I have a 2002 225 coupe Quattro.
i picked it up for 20.000 with 11.000 miles on it.

Turbo lag isn't all that bad. I look at it like i have 2 engines.
One engine below 3000 Rpm, a nice 1.8 liter four cylinder, giving me great gas mileage.
Another engine from 3000 to 6000 rpm, where the turbo kicks in, that one's for fun.

 

A chipped 225is quick and has a lot of torque. I'd get a quattro 6 speed manual 225 and you and your wife will be happy.


The 180 has a slightly smaller turbo so it spools faster, giving it less turbo lag.

 

Thanks for everyone's input.

I'm going to take her out to test drive both versions of the 4 cyl. The nice thing is that she'll openly admit if a car has more power than she wants, keeping herself out of trouble. Considering she refuses to drive my car, I'm thinking she'll like less power. The next problem will be to get her out of there before she signs the first offer.

BTW neur0tic - Very nice system. I'd be curious to see how it all fit in. (I run all Diamond Audio in mine, but still a big fan of Focal).

 

I see you're from Sacramento; I'm in Nevada City. I drove this car; it is exquisite..If your wife doesn't flip over it I'll be very surprised. Plus it is certifed and therefore has the extended warranty. Forget 225 hp; 180 is more than sufficient for her needs, and less complex as well.

http://audi.niello.com/details.php?a...te&id=3492