Best A2 to buy

[Ricardo]

Also no tax or VAT if second hand and over 6 months old, just registration costs at DVLA
Mobile.de is much more interesting than Autotrader - you could be on it for weeks getting side tracked!!
Good luck
Jonathan

The advantage to UK residents buying on the continent is that most countries have a luxury tax on cars and some a higher VAT rate. So when we buy new we get the car tax free then pay UK VAT at 17.5%. If, however, we buy 2nd hand then the original tax has been paid by the 1st owner who naturally passes a portion of this onto subsequent owners i.e. us. There are some markets where the 2nd hand price of vehicles is weaker than the UK so there are bargains to be had but the benefits of buying on the continent are mainly from buying new UK spec right hand drive models. Rather than 2nd user left hand drive.

It was great to do this a few years ago but there has been a shift since the glory days. The Euro is stronger against the £, the manufacturers have loaded the right hand drive premium and in some markets priced top spec models out of the reach of locals just to stop UK residents from fleasing the system.

The best place for new cars used to be Denmark as the Danes pay approx. 180% car tax (yes one eight zero) then a further 25% VAT. Hence the Danes tax free price had to be rock bottom to make cars affordable and in general they only bought low spec cars. I imported 3 Alfa Romeos over a 4 year period (2000 to 2003) a pair of 156 Selespeeds and a 147 Selespeed all top spec. I saved £10,000 on the 1st one, £7,000 on the 2nd and £4000 on the 147...the Euro is stronger now (Danish Krona more or less follows the Euro rate) so I imagine the difference is negligible. Which is a shame as all the Danish car dealers I spoke to / met were lovely people, excellent service - much better than the UK.

 

[Alan_uk]

The best place for new cars used to be Denmark as the Danes pay approx. 180% car tax (yes one eight zero) then a further 25% VAT. Hence the Danes tax free price had to be rock bottom to make cars affordable. ....

Danish dealers used to charge an arm and a leg for the radio which was fitted after you bought the car. This way they could make the base price rock bottom (and thereby reduce the tax) but they made up for their lost profit on the radio. But no way would they sale a car without a radio!

I once lived in Denmark and on my return had the problem of disposing of my 2 year old Danish car, a BMC/BL Maxi - don't laugh! It was difficult just selling for cash and I had a big loan to repay (because of all that tax) . Eventually went back to the Danish dealer I bought it from and I bought another car of the same model but tax free. Instead of me paying him, he paid me as the trade in price was more than the tax free price of the new one! A very strange but nice feeling! Maybe he took pity on me or maybe sales were slow or maybe he had an inkling that BMC/BL were going to withdraw from the Danish market.

Some years later in the UK I got fed up with driving a LHD model and over a weekend converted it to RHD. Luckily the wiring loom was on the right hand side of the car and I could just fold it back.

 

[Ricardo]

Some years later in the UK I got fed up with driving a LHD model and over a weekend converted it to RHD. Luckily the wiring loom was on the right hand side of the car and I could just fold it back.

LMAO ... mega ... - if only it were that simple now

Same for all factory options, its MUCH cheaper for the dealer to fit as then it dosnt get the tax hit. Thats why its "easy" to retro fit cruise control to the A2 yet UK dealers are not sure about it. On the continent it happens all the time but Audi UK dont support it / supply the knowledge.

Had a friend once part-ex a Ferrari Testarossa for a brand new Porsche Turbo, he got the Porsche and some cash...but not quite the same I guess .

 

[vkx245l]

"There are some markets where the 2nd hand price of vehicles is weaker than the UK so there are bargains to be had but the benefits of buying on the continent are mainly from buying new UK spec right hand drive models. Rather than 2nd user left hand drive."

If they're looking for an A2 it will have to be secondhand and if the want the choice of a 1.2, it will have to be LHD, which lets face it puts the diesel / petrol discussions to an end with regard to the A2 at least.

Jonathan

 

[Ricardo]

"If they're looking for an A2 it will have to be secondhand and if the want the choice of a 1.2, it will have to be LHD, which lets face it puts the diesel / petrol discussions to an end with regard to the A2 at least. Jonathan

Totally agree, I was talking generally in response to other posts but obviously if the specific car someone is looking for is unique to a certain market then there is no option but to buy from that market (directly or indirectly).

Must admit I am contemplating an A2 1.2 TDi myself.

