isn't that slow. I get 33-35mpg out of mine and only ever managed 40-42 from either of my Tdi's.. I do agree that a 1.8T is a better choice, but the 2.0 are great value for money..

 

[baynesey]

Avoid. The 2.0 is a bad engine and is second only to the 2.4 as being the most pointless in the B6 range.

It's slow, inefficient and antiquated. The 1.8T is a far better choice, and they're fairly cheap now too.

I disagree, it's not a bad engine at all, I have a 2.0 FSI Avant I have it for 3 years and covered over 30k, only one issue last year and that was speed sensor. For a "large" petrol engine you get a respectable return in fuel, it's not slow .. if you one for Traffic Light Grand Prixs then buy an RS4, it'll get upto 80/90 quite effortlessly and maintain this speed.

True, it might not be as fruity as a 1.8T but it certainly isn’t a bad engine, servicing is simple, I'm by far no mechanic and serviced mine this weekend for less than £50 (oil, plugs, filters etc etc) plus there is one less thing to go wrong if you have a Turbo

In the summer I drove to the Alps, 4 people and boot load of luggage, over that week I covered 1700 miles I averaged 37.8MPG, the only thing the car could do with is a little more torque .. I found myself down changing every now and again when climbing through the mountains.

Would I buy another one 2.0 FSI, probably not as I'm hoping to do more touring over the following years, I'll be looking 2.5/3.0 TDIs for this, but for general motorway cruising and pottering about doing the school run it's good, I use mine for commuting day to day and full tank gets me 500 - 550 miles, Insurance Group 13 too.

Hope this helps

 

[chrisash32]

I'm sorry to disagree, but I have a 2.0 Sport, I bought after having a 340bhp S6, I find the car very smooth, as quick as a 130 TDi sport and 1/2 the price when buying... I cannot fault mine and I have owned 2 130 TDi B6 A4's also.. Yes there is no thump or torque, but the 20V engine revs well and isn't that slow. I get 33-35mpg out of mine and only ever managed 40-42 from either of my Tdi's.. I do agree that a 1.8T is a better choice, but the 2.0 are great value for money..

Nice honest reply, thanks

To give you a bit more info, the past 4 cars i have had, all had turbos (all TDi's) and on 3 of them cars the turbo has packed in being an expensive repair every time.

Now i am just after a nice comfortable car which provides easy hassle free motoring... Yes i can cover some huge miles, but nothing stupid.

Cheers
Chris

 

[technics100]

That's what I was after, something that would give no hassle and do the job. I went from a 4.2 V8 S6 to the 2.0.. obviously its down slightly on power (210bhp lower) but the 2.0 is perfectly fine for daily driving, it doesn't have any punch but doe rev out well, I frequently have a run at a 130 Tdi sport Bora and can happily sit with in upto 80-90mph.. yet the 2.0 is quieter, smoother and cheaper.. and in my experience on the same daily drive that I did in both my 130 Tdi's its 6-8mpg lower, so not that much different.. I bought my Oct 03, 2.0 sport with s-line kit, 17's etc 2 owners with 47k on the clock for £4950, the equivalent in a Tdi is 8.5-9k with those miles..

 

[BahnStormer77]

only bit I'd really argue with Technics is that if he's claiming htat he has a 20V FSI... I thought the 147bhp 2.0 FSI's were 16V... the 128bhp non-FSI is 20V

That said, either one is great value for money... and very capable cars.... and as per Technics example you get a LOT of car for your money (nearly the same money I paid for my 2.5TDI Quattro sport but I've got 130k miles on mine!)...

On the flip side, Technics' lead foot shouldn't be taken as a true reflection of the 1.9TDI's fuel economy... a friend has one and regularly averages over 45mpg (he normally gets "700-800 miles between refills")

I'll stand my ground on the multitronics though: if you want hassle-free motoring, might be best to avoid these... tiptronics ands pretty reliable if oil-changed on shedule and the manuals are pretty bullet-proof...

 

[BahnStormer77]

baynesey - you'll get similar fuel economy on a 2.5TDI (quattro) = 40mpg @ 75mph on cruise control and reasonably fully loaded...

3.0TDI is the beast - better power AND better economy.... but they're abour £12k!

 

[baynesey]

baynesey - you'll get similar fuel economy on a 2.5TDI (quattro) = 40mpg @ 75mph on cruise control and reasonably fully loaded...

