Exhaust Evaluation for 1.8t Jetta: Thermal Research and Design

Thermal Research and Design
7624 Winnetka Ave.
Canoga Park, CA 91303
(818) 998-4865

MSRP: $585.95 with 2-year mfg warranty
Construction
57mm stainless steel; cat-back
Weight: 31.4 lb
Notes: Highly polished
Welds (rated on a scale of 1-5)
Neatness, evenness: 4
Splatter (lack of): 4
Smooth (5) vs. Lumpy (1): 4
Installation (rated on a scale of 1-5)
Hangers: 1
Tube junctions: 3
Alignment of flanges/fasteners: 3
Notes: Front T-bar hangers too small for rubber isolator bushing.
Hardware (rated on a scale of 1-5)
Quality: 5
Material: 4
Installation/alignment/tightening: 4
Interference
Suspension: None
Floorpan: None
Other: None
Sonic Performance
Decibels at idle: 85
Decibels under load: 85
Resonance/drone: None
Rattles: None
Tone (rated on a 1-5 scale): 4
Notes: Very good tone

Bottom line: The system for Thermal Research and Design sounded great and performed well. Its build quality was very good and its fitment was among the best.

Hear an MP3 sound clip of this exhaust.