Best A2 to buy

[richard-]

Don't mind if it has diesel or petrol. I know the diesel runs a lot further to the gallon. Looking for a black A2 their are quite a few models so which would be the best TDi?

I will not be kitting it up may just change the alloys and add a few things inside

[ecoangel]

Well I am biased!

Import a 1.2 TDi and you won't regret it's 85 to 100 mpg, low insurance, cheap 145/80 R14 tyres, Zero road tax............

An no LHD is NOT a big deal in such a narrow car.

[richard-]

Where is the best place to go to look for importing cars? I'm in the UK I found quite a few used on autotrader for 5-6K can I get cheaper from imports and what kind of tax would I pay to bring it into the country?

[JimbobA2TDiSport]

I'd recommend a 1.4tdi. The 75 is fine and has enough go for me.
Spec depending on what toys you feel you need.
The sport is nice to drive but may feel a little too harsh depending on your tastes. the suspension and 17" wheels with rubber band tyres can make the ride a little unforgiving and the 17" wheels are known to buckle easily.
As you are looking to change the alloys anyway an SE would probably be a good compromise. The Climate control and sports seats are a must for me. The seats are just about the best car seats I've ever sat in and are well worth looking for.
If you fancy retrofitting fancy sat nav (RNS-E with TV etc) at a later date its well worth searching for a symphony sound system. This has an in dash 6 CD changer but is a double DIN unit. replacing a single DIN unit requires a whole new dash board which is very expensive.

[richard-]

I looked at quite a few reviews sites 1.4 tdi se I think came out top, I rather like the nicer seats two coloured ones instead of the standard although the dark black seats looked quite good. Not to bothered on annoys, the sport version would probably be quite a bit more price wise.

I see quite a few opened the bonnet, it said only audi dealers should do so is it hard to open?

When buying a used car, those of you who have an a2 already what should I look for. Items that may be on the verge of breaking easy, or which has broke off. Is there anything flimsy in the car to look out for which is hard to get hold of?

[JimbobA2TDiSport]

The bonnet is easy to open. It comes off, make sure you place it painted side down to avoid damaging the mounts. Its just 2 plastic knobs under the service flap.
Common (ish) problems on this site are worn front roll bar bushes, wheels on the sports models can be a bit bendy and The ABS cables can sometimes rub and wear on the wheels.
In general they are pretty sturdy in my experience. Like any modern car any electronics problems are probably going to be costly to fix but I've not heard of this being a common issue.

[Foghorn]

Seriously looking now for another A2 but just got my old 'Dogs Twitcher' on loan from father in law.

I am contemplating a TDi SE but now come to realise that I really need sports seats - but without the full sport set up. Not much chance I know!

Can anyone tell me if the suspension is different in the sport than the SE? If its the same I'll buy one and swap the 17" wheels for a set of 16" to preserve the ride quality.

Equally can't find may SE's with DIS

[Alan_uk]

The bonnet is easy to open. It comes off, make sure you place it painted side down to avoid damaging the mounts.

Don't forget the blanket to avoid damaging the paint ;-) I vaguely recall reading it can slip inside the back seats but I've never tried it.

[JimbobA2TDiSport]

me neither. Don't think you could close the doors though and if the wind caught the door could get nasty for your interior or the bonnet. I prefer an old soft sheet on an old piece of carpet I keep in the garage.

[Ricardo]

Sports are stiffer than the SE (suspension) as well as the low profile tyres.

Petrol is pointless, Diesel cars use less fuel, are faster, easily chippable for insane performance and potentially have 32000m service intervals.

[viffer]

I am contemplating a TDi SE but now come to realise that I really need sports seats - but without the full sport set up. Not much chance I know!

But possible. That's how I specced mine, so maybe a few others had the same idea.

Can anyone tell me if the suspension is different in the sport than the SE?
According to the brochures of the time, it is different. "Quattro GMBH sports suspension". I've not done enough research to know exactly what that entails.

Cheers, Richard.

[tdiman]

Seriously looking now for another A2 but just got my old 'Dogs Twitcher' on loan from father in law.

I am contemplating a TDi SE but now come to realise that I really need sports seats - but without the full sport set up. Not much chance I know!

Can anyone tell me if the suspension is different in the sport than the SE? If its the same I'll buy one and swap the 17" wheels for a set of 16" to preserve the ride quality.