3.0TDI is the beast - better power AND better economy.... but they're abour £12k!

Cool thanks, I was quite suprised at how many A4 and A6's are used for touring, I must have seen 10 - 20 UK 2.5 and 3.0 TDIs on the Motorways in France fully loaded

 

[chrisash32]

Thanks guys!!

How do i know if an auto box is multitronic or triptronic?

Cheers!

 

[chrisash32]

Just to expand on my post above, I am interested after above posts in a 1.8T Sport i have seen advertised with a CVT Auto gear box, I just dont know which gear box that is!

Thanks

Chris

 

[technics100]

only bit I'd really argue with Technics is that if he's claiming htat he has a 20V FSI... I thought the 147bhp 2.0 FSI's were 16V... the 128bhp non-FSI is 20V

Mine is the 2.0 20v non FSi 130bhp model, which has the same pace as a 130bhp Tdi.. I agree, good car for the money, I would of had an 1.8T if I could but they are a rare item in Northern Ireland.. I put 30k plus on my two 130 Tdi's, never got above 45mpg, always averaged 40-42mpg, maybe it is just my driving!!! I had bother with the tiptronic box in the S6, but I think it was probably thrashed and had plenty of power going to it..

 

[AJB Audi]

Hi Guys

My first post, but as I drive exactly the car that Chrisash32 is talking about this seemed like an opportune point to join the debate!

I have a 54 plate 2.0 Sport (non FSI) which I purchased about 9 months ago with 26K on the clock for just over £7,500. I'm really pleased with it (smooth, comfortable etc) although having read some of the other posts I'm wondering whether i'm missing out not having sought out a 1.8 turbo.

Having said that it went into the local dealer recently, for the cambelt replacement, and they lent me the latest A4, 2.0 turbo, quattro, S Line. As you can imagine it was fantastic, but then again at close to £30,000 you'd expect it to be. Enjoyed driving it and was obviously sorry to give it back but, and here's the significant bit, I still enjoyed getting back into my own car. Of course the new model is a far better car but not four times better unless money is no object to you.

I've averaged 32 mpg over the 7,000 miles I've driven it with a far mix of motorway and town driving.

I'd agree with the comments about it being a bit lacking in torque but I wouldn't have said it was that sluggish. I owned a Renault 5 GT turbo for many years and so I feel I have some claim to experience of boy racer performance! The Audi is generally very smooth and I think its natural habitat is cruising solidly and quietly on the motorway which it would happily do for hours.

So, in conclusion, if high performance is top of your list the other guys are right to be steering you to a turbo model but if you are content with reasonable performance and a smooth, quiet cruiser then a 2.0 Sport might be good value for you.

 

[technics100]

well said. I bought mine in July and saw it advertised for a few weeks but completely dismissed it because it was a 2.0, then I went to drive it to see if it was really as slow as I was lead to believe. To my surprise it was actually quite nippy, it doesn't feel under powered and toodles about 100% fine all the time, and when you feel like tramping on a bit it revs out well and knocks up higher figures no problem.. the 130bhp 2.0 has the same 0-60 as the 130 TDi sport but has a slightly higher top speed. This also applies to the 2.0 Tdi 140bhp in the B7... All in all, a good all rounder..

 

[BahnStormer77]

CVT = multitronic... needs to have FULL history and preferably a confirmed replacement of the clutch with the 7-plate version....

it's recommended on the 2.0 and pretty much essential on the forced induction engines (more torque!).

 

[chrisash32]

CVT = multitronic... needs to have FULL history and preferably a confirmed replacement of the clutch with the 7-plate version....

it's recommended on the 2.0 and pretty much essential on the forced induction engines (more torque!).

So if the car has all the paper work to state it has been replaced with the 7-Plate clutch and its History looks good, it wont be a problem gear box?

 

[AJB Audi]

A question in the 1.8 turbo vs 2.0 debate

During my many years of driving the Renault 5 GT turbo the acceleration was incredible, even by modern standards, and you could get to 70-80 mph very quickly. The problem however was that it wasn't so enjoyable when you tried to sustain that speed as you essentially only had a 1.4 litre engine that was having to work very hard and was therefore quite noisy.

I appreciate that engine technology has come a long way in the intervening years but does any of this ring true with a 1.8 turbo. Its lighter weight and additional power would obviously outperform the 2.0 litre normally aspirated engine for straight line speed but once you hit 80 mph does a bigger 2.0 litre engine give the benefit of quieter and smoother high speed driving?

