APR Stage II + CAI + APR Exhaust System

[LaNOS]

I currently have the Stage 1 APR upgrade on my 132TSI Pacific Tiggy. I have to say this is the best purchase I've ever made for this car. World of difference. I am wondering if anyone has done the Stage II APR upgrade? Compared to the Stage I APR upgrade is it worth it? Is there a noticeable difference following an upgrade to Stage II if I already have Stage I?

The Australia APR website is closed and it was much more informative and relevant than the American website.

[Dingah]

In the past I have done everything but replace the turbo, Stages 1, 2 and 2.5.
With my wife's R-Line We have just incorporated Stage 1 and the DSG software - more than enough.
Therefore, IMHO, the best bang for the buck is what you have i.e.Stage 1 go further with Stage II and there are differences, certainly in the sound department and some in the performance department. It then becomes a reasonable question as to whether the drivetrain needs 'adjusting' - DSG, brakes, suspension and on it goes.
Stage II onwards the resale declines as does the market of people willing to purchase a more highly modified car.
At the end of the day a Tig is a pseudo SUV with van like dimensions and Stage 1 should be more than enough to go quickly but retain some of its character.

Dingah

[team_v]

I have Stage 2 and to be honest, the gains are nowhere near as big as the Stage 1 upgrade.

The downpipe allows the power to come on a bit earlier and stay on a bit later and you do get a 20kw or so bump but for day to day driving it isn't really going to make a lot of difference.

[LaNOS]

Well I should add mine is the 6sp Manual. So I guess upgrading to the K04 would make a massive difference (Is this Stage 3?). My question is would the other stock components, internals, clutch/gearbox etc be able to handle this additional power. At this stage I am very happy with the Tiggy at Stage 1 but just want a bit more.

Since you have the Stage 2 upgrade, does it make a massive difference in the accoustics? I kinda don't want a bogan-mobile either if you get what I'm saying haha.

[team_v]

I have the 6 speed manual as well.

Stage 1 = ECU remap.

Stage 2 = Downpipe (Air intake optional)

Stage 3 = Turbo upgrade (K04 or other)

I have a standard rear exhaust system on and the car is slightly noiser than standard but nothing bogan'y.

Stage 3 is where you need to start loking at internals and other components to be upgraded which is why i haven't bothered to go any further.

If you want a bit more power than stage 1 then stage 2 is a good bump but you end up applying the law of diminishing returns after Stage 1.

[Martin]

I purchased a Skoda Octavia with the 147 TSI engine
I was not overly impressed with the performance so I had it flashed with stage 1
When I picked it up I certainly noticed that it had more pep but it was nothing to write home about
I drove it home and parked it without much fuss
Over the following weeks I realized the top end (over 6k) pulling power was actually a little down on the stock tune

A month later I took it back for the stage 2 program and dump pipe
I picked the car up and was totally blown away by how hard it pulled - I went for a 3 hour drive - wife phoning to complain "where are you"
The low end torque, the strong pulling power from mid range to red line and the wide power band all blew me away
The stage 2 tune is a huge step forward and far more rewarding than stage 1

Maybe its different on the tiggy with the 132 TSI

[team_v]

I purchased a Skoda Octavia with the 147 TSI engine

Maybe its different on the tiggy with the 132 TSI

The base model tiguan stage 1 upgrade is massive because you start from 125/132 so you get a 22kw boost over the GTI/vRS due to the tiguan being detuned from the factory.

The tiguan is also heavier and has the AWD system which means you end up with less of a boost with the Stage 2 upgrade compared to the GTI/vRS.

[LaNOS]

I have the 6 speed manual as well.

Stage 1 = ECU remap.

Stage 2 = Downpipe (Air intake optional)

Stage 3 = Turbo upgrade (K04 or other)

I have a standard rear exhaust system on and the car is slightly noiser than standard but nothing bogan'y.

Stage 3 is where you need to start loking at internals and other components to be upgraded which is why i haven't bothered to go any further.

If you want a bit more power than stage 1 then stage 2 is a good bump but you end up applying the law of diminishing returns after Stage 1.

Ok so you have Stage 2 then? Did you do the down pipe only or did you do the intake as well?

[team_v]

I got the intake at the same time as i did the stage 1 ecu remap.