 

[vkx245l]

Me too - hence my adiction to mobile.de

 

[lyndonbuck]

Interesting comment on biodiesel - to grow enough crops to run the UK's cars on biodiesel would use up more land mass than we have in the UK, so ultimately we should all buy a bike and not worry too much about all of this

 

[tigas]

My reason to buy a petrol A2 was 3000 Euro. I made some quick calculations and what I would save in fuel wouldn't cover it in 4 years.

BUT, had I known that the A2 petrol had a DOG of a STUPID throttle lag that constantly lets me down when starting uphill and that the small fuel tank is REALLY small, maybe I would've scraped 3000 Euro more. It would be a 35% markup, but... But now I already own one.

So, get a 1.4TDi 75.

 

[ecoangel]

OK I'm Mis-quoting but effectively "UK landscape nothing but oil seed rape ! "

is not really true lyndonbuck

see biodiesel thread:http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4628

 

[vvvictor]

A2 suspension and ride comfort.

I'm just about to leave the ranks of A2 owners, and am trading up to an A3 Sportback - and we are downsizing the family fleet from an A4 2.4 V6 and and A2 TDI 90 to just the A3. Sad though I shall be to see the A2 go, ride comfort was always the biggest negative for us. No real problems on motorways and good A roads, although road noise is high on some coarse surfaces, but a pretty turbulent ride on potholed and badly manitained mionor roads, with severe jolting and harshness. This on a TDI 90 standard model with 175X60x15 wheels/tyres - Michelin Energy. I think that one of the fundamental flaws in the A2 design is the spring rates. Look at the data and you'll see that the laod capacity of an A2 is 550kg - a lot more than many bigger cars, and far more than is needed. I mean you can hardly cram 7 adults at just under 80kg each (12 st 8lbs!) into an A2, and four-up at 14st, say, still leaves nearly 200kg/440lb for luggage! Hardly likely! The suspension is fundamentally over-rated - and would be far better with 20% softer springs and maybe a 440kg load rating. Why did Audi design it that way? Search me? Somewhere I read that it was intended to have an electric variant, with the heavy batteries in the boot, so maybe somebody forgot to down rate the suspension? Also I think that the V speed rating tyres may have something to do with the hard ride. I imagine that high speed rating tyres are probably more highly reinforced and have stiffer sidewalls than say H rating or T rating tyres. Why the hell would you need to rate the tyres for 149mph?? Search me? And they cost a lot more - unnecessarily! I was hoping to wear my tyres out and try something softer, (Michelins are generally pretty harsh-riding) like Contiental EcoContacts, at a lower speed rating, but I never got anywhere near wearing out even the fronts in 27K miles! I'd be intersted to have any feedbck on the ride of imported LHD 1.2 TDIs, and any data on the kerb and gross vehicle weights - I imagine that the load capacity must be a lot lower on thos skinny tyres, and the ride is probably way better. Any comments any 1.2 TDI owners?

 

[Skipton01]

I'm just about to leave the ranks of A2 owners, and am trading up to an A3 Sportback

I still think you are trading DOWN to the Sportback!

More road tax, less mpg, less useable load space (I know, I've lived with one for a fortnight), rust-prone body, bland looks (subjective I know) and most importantly: NO SUPPORT FROM AN ONLINE USER CLUB, SUCH AS A2OC!!!!!!

Seriously, I take on board what you say about the suspension, and I hope that you're happy with the A3, but I suspect that you may just have the odd pang of regret every time you see an A2 on the road.

Cheers,

Mike

 

[vvvictor]

More...on springs and tyres...

Just found data showing the load capacity of a 1.2 TDI - YES 1.2 TDI, LHD, as just 270kg. That's HALF the quoted laod capacity of a 1.4 TDI 90 like mine, according to figures that I have! They should ride well then - and presumably they are capable of carrying 4 adults? 270kg = 594lb = 4X10st 7lb adults. A bit marginal maybe, leaving nor room for luggage and overloaded with 4 big adults. From one extreme to the other, it seems!

 

[A2 3L]

The load capacity of the 1,2 3L is 350kg. That's what my manual says and the tax certifikat

 

[ecoangel]

Not such an issue if you upgrade springs but don't expect huge acceleration or good braking distances!

http://www.audi.com/etc/medialib/cms4imp/audi2/company/financial_information/pdf.Par.0200.File.pdf

states 345KG in official Audi 2002 docs.

 

[ecoangel]

Same doc says A4 3,0LTR QUATTRO Avant can carry 550 kg cf A2 1.4 TDi's 515kg

now that's quite interesting!