I went with a BorgWarner S257SXE... 515hp at all 4 wheels on Ethanol at around 21 psi. Spools faster than OEM twins.
man those EFR turbos were fucking lit.
Quite a few years ago I bought a Borgwarner EFR6758 for my build, and it was a stellar little unit.
The absolute cheapest brand new turbocharger you can buy for those engines is an aftermarket BorgWarner and will set you back no less than €1000 + shipping.
Currently at 97K, went APR 87 IS20 at 81K about this time last year. Was 87 stg 1 IS12 at 64K spring 2021. So far only issues was wastegate related from my used turbo, and oil consumption.
About a year ago, I installed the DTR6054, HPFP and LPFP, APR's Intercooler, intake, and of course the necessary tune and TCU tune to run the car on 93. I have quite enjoyed it over the last year, but it did lose some of the punch at low RPM that it had with the IS38 turbo and Stage 1 tune.
After the stage 1 APR tune almost immediately roasted my IS12's wastegate, I'm about 4 months into an APR stage 3 IS20 setup. Aside from a persistently unenjoyable power delivery, the car's been reliable so far.
There are IS38s that have failed under stock conditions. You're not going to gain much insight here. Some fail, most don't.
I have this turbo but t4 twin scroll with bigger AR. It is too small on my half Bridgeport 6 port turbo fc.
3 weeks after posting this and my turbo locked up on the hot-side... Car ran 10 degrees hot out of nowhere and then a loud pop followed. Checked everything and it seemed okay. Except the turbine wheel didn't want to spin. Absolutely locked up. Friend driving behind me saw more black smoke than usual during the pull followed by a blue-white "puff" which we agree is when the turbo died.
Write your review
Help others - share your experience with this part.
Voted AGAINST engine oil RAVENOL on the rating page
The brake pads OEM Alfa Romeo got the first review!
The brake caliper OEM BMW got the first review!
The brake pads OEM Infiniti got the first review!
For wiper blades PIAA already 100 reviews.
For battery Energizer already 25 reviews.
In the rating best water pump already 12 brands participate!
In the rating best timing belt already 13 brands participate!
In the rating best head gasket already 3 brands participate!
In the auto rating oil filter for Volkswagen Passat already 5 brands participate!
In the auto rating brake pads for Mazda 5 already 10 brands participate!
In the auto rating tires for Subaru Outback already 50 brands participate!
For cabin filter Fram already 25 reviews.
Voted AGAINST engine oil RED LINE on the rating page
Voted AGAINST engine oil PENNZOIL on the rating page
If choosing turbocharger across many manufacturers, check the part ranking. If your choice is down to two brands, the PartReview part comparisons help.
We compare turbocharger across these categories:
In March 2026 on PartReview, turbocharger BorgWarner were overall better than APR.
In March 2026 on PartReview, turbocharger BorgWarner were overall more popular than APR.
By vote balance, turbocharger BorgWarner surpassed APR:
By number of reviews, turbocharger BorgWarner surpassed APR:
In March 2026, according to PartReview, turbocharger BorgWarner led more car-specific ratings than APR:
BorgWarner are chosen by owners of cars such as: Audi S3, and others.
Turbocharger APR have not yet taken leading positions in car-specific ratings. You can help by adding a review and specifying your car.
If this comparison didn’t fully answer your question, there are many others on PartReview.
For example, comparisons of turbocharger BorgWarner with: Garrett, OEM Volkswagen.
Also available: comparisons of turbocharger APR with: Garrett, OEM Volkswagen.
You can also see who is better among other turbocharger manufacturers: BorgWarner or Garrett, OEM Volkswagen or Garrett, Garrett or APR, OEM Volkswagen or BorgWarner, OEM Volkswagen or APR.