It basically makes very little difference but it sounds better (intake vacuum) and clears up the engine bay.

The car is now Stage 2 as i have the downpipe on.

[Dingah]

On a GTi did Stage 2 with downpipe and hi-rate fuel pump tried the intake on and off and it made no discernible difference to the power and just added to the noise so it came off. Bottom line for the amount of work and the cost involved the additional increment in power/performance from Stage 1 to Stage 2+ was just not worth the money.
Standard to Stage 1 is a far, far better bang for the buck. I would put DSG software as a better investment than Stage 2.

Dingah

[Melbourne_Tiggy]

Hi LaNOS, I'm running APR stage 2 v2.1 on a Tiguan 132. Definitely more spirited compared to stage 1 with peak engine torque of 460nn. Note, the new version of stage 1 tune is available producing 440nm peak torque so perhaps go to your local dealer to order the tune from APR LLC and try this first before considering stage 2. Where are you based ?

[Melbourne_Tiggy]

I should have added, I agree with the others that the law of diminishing returns is applicable going from stage 1 to stage 2, you will not get the miraculous night and day sensation, however I found it pulls harder towards the top end of the gears. My intention was to enjoy each upgrade/stage and ultimately install a frankenturbo K04 hybrid. However, as the new Tiguan is coming out soon I have turned my mind to the new engine with a IS38 (mark7 R) turbo swap.....

[tigger73]

+1 to what everyone else has said. I had a stage 1 and went to stage 2 with full exhaust. Major benefits are increase in torque going from stage 1 to stage 2. The stock downpipe is very restrictive and once you remove his restriction it definitely adds the little on top - but it is just a bit. You're looking at dropping around 0.5sec in a 0-100km/hr time going from stage 1 to stage 2.

Turbo upgrade is the next thing if you wanted a decent boost in performance. There's a few Tigs running around with K04 set-ups. It is a reasonable investment, however it will give you a decent boost in performance. You can go to a K04 turbo (similar to Golf R) no worries without changing engine internals, however if you decide to go for a bigger turbo than K04 and go for higher power then it's advised to upgrade engine internals + larger intercooler. You'd also want to upgrade the suspension and brakes as well as run some lighter forged wheels. Though at this stage it does turn into a larger budget job.

Guy Harding built a stage 3 Tiguan a couple of years ago which took out Motor Mag Hot Tuner 0-$75k category in 2014 and gave a few of the serious $ cars a run for their money too. This is a seriously quick car and something that is achievable if you spend as much on modifying as you do on the car.

[LaNOS]

@Melbourne_Tiggy I'm based near Brisbane and got my tune done through CNJ Motorsports in South Brisbane. I got my Stage 1 tune done back in April 2015. Would this have been an older version of the Stage 1 tune?

[LaNOS]

+1 to what everyone else has said. I had a stage 1 and went to stage 2 with full exhaust. Major benefits are increase in torque going from stage 1 to stage 2. The stock downpipe is very restrictive and once you remove his restriction it definitely adds the little on top - but it is just a bit. You're looking at dropping around 0.5sec in a 0-100km/hr time going from stage 1 to stage 2.

Turbo upgrade is the next thing if you wanted a decent boost in performance. There's a few Tigs running around with K04 set-ups. It is a reasonable investment, however it will give you a decent boost in performance. You can go to a K04 turbo (similar to Golf R) no worries without changing engine internals, however if you decide to go for a bigger turbo than K04 and go for higher power then it's advised to upgrade engine internals + larger intercooler. You'd also want to upgrade the suspension and brakes as well as run some lighter forged wheels. Though at this stage it does turn into a larger budget job.

Guy Harding built a stage 3 Tiguan a couple of years ago which took out Motor Mag Hot Tuner 0-$75k category in 2014 and gave a few of the serious $ cars a run for their money too. This is a seriously quick car and something that is achievable if you spend as much on modifying as you do on the car.

Well that was the other thing I was looking at, I wouldn't mind going to the K04 Turbo keeping a stock intercooler and clutch. My question would be how sure are you that the stock internals of a 132TSI engine could handle this increased stress as well as the stock clutch. I should mention that I have the MANUAL gearbox. Not sure if this makes a difference?