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A review: Unitronic Stage 2 Tune vs EQT Stage 2

Daks

Autocross Champion
Location
Toronto
Car(s)
GTI PP
At the time of comparison - car: 2016 6MT GTI PP, Mishimoto Intercooler, IE Intake and TIP, Unitronic DP, Southbend Stage 3 Daily clutch.

I ran Unitronics stage 1 tune when the car was stock and it was not great, traction control would always interfere and when it was disabled, the car felt just a tad better than stock.

I upgraded the clutch and went stage 2 with Unitr0onic since the delta was only $150CAD. I liked the stage 2 tune a lot more than their stage 1 tune. It was a lot more responsive and the car had more power all throughout the power band. It also had this thing where around 3K RPM or so it felt like it hit a mild version of VTEC and the sound profile changed along with the power delivery. I was relatively ok with the tune - it was reliable, no lights, developed for stock plugs etc... Throttle response was ok, not terrible like I read from many people here on the forum - not sure whether those were old revisions of their tune or not. One night, a few weeks ago, I went to Mexico and stumbled across my old car, a MK6R. We ran, and well, it did not turn out well for me. He walked me by a fair amount, and that should not have ended for me as badly as it did. I spoke with the owner afterwards and it was on an IE stage 2 tune. I needed change. I will go the hybrid route at some point over the next few months, as soon as I settle on the turbo, but until then I wanted a bit more juice out of my current setup. Knowing that once I go big turbo, I needed to have a COBB, I ordered one through EQT along with their 93 Stage 2 file. I also got some RS7 plugs to go along with it.

Today I swapped plugs, installed the tune and went on my way. I have not unplugged the rear o2 as some have - yet.

Initial impressions: this (EQT) is significantly better than the unitronic tune. The car is that much more responsive with significant increases in power above 1.5K rpm - with the uni tune the car would slouch until the fake VTEC kick and would shudder a bit around the 2K mark. I attributed this to a blown dogbone, I was wrong. Also, under part throttle the EQT tune holds boost while the uni would release it, making the car that much more enjoyable to drive at 30-60% throttle. There's a lot more torque, like a lot. Around the 4K mark the car punches you into the seat that much more. I went for a rip on the highway and it just goes through gears like it didn't before.

All in all super impressed - I'm a fan. It was worth it.

Question to those that have the stage 2 tune - did you unplug the rear o2 sensor?

DK
 

Dog Dad Wagon

Autocross Champion
Location
Go Birds
Car(s)
16 Touareg TDI
It’s such a bummer to me that Cobb AP is not compatible with the 1.8 ECU. I want to go EQT so bad on my (next) Alltrack. But I guess APR will have to do, which isn’t so bad because I went Uni on my last GTI and APR on my Alltrack and the APR tune did exactly what I hoped it would in just about every way. The Stage 1+ Uni tune on my GTI was nauseatingly lackluster.

But a few people here have said Uni’s 1.8 IS38 tune is actually really good... either way I am not going back to them.
 

Visceral

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Northbrook, IL
Hmm, I've been running Uni Stage 1+ for about... a long while. While I think the Uni-tune is a bit boring I didn't think it was lackluster either but then most of my driving is on the highway and I'm usually cruising above 2500 rpm's all the time. Definitely agree with the VTEC-like kick around 3500 rpm's, no doubt.

Given where I'm at, I don't ever see myself going stage 2, is there serious merit in going with a new tune (EQT)... is there that much left on the table for someone like me? Just curious.
 

chuncomunco

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
NY
Hmm, I've been running Uni Stage 1+ for about... a long while. While I think the Uni-tune is a bit boring I didn't think it was lackluster either but then most of my driving is on the highway and I'm usually cruising above 2500 rpm's all the time. Definitely agree with the VTEC-like kick around 3500 rpm's, no doubt.

Given where I'm at, I don't ever see myself going stage 2, is there serious merit in going with a new tune (EQT)... is there that much left on the table for someone like me? Just curious.
I was on Uni Stage 1+ for 2 years until recently. It was a good tune, just got sick of flashing back to stock to pass emissions in NY.

