Best Flash tune company to go with

[KevinBlank]

I plan on buying Stage 1 soon and will work my way up Stage 2 ecu flash on my Mk6 GTI. Ive been looking around at REVO, APR, GIAC and UNITRONIC. All are within 100 bucks of eachother, but APR seems the best so far, they have the best power gains and has the cruise control program switch, awsome, where with REVO you need to purchase and plug in the controller in the OBD slot, shitty. Not sure about Unitronic or GIAC.

I know its very opinion based but id like to hear some feedback to what everyone is running, and your alls opinion on what to go with.

Please back up your opinion as best you can. Thanks in advance.

[GunKata]

aye dios mio......

GIAC has a sale to match APR right now, $600 w/ the handheld flasher.

[Skeptix]

boom.

[fredf]

OP: You're kidding, right?

[jmlivid]

my opinion is to use google and this forums search menu. There are WAY too many threads on this topic for to you to ever read all of them.

[GunKata]

also, fwiw/imho, a handheld flasher is a lot easier than the morse code cruise control stalk stuff... mine's been in stage 1 since its been flashed, I aint messing with that shit, lol. At least with a handheld, like the Cobb Accessport, you can just plug in and change it very quickly.

[fatty]

i wonder how big the revo controller is.

[smrtalec69]

I can only speak from my personal experience, but you can't go wrong with the APR. no need for external controller. toggling the cruise control buttons is not hard at all. and honestly, the only time I change it, is when taking it to the dealer, or valet.

[Euro4LifeMkVI]

I'm curious too cuz looking over their sites, it seems APR talks a pretty good game, and they have clear numbers and descriptions. The others though, not so clear. Revo looks about the same but only speaks of peak numbers which are close to APR..... but Uni says nothing of how its delivery is or anything more than a simple chart with lower numbers than the other two... And GIAC only says 30-50hp gain and up to 80ftlb gain across all models..... Wtf kind of info is that.
APR is the only site that makes easy sense and backs it up.
I am close to all 4 dealers, all about the same $$
Yea switching is kinda cool, but i never used it when I had APR on my S4. (no access for 92+)

So my question is why can't the rest back up why they might be a better choice?
Why do some SAY Revo "feels" faster or UNI "feels" faster/smoother...etc.
These are the details i'd like to know, cuz you cant tell me you can notice 248hp vs 254 blah blah..... I want to know about spool up and/or lag, lowend power, smoothness driveability. Who cares if you spent tons of money and R&D or were first or have the fastest racecar because racecar....... WTF does it MEAN TO ME?
So yea, how do those attributes compare?
Anyone care to elaborate from experience.... And DJEuphoria... We know how you feel about APR so for the love of all that holy in cyberspace.....stfu.
K bye

[nevekd128]

if you are comparing dyno numbers, make sure they use the same fuel. Apr advertises with 93 octane when unitronic and Giac advertise with the 91 octane dynos.

[Retro]

Originally Posted by Euro4LifeMkVI

I'm curious too cuz looking over their sites, it seems APR talks a pretty good game, and they have clear numbers and descriptions. The others though, not so clear. Revo looks about the same but only speaks of peak numbers which are close to APR..... but Uni says nothing of how its delivery is or anything more than a simple chart with lower numbers than the other two... And GIAC only says 30-50hp gain and up to 80ftlb gain across all models..... Wtf kind of info is that.
APR is the only site that makes easy sense and backs it up.
I am close to all 4 dealers, all about the same $$
Yea switching is kinda cool, but i never used it when I had APR on my S4. (no access for 92+)

So my question is why can't the rest back up why they might be a better choice?
Why do some SAY Revo "feels" faster or UNI "feels" faster/smoother...etc.
These are the details i'd like to know, cuz you cant tell me you can notice 248hp vs 254 blah blah..... I want to know about spool up and/or lag, lowend power, smoothness driveability. Who cares if you spent tons of money and R&D or were first or have the fastest racecar because racecar....... WTF does it MEAN TO ME?
So yea, how do those attributes compare?
Anyone care to elaborate from experience.... And DJEuphoria... We know how you feel about APR so for the love of all that holy in cyberspace.....stfu.
K bye

Damn jeeze? The 30-50 hp gain is throughout the powerband, take a look at their dynoplots.

