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APR Stage 1 or Stage 2?

Is the APR Stage 2 tune worth it or is Stage 1 enough


  • Total voters
    20

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
I've always had very good results with APR, have been stage 1 on two R's. I have not gone stage 2, stage 1 always just seemed like enough. It is unfortunate that stage 2 with APR is going away, and this makes me second guess going stage 1 on my new R with them. I still may never go stage 2, but I might, and I'd hate to have to switch and go with a different tuner if that was the case.

I've heard great things about EQT (works through the Cobb AP), both in terms of customer service as well as power (seems to be on par with APR, at least for stage 1). I may go this route this time for a couple of reasons, can sell the AP in the future and recoup some of the spend (not necessary, but still something to keep in mind), and they should continue to offer a stage 2 solution (at least it seems so for now) if I decide to go that route in the future.

The flashing "at home" option is nice, and APR is missing a bit of market share by not having this so far, but I've heard they are developing a product for this. If so, I would assume that it will be out soon.

Decisions...decisions...:unsure:

I would definitely go with Cobb and EQT.
 

Jedimk7

Drag Race Newbie
I voted to go stage 2 with the R definitely go with Cobb and EQT. I thought stage 1 was fine since a lot of people say that stage 2 is barely an increase but although I have the 1.8 and only went stage 1 with my mk7 GTI stage 2 is way quicker than stage one at least for the 1.8. From videos the R is a beast with an IC and downpipe and custom tune😎👍🏻
 

CarlosCanizares

Autocross Newbie
Location
Surrey, BC, Canada
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf R
I thought stage 1 was fine since a lot of people say that stage 2 is barely an increase...

I was in that camp during my Mk7 GTI days.

My Eurodyne Stage 2 didn't feel that much faster than my friend's Eurodyne Stage 1, sans the top end, where it pulled harder. We were both 6MT and kept up-to-date with Chris' revisions, though I stopped updating/caring at the end of 2016 because I got married and priorities changed :)

I'm not sure how Eurodyne is now, but I wouldn't be surprised if the gap from Stage 1 and 2 is wider - as the platform grew, tuners started refining their offerings, I suppose.
 
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RapGameBlueberryWaffle

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Philadelphia, Pa
Car(s)
2016 Golf R
Ended up going with the Unitronic Stage 1+ 🤷‍♂️ lol no regrets so far. Going to put it on a dyno to see what the exact numbers are but right now its running around 370hp. It's a whole new machine now. It moves effortlessly and the turbo spools about 1000rpm sooner. Will eventually get the Stage 2 but not till after the winter.
 

ssaylor

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
AZ
If you can wait until Nov 15th, APR will likely have their annual sale - $100 off software. This might be my year.
 

D.Gage

Autocross Champion
Location
Virginia
Car(s)
17 Gti
I personally would go Unitronic unless you eventually plan to go to Stage 3. Unitronic still has a Stage 2 where as APR does not.

thanks but I’m not really interested in going nuts or dealing with emissions here. I have no desire to tweak or make any changes to a tune and want it done correctly from the get go.
 

CarlosCanizares

Autocross Newbie
Location
Surrey, BC, Canada
Car(s)
Mk7 Golf R
thanks but I’m not really interested in going nuts or dealing with emissions here. I have no desire to tweak or make any changes to a tune and want it done correctly from the get go.

Unitronic is as set it and forget it as you go and they’re probably one of least-nuts tunes out there.
 

Dog Dad Wagon

Autocross Champion
Location
Go Birds
Car(s)
16 Touareg TDI
thanks but I’m not really interested in going nuts or dealing with emissions here. I have no desire to tweak or make any changes to a tune and want it done correctly from the get go.

I just traded in a Uni Stage 1+ ECU/TCU MK7 GTI for a 6MT Alltrack, which I now have APR Plus on (87 octane, low torque tune) and I am much happier with the power delivery in my Alltrack than my old GTI. The tune did nothing to address the laggy stock drive-by-wire throttle ramping, barely added any torque below 3K RPM, and the TCU tune did nothing to address the ridiculous shiftiness of the trans in D below like 40% throttle, which is the main area that needs attention. It still shifted at 2K unless I put the pedal halfway to the floor.

