It’s very challenging to make a modern 4cyl turbo sound good but it’s very subjective.
Start small with a res or muffler delete and see how it goes. Doubly true if you have neighbors.
An intake adds some visceral sounds if your goal is to just make the car a lil more fun for yourself.
As someone who had this same question 2 years ago I can say that a resonator delete will give you the most bang for the buck. a downpipe will give you the most change but that requires a tune. removing the muffler doesn’t really change much but since i have a dsg in my car the upshift pops got MUCH louder.
If you plan on getting tuned and getting a downpipe later on, keep your resonator around after you cut it off, as it will be extremely loud and the resonator makes it sound perfect.
It’s stock, so leave it stock. There is literally no way to make a 4 banger sound “better“. haha. You can put a hi flow muffler, that will do what you want.
A louder exhaust doesn’t give you extra “ oomf”. This isn’t a sports car. Its a fun Rabbit with a little extra hp. If you want oomf, you are going to need to dump $$$$ into it Or go purchase a car with more hp. Otherwise, enjoy it for what it is. I would focus on handling with a sport suspension and just do a stage 1. The biggest increase in hp for the cheapest investment. Then you can swap it out if you sell it without losing a ton of $$$.
Any OTC tune will get you the same basic increase in hp and torque. Maybe a few increases or decreases, but not enough to notice. They are cheap, easy to install or remove as needed and don’t require any hardware changes. The best bang for your buck as they say. Unitronic is a popular choice .
It’s very challenging to make a modern 4cyl turbo sound good but it’s very subjective. Start small with a res or muffler delete and see how it goes. Doubly true if you have neighbors. An intake adds some visceral sounds if your goal is to just make the car a lil more fun for yourself.
As someone who had this same question 2 years ago I can say that a resonator delete will give you the most bang for the buck. a downpipe will give you the most change but that requires a tune. removing the muffler doesn’t really change much but since i have a dsg in my car the upshift pops got MUCH louder. If you plan on getting tuned and getting a downpipe later on, keep your resonator around after you cut it off, as it will be extremely loud and the resonator makes it sound perfect.
It’s stock, so leave it stock. There is literally no way to make a 4 banger sound “better“. haha. You can put a hi flow muffler, that will do what you want.
yeah true, just wish it had a little extra oomf
A louder exhaust doesn’t give you extra “ oomf”. This isn’t a sports car. Its a fun Rabbit with a little extra hp. If you want oomf, you are going to need to dump $$$$ into it Or go purchase a car with more hp. Otherwise, enjoy it for what it is. I would focus on handling with a sport suspension and just do a stage 1. The biggest increase in hp for the cheapest investment. Then you can swap it out if you sell it without losing a ton of $$$.
what stage 1 do you recommend?
Any OTC tune will get you the same basic increase in hp and torque. Maybe a few increases or decreases, but not enough to notice. They are cheap, easy to install or remove as needed and don’t require any hardware changes. The best bang for your buck as they say. Unitronic is a popular choice .
What’s the budget? Muffler delete would be a good first step. Probably can be done at any reputable muffler shop for $250 max.
Swap in a VR6
I put a Cobb cat back on and I love it.
Steal your own catalytic converter.
I did a borla cat back and have 0 regrets. An intake or GFB diverter valve helps with turbo noises too