Torque Pro + BAFX Bluetooth OBD2 adapter vs Scangauge

[Lonesome Trail]

Howdy folks, I'm hoping someone here has had a chance to use both products back to back and can provide a Cliff Notes comparing the two products?

In my shop the BAFX scanner is very useful as it is a Bluetooth OBD2 adapter, and when you purchase the Torque Pro app for $5 one of the new features it comes with is advanced fuel economy metering plus an eco-driving widget, both of which I've played with and found that when using the 'advanced' mode vs the generic, and have the vehicle profile setup correctly in the tool, the fuel economy measurements are darn near spot on to my hand calculations, plus the tool itself is great to play with, and all for around $30 total.

It also data logs, does long term fuel economy, etc etc etc.

So for those who have used both, what do you gain from Scangauge for the extra coin?

Thanks!

[Dave's Civic Duty]

Hi LT,
I'm going to have to check out the Torque Pro. Will it work w a TDI Beetle?
Thanks,
Dave

[t vago]

Having used both the ScanGauge and the Torque Pro, I'd have to say that the ScanGauge has an advantage due to the fact it does not need a tablet or smartphone to work.

However, the Torque Pro is much more customizable, and there are other apps out there that will allow you to gain access to your vehicle far above and beyond what the ScanGauge can offer.

[Lonesome Trail]

I agree that having to have a Bluetooth device can be cumbersome, but I REALLY like how much data it can present at once if you have a fast table. It's already helped me debug one tuning/KR problem this year that had me scratching my head, lol, and it can be expanded with add-on wideband, etc. PLUS if your device is so equipped you can do GPS speedometer synch to see how far off new tires or gears have thrown your speedometer, etc.

Really a super neat tool for the money.

[Dave's Civic Duty]

So I'm really not up to date with what I would need to make a Torque Pro work w my 2000 TDI Beetle w an Apple 6S to make it plug & play.

Any tech guy info is appreciated,
Dave

[t vago]

Originally Posted by Dave's Civic Duty

So I'm really not up to date with what I would need to make a Torque Pro work w my 2000 TDI Beetle w an Apple 6S to make it plug & play.

Any tech guy info is appreciated,
Dave

You're going to want to get an OBD II bluetooth dongle that plugs into your OBD II scan port. That's normally underneath the driver side dashboard, near the steering wheel.

Amazon has a good selection, and some of them are even iPhone compatible.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_10?url=search-alias%3Dautomotive&field-keywords=obdii+bluetooth+apple&sprefix=obdii+blue% 2Cautomotive%2C646

[oldtamiyaphile]

The main SGII advantage over Torque is convenience, you don't have to wait for a tablet to boot up, or mount up your phone, start the app, before you get data. No forgetting to turn it off either.

You're also much less likely to come back to a smashed window if you have an SGII vs Tablet, and removing a tablet for safety each time is much more of a chore. Torque IMO is more suited to a weekend car than a daily driver.

[Dave's Civic Duty]

Originally Posted by oldtamiyaphile

The main SGII advantage over Torque is convenience, you don't have to wait for a tablet to boot up, or mount up your phone, start the app, before you get data. No forgetting to turn it off either.

You're also much less likely to come back to a smashed window if you have an SGII vs Tablet, and removing a tablet for safety each time is much more of a chore. Torque IMO is more suited to a weekend car than a daily driver.

I was going to use my iphone, it's on me almost always. That will work & is good enough right?

Thanks for the link t vago. Just get an apple compatible dongle?

[t vago]

Originally Posted by Dave's Civic Duty

Thanks for the link t vago. Just get an apple compatible dongle?

You're welcome. Yah, I would think that an iPhone-compatible dongle should be good enough.

[Dave's Civic Duty]

Thanks for your help guys!

Dave