 

[chrisash32]

A question in the 1.8 turbo vs 2.0 debate

During my many years of driving the Renault 5 GT turbo the acceleration was very exhilarating and you could get to 70-80 mph very quickly. The problem however was that it wasn't so enjoyable when you tried to sustain that speed as you essentially only had a 1.4 litre engine that was having to work very hard and a lightweight car that really felt the bumps in the road.

I appreciate that engine technology has come a long way intervening years but does any of this ring true with a 1.8 turbo. Its lighter weight and additional power would obviously outperform the 2.0 normally aspirated engine for straight line speed but once you hit 80 mph does the benefit of a bigger 2.0 engine cut in to give quieter and smoother high speed driving?

Also interested to know this myself

 

[BahnStormer77]

So if the car has all the paper work to state it has been replaced with the 7-Plate clutch and its History looks good, it wont be a problem gear box?

it's less likely to be a problem gearbox and might still be covered by some form of warranty.... defintiely no guarantees as even the 7-platers are prone to more problems than any of the other gear boxes.

 

[BahnStormer77]

I owould have thought that when you're not accelerating hard, the 1.8T would have (roughly) the same "quiet cruising" potential of the 2.0.... and be less likely to need to change down as the turbo is always able to kick in if you need some more mid-range torque to deal with a hill or two... so if anythign I would have though it would be a more relaxed drive.... that said my experience with these engines on the A4 is non-existant.... just the little 150bhp A3 runabout I have outside the house now....

 

[chrisash32]

cheers for all the replies!!

Just a quick one as its driving me mad.. is there any easy way to tell the difference between a multi and a tip auto?? I just cant seem to work it out!

 

[ronny]

Also interested to know this myself

It's very true

The 1.8T is a great engine, but unless you get a 6 speed, I would advise against it.
I have the 5 speed and if you do alot of motorway miles like me then it's a right pita, I had a 2.6 A4 quattro before this and put 160k miles on it and it was a pleasure.

The 5 speed is just one gear to short
Saying that though my 1.8T has outlasted any other Audi i have owned, and now on my 1.8T i have +210k miles and it's still flawless.

 

[BahnStormer77]

cheers for all the replies!!

Just a quick one as its driving me mad.. is there any easy way to tell the difference between a multi and a tip auto?? I just cant seem to work it out!

depends on the engine.... check the Parkers.co.uk spec lists....

There are a few engine combos that have both... but it tends to be the much lower torque FWD-only A4's: the lower power 1.8T's can have the Multitronic, but none of the higher power ones!

I've never actually driven one, but I believe that if put them in fully auto, they just get to a certain torque point in the rev-range and then just hold those revs while the speed changes... but there is also a simulation mode where they move up and down through the revs like a normal auto - jsut to confuse you even further!

 

[chrisash32]

depends on the engine.... check the Parkers.co.uk spec lists....

There are a few engine combos that have both... but it tends to be the much lower torque FWD-only A4's: the lower power 1.8T's can have the Multitronic, but none of the higher power ones!

I've never [FONT=&quot]actually driven one, but I believe that if [/FONT]put them in fully auto, they just get to a certain torque point in the rev-range and then just hold those revs while the speed changes... but there is also a simulation mode where they move up and down through the revs like a normal auto - jsut to confuse you even further!

The reason i was asking is because i don't want a multitronic as of all the stories i have been reading about them. I just can not find a way to tell which any of the cars i am looking at have.. as they are just advertised as "automatic".

 

[Stu W]

don't want to upset everyone but if you want a boring but, smoth ride then buy the 2.0 petrol. looking at your car history you've enjoyed the punch of the vag tdi's. if you change to a 2.0 petrol you'll make the same mistake as i did and you'll hate it. don't get me wrong vag petrol engines are very very smooth but boring to drive untll you get into the V8's. I've had 4 of the 1.8 20vs all in different models and i loved them until i changed to a 130tdi mk4 golf had it from new remapped it and it was fantastic, power delivery and fuel economy. changed it for A3 1.8t remapped it, yes it was fast but it just felt slow. the power delivery was so smooth that it was boring fuel economy was poor. changed it for a a4 130tdi sport avant remapped it. happy man again. it's just my opinion

 

[chrisash32]

based on having the same thoughts myself this morning, i am off to look at a TD130 Avant tomorrow

Thanks