Upgraded to APR Stage III Quattro from my AWE/GIAC K04: Results Inside!

My car is finally my dream car. It is finally what I dreamed when I decided I was going to get it NEW from the dealership. I am hoping it stays the way it is. I don’t want the ecu or anything to adapt or change. It is exactly the way I always dreamed it. It is perfect. I have not driven the car faster than 80mph yet but I can’t wait for the opportunity to do so. Did I say it is perfect?

There are not words to describe the way it feels and I feel. The power is just everywhere and honestly, I don’t feel any turbo lag. I wonder if I got a custom file just for my car? Or this is just the standard file everyone gets? I hope all the stage 3 cars feel like mine. It would be unfair if they don’t.

The APR Stage 3 Quattro Divorce downpipe sounds perfect. It is so perfect that last night after a date with my wife we had a nice conversation in our way back home in the car and the sound of the downpipe did not disturb us at all.”

A lot of you guys know I had the AWE-GIAC K04 turbo kit and there a lot of threads comparing them. Now that I have UPGRADED to APR TSI stage 3 Quattro I think it is fair to say I am the first one to be able to say which one is better and why.

The first thing I want to say is that SOME dyno graphs are MISLEADING people to think-believe the mentioned K04 kit can be as good or better than APR's TSI stage 3 Quattro. In my opinion(only person who had tested both kits) these turbo kits are in two different leagues with APR's TSI Stage 3 Quattro being way ahead.

I can only find advantages on APR TSI Stage 3 Quattro over my previous AWE-GIAC K04 and here are some:
APR TSI Stage 3 Quattro Spool up time is as fast or faster than AWE-GIAC K04. I already mentioned that I don’t feel any turbo lag. I need to say that I have only driven the APR TSI Stage 3 Quattro kit at 90+ degrees. I can't imagine when the temperature drops to 50 degrees.
DSG shifts perfectly with my APR TSI Stage 3 Quattro. I used think there was a problem with my DSG when I had the AWE-GIAC K04 kit.
APR TSI stage 3 Quattro has power EVERYWHERE on the power band. It is superior than AWE-GIAC K04 at any speed specially at the TOP END power. Now I have TOP END power while with the AWE-GIAC K04 it was almost none existent.

I am absolutely missing nothing from the AWE-GIAC K04. APR has set a new standard.

Thank you GOAPR and also MZM Performance.

I will add some pics later.

When you say APR Stage III QUATTRO Do you mean Stage 3 with TBE, Stage 2 CAI, and Intercooler as in its all APR?

DawnsKayBug said:

When you say APR Stage III QUATTRO Do you mean Stage 3 with TBE, Stage 2 CAI, and Intercooler as in its all APR?

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hi,

My car is a TSI Quattro(AWD) car. APR Stage III turbo kit comes with a FWD downpipe included but mine is the Quattro downpipe. My catback is a Milltek one. Intake is the one the comes with the Kit plus I already had "stage 1" and yes I do have the APR IC as well.

thanks

Damn you, I need to test drive a quattro with Stage 3 now

I'm going to need clips of some of that there exhaust

My bad I didnt catch the sig or vehicle info... Im a dumbarse

tico said:

hi,

My car is a TSI Quattro(AWD) car. APR Stage III turbo kit comes with a FWD downpipe included but mine is the Quattro downpipe. My catback is a Milltek one. Intake is the one the comes with the Kit plus I already had "stage 1" and yes I do have the APR IC as well.

thanks

Click to expand...

Ahhhhhhh......I see. You drive an A3.

I was really confused there for a min.

Awesome review! I was waiting to see how you liked each since you've had both. This is exactly what I've said all along:

Faster or as fast spool
More power at every RPM
Huge power increase towards redline with no power drop off
Stock Like Drivability
Works Perfectly with the DSG

tico said:

I wonder if I got a custom file just for my car? Or this is just the standard file everyone gets? I hope all the stage 3 cars feel like mine. It would be unfair if they don’t.

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You have the same file as everyone else! DSG/6MT, FWD/Quattro, A3/GTI, MK5/MK6, it's all the same calibration and performance.

DawnsKayBug said:

When you say APR Stage III QUATTRO Do you mean Stage 3 with TBE, Stage 2 CAI, and Intercooler as in its all APR?

Click to expand...

Tico, correct me if I'm wrong. You went form this setup:

AWE K04
GIAC AWE K04 Software
APR Intercooler
APR Carbonio Intake
Miltek Quattro Downpipe
Miltek Quattro Catback

To This setup:

APR Stage III Turbocharger System
APR Stage III Software
APR Intercooler
APR Carbonio Intake
APR Quattro Divorced Downpipe
Miltek Quattro Catback


I can't wait for you to get to the drag strip! You need to throw in some rods down the road, get the 100 octane file and obliterate everyone.

Thanks for the review. I was planning on doing a KO4 down the road once I get closer to warranty expiration, but this really makes me rethink that. It sounds like the added expense is well justified.

Thanks for the review-killing it with Stg 3 + Quattro! I can only imagine how good it must feel. To be fair the APR kit does retail for twice as much as the AWE though. For a difference in price that significant I would hope for nothing less than the improvements you mentioned.

Guys!!! the most I drive this thing the better it gets.

I just went to a private road here close to home and I believe my car now can run 11's in the 1/4 mile. The difference is just huge. It was like this:
stop
turn off ESP
DSG in S
brake all the way down the same as the gas
launch control and all the sudden 120 mph and brake brake....

It felt so awesome..

EditArin: yes those are my previous and current setups. It is nice to know that I also have the opportunity to just add rods and get more power without replacing my turbo.

thanks

tico,
wow, that's awesome. i'm jealous!
do you have a haldex controller or anything?

dsm1983 said:

tico,
wow, that's awesome. i'm jealous!
do you have a haldex controller or anything?

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Thanks! man,

No, no haldex contoller yet. I am debating my next mod and the Haldex Controller is one of the options.

My car has pretty much just an APR TSI stage 3.

Damn it! I've always wanted an A3! and with this stage 3 review it looks like i'll need to sell a kidney on the black market very soon.

Hey Tico sounds like an awesome set up APR makes awesome products I don't know that it's really fair to compare a K04 set up to APR's stage 3 in all fairness. But my question is is couldn't you have sold your A3 and put the difference in mods to a used RS4 used car pricing in the US is simply amazing we are not so lucky here in Canada.

This thread is worthless without a dyno from both - please and thanks