In my experience, APR offers a more engaging, entertaining tune than Uni. I'd rather have more torque down low than up top, with how tall the gearing is on my Alltrack the top of 3rd is like 80 mph. I just wanted something to wake the car up around town, and that's what I got. It also has a warranty and safely runs on 87
 

ZuMBLe

Autocross Champion
Location
NY
Car(s)
Alltrack 6MT
I just traded in a Uni Stage 1+ ECU/TCU MK7 GTI for a 6MT Alltrack, which I now have APR Plus on (87 octane, low torque tune) and I am much happier with the power delivery in my Alltrack than my old GTI. The tune did nothing to address the laggy stock drive-by-wire throttle ramping, barely added any torque below 3K RPM, and the TCU tune did nothing to address the ridiculous shiftiness of the trans in D below like 40% throttle, which is the main area that needs attention. It still shifted at 2K unless I put the pedal halfway to the floor.

In my experience, APR offers a more engaging, entertaining tune than Uni. I'd rather have more torque down low than up top, with how tall the gearing is on my Alltrack the top of 3rd is like 80 mph. I just wanted something to wake the car up around town, and that's what I got. It also has a warranty and safely runs on 87

Wait, you like your IS12 APR 87 more than your GTI with a Stage1+ tune?! Geez.

I really liked my IS12 APR 87 tune. It really is the way the car should have come from the factory. It's not fast enough that you want to drive the car like a race car, but fast enough to get out of its own way, and climb hills confidently. I have said it in the past, and will say it again, APR Stage 1 87 is a GREAT tune for the Alltrack.
 

Dog Dad Wagon

Autocross Champion
Location
Go Birds
Car(s)
16 Touareg TDI
Wait, you like your IS12 APR 87 more than your GTI with a Stage1+ tune?! Geez.

Yes, it is significantly more fun around town. The Uni Stage 1+ 93 octane tune with the Stage 1 TCU tune did basically none of the things I expected/hoped from it. Did not give me more power in the lower portion of the RPM range, and did not change D shifting characteristics to even allow me to experience what little power WAS added below 3K, since it shifted at, or even below 2K under MOST normal driving circumstances. Since I had Uniconnect, I experimented by flashing back to stock and ran a pedal tuner and the $150 pedal tuner made a bigger/better difference in daily driving on stock ECU/TCU than the S1+ ECU/TCU did. I was extremely unhappy with my purchase

I really liked my IS12 APR 87 tune. It really is the way the car should have come from the factory. It's not fast enough that you want to drive the car like a race car, but fast enough to get out of its own way, and climb hills confidently. I have said it in the past, and will say it again, APR Stage 1 87 is a GREAT tune for the Alltrack.

I agree. If APR can eek as much power as they did out of the tune on 87 octane while being confident enough to slap their first-ever warrantied tune on it, I am very comfortable with running it as such. I still do 89 octane because im paranoid, but gas is cheap and i WFH now where I used to drive 400 miles a week for work so the elimination of commuting expense combined with cheap gas more than outweighs the difference between 87 and 89, lol.
 
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ZuMBLe

Autocross Champion
Location
NY
Car(s)
Alltrack 6MT
Yes, it is significantly more fun around town. The Uni Stage 1+ 93 octane tune with the Stage 1 TCU tune did basically none of the things I expected/hoped from it. Did not give me more power in the lower portion of the RPM range, and did not change D shifting characteristics to even allow me to experience what little power WAS added below 3K, since it shifted at, or even below 2K under MOST normal driving circumstances. Since I had Uniconnect, I experimented by flashing back to stock and ran a pedal tuner and the $150 pedal tuner made a bigger/better difference in daily driving on stock ECU/TCU than the S1+ ECU/TCU did. I was extremely unhappy with my purchase

This just shows a good stage 1 tune (not just any stage 1 tune) can be all you really need.
 

ZuMBLe

Autocross Champion
Location
NY
Car(s)
Alltrack 6MT
I agree. If APR can eek as much power as they did out of the tune on 87 octane while being confident enough to slap their first-ever warrantied tune on it, I am very comfortable with running it as such. I still do 89 octane because im paranoid, but gas is cheap and i WFH now where I used to drive 400 miles a week for work so the elimination of commuting expense combined with cheap gas more than outweighs the difference between 87 and 89, lol.

I used to just run 93 with the 87 tune. Of course I never ever saw any knock and the car as plenty fast. My current 93 octane Maestro tune is modeled after the APR tune.
 
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