stage 2 worth it?

[DNA Tuning]

There is no consistency to "stages".

You should see what some of the Mitsubishi guys refer to as stages; they classify upgrades up to Stage 7 or something ridiculous.

Interpretation is up to each tuner and, even in many cases, up to each dealer.

[littlejohn]

Yet a Stage 3 kit for a GTI can include a GT2871R OR a K04....

Like I said it makes no sense whatsoever. The idea of saying a car is Stage 1, 2 or 3 is crazy as these 'stages' are inconsistent and also only focus on the engine.

An untuned Pirelli with a huge brake kit, coilovers and race rubber is what - a stage 1 GTI? Even though it has a K04, a tune and worked engine internals? (That's what the K03 boys would consider a stage 3!)

Anyway, I'm labouring the point somewhat, I know. It's just a personal pet peeve.

I think you've missed the point at bit...
The reference to various stages in performance tuning an engine is specific that model. ie. Stage 3 on a GTi is not the same a Stage 3 on a R. Taking this a little further, it is even specific to individual tuners.
It is merely a way to quickly and succinctly define what power mods a person has applied to their vehicle. eg. If someone says they have a Stage 1 APR on a Golf R, everyone on these forums would know that it means they've had an ECU flash done.
We can extrapolate this to most tuners for the Golf R. Things may differ slightly as you go up the "tech" tree, but each Stage generally represents a significant increase in power.
There are upgrades between stages that don't necessarily equate to power increases, but are more or less supporting equipement that will allow you to make the most power with the current mods and ready the engine for the next performance jump.

The reference to performance stages is also a guide to help people understand what needs to be done to achieve engine performance increases. eg. It would be useless for a n00b to go buy a downpipe and nothing else thinking he'll get a jump in power.

Defining power enhancements in terms of stages is no different than handling upgrades. You don't go and change the sway bars without first understanding what needs to be done with springs and dampers.