And they say "all models" because for example.. the VW CC, GTI, Tiguan, blah blah blah all use the same 2.0T TSI engine.

Kevin, take a look at the dealer maps for every tuner and check out which of their dealers is the most convenient and the one that you're most comfortable flashing with.

in no particular order..

http://www.giacusa.com/dealermap/
http://www.revotechnik.com/index.php?mod=dealer_search
http://www.goapr.com/dealer/
http://www.unitronic-chipped.com/mai...c_dealers.html

Originally Posted by nevekd128

if you are comparing dyno numbers, make sure they use the same fuel. Apr advertises with 93 octane when unitronic and Giac advertise with the 91 octane dynos.

Also this^

Octane and type of dyno will alter numbers. You should not be just looking at "peak" or highest gains. You need to compare the delta of the BASELINE and the TUNED ECU. Numbers don't mean anything without a baseline.

Originally Posted by fatty

i wonder how big the revo controller is.

I think they use this...



Which is about 4.4 cm x 7.8 cm

[Chris@RevoTechnik]

Originally Posted by KevinBlank

where with REVO you need to purchase and plug in the controller in the OBD slot, shitty.

This is very misleading.

Outside of a sale you need to purchase the switching functionality from every tuner.

With some tuners you are well over $1000 to get all of the options on a stage 1 flash. With ours it is 499 and 199 so a total of 700 bucks for stock, 91, 93 and 100 octane.

BUT all those files are built into your ecu for 499, you don't have to buy the SPS device unless you want to. Have one from your old car? it works. Friend have one? it works. Don't want to buy one at all? swing by your local Revo dealer and have them switch modes for you. Wife/GF/husband/cousin buys a car and you flash it, don't have to pay for any upgrades your SPS works in that car. Sell your car and get the new one flashed again? Guess what it still works with your new car.


Sounds like a handheld device is not only the most affordable but its actually the most versatile.


Currently on sale you can get the flash for 499 and an SPS for free, no buying anything extra!

[Gti For Me]

Originally Posted by Chris@RevoTechnik

This is very misleading.

Outside of a sale you need to purchase the switching functionality from every tuner.

With some tuners you are well over $1000 to get all of the options on a stage 1 flash. With ours it is 499 and 199 so a total of 700 bucks for stock, 91, 93 and 100 octane.

BUT all those files are built into your ecu for 499, you don't have to buy the SPS device unless you want to. Have one from your old car? it works. Friend have one? it works. Don't want to buy one at all? swing by your local Revo dealer and have them switch modes for you. Wife/GF/husband/cousin buys a car and you flash it, don't have to pay for any upgrades your SPS works in that car. Sell your car and get the new one flashed again? Guess what it still works with your new car.


Sounds like a handheld device is not only the most affordable but its actually the most versatile.


Currently on sale you can get the flash for 499 and an SPS for free, no buying anything extra!

Now that's a good deal

DO IT, you can"t go wrong

[TSIpower]

apr because their website is pretty and arin is nice. /sarcasm

[grambles423]

Shit guys, really? This conversation will be beaten to a pulp. Every tuner will come in here and argue their point, eventually it turns into squabble. Much like what TSIPower is griping about.

There will never be a clear answer. Whichever dealer is closest, use them. All the sights have dealer locators on them, just use that.

[Banshee]

^ all of that, and this is WHY we tell new members who create threads like this to use the search function instead. To avoid the war

[bubuski]

Take a look at your local companies who will be opening your ECU. Make sure they have good Mk6 tuning reputation

[TAG12GTI]

Originally Posted by GunKata

...At least with a handheld, like the Cobb Accessport, you can just plug in and change it very quickly.

You can also update maps (by downloading to AP), read trouble codes, clear codes, and read some ECU parameters. Much more tuner friendly and customizable. In addition, you can "un-marry" the AP and sell your investment instead of it being lost on the ECU of a car that you've traded or sold.

I still love my GTI but I do miss Subaru AWD and Cobb AccessPort...

[GunKata]

Originally Posted by TAG12GTI

You can also update maps (by downloading to AP), read trouble codes, clear codes, and read some ECU parameters. Much more tuner friendly and customizable. In addition, you can "un-marry" the AP and sell your investment instead of it being lost on the ECU of a car that you've traded or sold.

I still love my GTI but I do miss Subaru AWD and Cobb AccessPort...

Same here.