Thanks to the people that responded about comparing the 1.8T with the Jetta GLX. I do have a couple more questions... For those of you who have it, how do you like the leatherette? Any problems with it down the road? I would like to get the sports seats, but I guess that's not an option with the leatherette, only leather and cloth. Any thoughts on the cloth? And for those that have chipped it, is it just as powerful as the 2.8? What are the drawbacks? Did it void your warrantee? I would rather have the 2.8, but I can't really justify another $4-5k for it. Anyone have the sport package? Does it even compare to some aftermarket stuff like Neuspeed, Bilstein, H&R, etc? Thanks.

alot of questions. Try browsing through the archives. That's the encyclopedia of the org. Anyway, i've got leatherette and i'm very pleased with it (ecru). Alot of people think it's leather. I didn't like the way the interior looked with cloth, but, i would have jumped on the sport seats if they had come in leatherette. Some people think the sport seats are too hard/too narrow and some think they're perfect. I've got my 1.8t chipped (Garrett) and it makes the car feel so much better (fatter throughout the rev range). I would think that the 2.8 is generally a little smoother, but, chipping a 1.8t is a great bang for the buck. Officially, chipping your A4 will void your warranty, but, if that bothers you, buy an extra ecu. When it comes time for service, just change the ecu back to stock. I didn't go for that option. The sport package is a great value. It gives a great feel to the car without being overly harsh. Alot of people change their suspensions to lower the car. That is, there is too much gap between the top of the tire and the bottom of the fender well. All of these answers are only my opinions. Everyone has their own agendas with regards to options/modifications. Read the archives, you'll get a better feel of what's going on.


Al 1.8tqtsc

I love leather, used to sit in my Jetta after shutting it off and massage the leather (yeah, I know I'm twisted :-)). The leatherette in my 1.8t is not bad at all, almost everyone thinks it's leather til I correct them. It's quite comfortable, as are the seats. I'm about medium build, and they hold me in place reasonably well, I have to brace myself a bit when autocrossing, but in daily driving they're great. As a side note I have driven from Boston to NC several times (about 14 hours) straight through and the seats were great. As for chipping, the performance numbers seem to be pretty close, and seat of the pants agrees with that in several chipped 1.8t's. I suspect that the 2.8 would be better at higher speeds though as boost and power really fall off at higher revs. Draw backs to chipping are reduced engine life (due to increased stress on the engine and turbo), how much it's reduced and what it's reduced from are HUGE question marks. I know a few folks with over 40k chipped miles and still going strong (I'm stock for just a little bit longer). As for the warranty, technically it's only voided on the parts replaced, BUT in reality it depends on what your service manager decides (unless you've got the bucks to hire a legal team and get into a p*ssing contest with them), best bet is to discuss it before hand so you don't have any surprises, it varies from dealer to dealer. I have the sport package and it is a HUGE bargain (lower stiffer springs, firmer shocks, bigger antiroll bars, 16" wheels, and Z rated tires (Dunlop SP8000's) and sport steering wheel). It is perhaps the best balance between performance and comfort. I've ridden in a car with the H&R coilovers, the ride wasn't bad, and it was really flat in the corners. Drive the stock sport, if you want to get more agressive than that, it'll cost you (remember, you're talking antiroll bars, shocks, springs, wheels, and tires). Best bet is to get out and drive them. Try to find an A4 group near you to get some real good first hand experience.

Regards,
Rodney

'99 A4 1.8tqms

I have a different feeling of the Leatherette interior than you guys.
When we dropped our 97 1.8T at my dealer for a 48000 km scheduled maintenance on last Saturday, we got a 99.5 Jaspis Green/Ecru/Onyx leatherette 1.8T as a loaner.
Both of my parents were with me that weekend. My mom's first thought on the car was "I don't like the leatherette, it feels faux". I felt sticky and unstable over the corners in that 5-6 hours all over the interior. My dad always asked me what funny smell is that our A4 and Jetta don't have, I told me its leatherette smell.
Overall, we have a so-so impression with the leatherette interior. If we don't want to wait while all the stocks are leatherette interior, we will take it. If we have to choose, we will definitely go with the excellent sports seats. It worths the premiums over the standard or leatherette standard seats.
Tom
97 A4 1.8TQMS
99 JETTA IV GLS 2.0
00 NEW BEETLE GLS 2.0 VS TDI (STILL DECIDING)
98.5 A4 1.8TQAS WETTED<ul><li><a href="http://vancouver.a4.org">A4 CLUB VANCOUVER</a></li></ul>