If you look at the Mk7 GTI ones, apart from peak power from 4.5k upwards, there isn't much between the various stages of tune (1-3).
Makes you wonder if (for everyday driving) it's worth going more than stage 1? although you could say from that, is it worth going for stage 1 at all?
BTW, I'm not anti tuning - had a tuning box on mine for a while and my previous car was tuned too.
I’ve had literally a dozen or more stage 1 maps on my cars going back 20 years plus and have never seen the point of going beyond stage 1 for a road car.
The extra mid range boost makes for a much more satisfying drive if you don’t have a chocolate clutch.
However this latest generation of GTI and R engines have so much torque you don’t really need anything more if just using it for road use.
That doesn’t stop a stage 1 being a ‘nice to have’ feature though!
Some people get lots of pleasure sinking thousands into modifying but you very much do have a law of vastly diminishing returns once past stage 1.
I ran a JB1 on my R which was fun but impossible to use more than around two thirds of the Rev range without getting into silly speeds. Fine if you live somewhere where that’s not a problem!
My Clubsport I’ve left standard and is more fun in that state of tune. Never thought I’d hear myself say that!
The mk4,5,6 GTI’s really benefitted from stage 1 as the power delivery was as flat as a three day old roadkill. That extra torque and power hump was much needed.
