I would say chipping is great and everyone has there preference, do a search in the archives. The tranny seems to last about as long with chipped cars as without. Some chips have and engine as well as a transmission program to quicken/modify the shift program. Preventive tranny mx such as a fluid and filter change should help, don't believe Audi on "lifetime fluid". I like Redline D4 ATF but others may chime in. The exhaust will gain you some but most say the downpipes are where the restriction is, I like the Sound Enhanced exhaust as this is my luxury cruiser, I have a 911 for the track. Mileage seems to stay the same with chips unless you use the extra power a lot. The balance has to do more with the front weight bias, not too much you can do to lighten the front end on these cars. Your 14.91 seems a little low but I drive more on a back highway to work. A lot of city driving?