Air filter Mann or K&N

I just put in the K&N drop in air filter and I notice surprisingly large throttle response. It almost makes the ascent feel like a lighter vehicle.

Fitted k&n drop in last night, mk7GTI, 100% feel a difference, very subtle but it’s there. I suppose time will tell if there’s a downside. Ever so slight difference in response, coasts slightly further in gear without foot on gas. Drove it a lot today and felt the fuel economy might be a tiny bit better too, but I’ve no solid proof whatsoever, but I drive it a lot so I know it very well. All of which would make sense from a less restrictive filter.

I CLEANED and oiled the K&N filter my truck had when I bought it. It went from 14 mpg regularly, to almost 18 regularly.

I used a K&N oil free washable filter for years without any issues. I only recently took it out when I moved to a CAI. I washed it about every 10K miles. Takes about ten minutes and I would just do it in the evening so it had all night to dry.

I just cleaned mine at 45k. Wasn’t very dirty, but followed instructions to a tee. Just used the cleaner, let it sit for a couple hours, rinsed with water, low pressure. Then I let it dry completely (like 3 days - I put in the original filter I still had as a temp). Once dried, oiled it enough to let it soak in as directed. Made sure nothing dripped. Popped it in and good to go for another 2 years.

I notice a difference immediately after cleaning my K&N, especially if it's after an off road adventure where I'm sucking dust from my lead. I've also noticed minor improvements in MPG when it's fresh and clean. I dunno about idle though, maybe? If yours was 19K miles, then it was 14,000 miles overdue so that's probably why.

regular paper filters I would change around 9-10,000 miles. My K&N I clean every 3,000

Due to restrictions in SCCA Stock class rules, I only run a K&N panel... though dyno time revealed only marginal hp gains (really, its a poor ROI over the stock paper, but the K&N was part of a diagnostics test my team was doing, so it was free).

In my experience they are a waste of money with risk of fouling MAF sensor. I’ve tried them in my diesels and gassers. I never once wasted my time cleaning and re-oiling a K&N. I just threw it out and went back to OEM.

I had a K&N air filter in a NA engine VW. Some particles do get through as I could feel grit on the inside of the intake pipe past the airbox. I washed and oiled the filter per instructions.