Considerations to pick the "right" Stage 1 ECU tune?

[boltor]

Hi - without getting into an abc vs xyz bunfight, I am interested in feedback on the sorts of considerations for selecting a Stage 1 tune (with potential for higher). Considering for an R...

My intial list is:
1) price (and whether additional costs apply for new stage tunes / upgrades)
2) claimed vs actual ('real life') power gains
3) portable OBDII loader (ie: vs having to go into a workshop)
4) pre- and after- sales support (and responsiveness to emails / forum posts?)
5) feedback on drivability (although possibly not much to differentiate on this for Stage 1)
6) availability of an included (or maybe separate) DSG tune

What are other considerations? What was the priority for you?

(suggest that we don't mention brands to keep this to a discussion on considerations? ... )

[Ryan_R]

Considering some people spend money on other upgrades that offer smallish BHP increases, I didn't mind spending more on the brand promising the most amount of power, which was also the most popular amongst members here at the time. Just waited til they had a sale going. I also liked the cruise control stick integration (guess I've given away the brand name now)

[team_v]

Local supplier, hardware support and good reviews from others.
I went with APR becasue of these reasons at the time i got my go-fast bits.

[Candyman]

Some like the most power gains

Some like the most torque gains

Some like a combination of both

Some like warranty

Some like dealer availability

Some like capability for free retunes/reflashes for life of the car

Some like hand held flash units

Some like a one stop shop (hardware and software)

Some like a mix of the above

We are fortunate that we have so many options

Personally, which is what you asked, I prefer the overall package - max power and torque is low priority, more important to myself is a dealer network, tuner longevity, warranty, free reflashes, customer service, professionalism (not a mud slinger). Others have different priorities

If I find two companies offering a similar package, of course I will go for the lower cost option.

Only you can decide what works for you.