Recently switched to EQT Stage 1. Definitely liking it more. D mode feels like S mode in Uni.

Temporarily pairing it with Uni DSG tune until I receive my DSG file from EQT. I didn't like the feel of any of the Cobb DSG tunes.
 

Visceral

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Northbrook, IL
OK, interesting... just jumped on the EQT website and with the numbers for 93 octane I think I would be killing my stock clutch (currently on OE at 79k miles).
 

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
Hmm, I've been running Uni Stage 1+ for about... a long while. While I think the Uni-tune is a bit boring I didn't think it was lackluster either but then most of my driving is on the highway and I'm usually cruising above 2500 rpm's all the time. Definitely agree with the VTEC-like kick around 3500 rpm's, no doubt.

Given where I'm at, I don't ever see myself going stage 2, is there serious merit in going with a new tune (EQT)... is there that much left on the table for someone like me? Just curious.
If you're not going beyond where you are now the gain you would get from the EQT tune isn't justified by the price since you'll have to get an Access Port.
 

aaronc7

Autocross Champion
Location
USA
Car(s)
17 S3
It’s such a bummer to me that Cobb AP is not compatible with the 1.8 ECU. I want to go EQT so bad on my (next) Alltrack. But I guess APR will have to do, which isn’t so bad because I went Uni on my last GTI and APR on my Alltrack and the APR tune did exactly what I hoped it would in just about every way. The Stage 1+ Uni tune on my GTI was nauseatingly lackluster.

But a few people here have said Uni’s 1.8 IS38 tune is actually really good... either way I am not going back to them.
Won't be super cost effective, but Ecutek is an option if you wanted to be EQT tuned.
 

Dog Dad Wagon

Autocross Champion
Location
Go Birds
Car(s)
16 Touareg TDI
Won't be super cost effective, but Ecutek is an option if you wanted to be EQT tuned.
I’ll have to hear people’s impressions first. Haven’t read a single user story of actually getting tuned via EQT through ECUTek yet.

Not into being a guinea pig, regardless of their experience with the platform.
 

NBMK7GTI

Go Kart Newbie
I’ll have to hear people’s impressions first. Haven’t read a single user story of actually getting tuned via EQT through ECUTek yet.

Not into being a guinea pig, regardless of their experience with the platform.
I ran eqts tcu tune via ecutek before Cobb released support on my a3. Pretty straight forward to flash and supposedly the same parent company that owns Cobb (or at least was).
 

OBP

Go Kart Newbie
Location
ChiRaq
I’ll have to hear people’s impressions first. Haven’t read a single user story of actually getting tuned via EQT through ECUTek yet.

Not into being a guinea pig, regardless of their experience with the platform.

You need to stop being so selfish and take one for the team.

(That way Ed will have a base map ready when I take the plunge for our AT)
 

ZuMBLe

Autocross Champion
Location
NY
Car(s)
Alltrack 6MT
There is almost no way he will completely fuck it up as long as you're not using weird hardware. If you stick with a IS38, I'm confident he will be able to nail it on Ecutek within 3 revisions. The 2.0 and the 1.8 just aren't that different. @Dog Dad Wagon
 

Dog Dad Wagon

Autocross Champion
Location
Go Birds
Car(s)
16 Touareg TDI
There is almost no way he will completely fuck it up as long as you're not using weird hardware. If you stick with a IS38, I'm confident he will be able to nail it on Ecutek within 3 revisions. The 2.0 and the 1.8 just aren't that different. @Dog Dad Wagon

truth. And yeah it’ll be an IS38, Golf R OE DP, intake+IC. So yeah.,, maybe I WILL go EQT after all :)
 

dsgvw

Ready to race!
Had Unitronic stage 1+ for a couple years now. Considering stage 2 and switching to Cobb/EQT and this review is nudging me even more.

Ugh, it’s just $$ right?
 
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