Equally can't find may SE's with DIS
I have a sport to which I have now fitted 16" A3 wheels, looks nice and chunky, I tried 17" with 45% tyres but the ride whilst better was still crashy, with the 205 50 16 tyres it's far more acceptable, although the car now feels a little wooly in the handling department due to the deeper sidewalls which will obviously flex more, still very safe though, if you came from another car you probably wouldn't feel it.

[Xiter]

Where is the best place to go to look for importing cars? I'm in the UK I found quite a few used on autotrader for 5-6K can I get cheaper from imports and what kind of tax would I pay to bring it into the country?

I use www.mobile.de for importing cars. You will not pay any tax if importing from another EU country. VAT in Germany is 16% and is included in the price. I've imported three cars from Germany to Sweden.

[richard-]

I'm still looking for a good deal, hoping to have cash of £5000 by xmas so I have plenty time to still look.

I found this one today, only problem is high mileage.
http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/dealerservices_photoad.asp?did=2558&pageid=1&id=200642254497290

Do you think that it would be a bad purchase with a mileage that high?

Can someone also tell me how you spot if one has a glass roof or not.

This is the one i'm out to catch, low mileage, AUDI A2 1.4 TDi SE (2002) NATIONAL (UK).

[spike]

Hi richard
The attached pic from our photo gallery shows the glass roof (officially called Open Sky)
http://www.a2oc.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=419&c=29
We have a few high mileage cars in the Club and if properly serviced they generally last well.

Cheers Spike

[vkx245l]

I use www.mobile.de for importing cars. You will not pay any tax if importing from another EU country. VAT in Germany is 16% and is included in the price. I've imported three cars from Germany to Sweden.

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

[richard-]

Most I can find are left hand drive on mobile.de and it could be a trek to have a look at the car

[lyndonbuck]

Petrol is pointless, Diesel cars use less fuel, are faster, easily chippable for insane performance and potentially have 32000m service intervals.

Really? Petrol is pointless? Insane performance from diesels? When I bought my car (FSI) I test drove a 90tdi and an fsi and I'm afraid that the difference between the two is very small, with the diesel worse on smell and noise, and costs more to buy in the first place. Modern petrol engines are also very efficient. I know that it comes down to taste , but please try to be more objective if you're trying to give advice.

[Skipton01]

Whilst agreeing about the objectiveness of comments, petrol cars really are fast becoming dinosaurs and that will only become more apparent as petrol prices increase.

Within our lifetimes, petrol (and fossil diesel) will run out, or become so scarce as to be beyond the reach of the average motorist.

The A2 is fully capable of running on 100% RME biodiesel, which comes from rapeseed oil, which comes from all those lovely yellow fields in summer.

It is a completely renewable resource and is carbon neutral. The only downsides are a small drop in performance and consumption and having to change the water trap in the fuel filter more often.

Whilst I agree that petrol cars, especially the FSI and new TSI models, are very good indeed, they still have the basic achilles heel of being powered by a fuel which will become non-existant in the near future.

Cheers,

Mike

PS Bio-ethanol is an option, but all current petrol cars will have to be modified to run with this fuel.

[Ricardo]

Really? Petrol is pointless? Insane performance from diesels? When I bought my car (FSI) I test drove a 90tdi and an fsi and I'm afraid that the difference between the two is very small, with the diesel worse on smell and noise, and costs more to buy in the first place. Modern petrol engines are also very efficient. I know that it comes down to taste , but please try to be more objective if you're trying to give advice.

Originally Posted by Ricardo
Petrol is pointless, Diesel cars use less fuel, are faster, easily chippable for insane performance and potentially have 32000m service intervals.

Dont get me wrong, I hate Diesel cars, I think Audi should be banned from LeMans - however I was talking in context and I still see no point whatsoever in buying a petrol A2...I have never smelt my car whilst driving it and the triple sounds OK to me (agreed not a V12 Ferrari). The A2 is all about economy, good around town, excellent load size for car size - all the features of a larger car but in a modern (too modern unfortunately for Audi) package. I'll say it again...

Diesel cars use less fuel, are faster, easily chippable for insane performance and potentially have 32000m service intervals.

and add, have a £55 tax disc and will probably last longer as Diesels tend to do. They also suffer from less electrical gremlins in the wet having less electrics.

I have worked with Audi on various jobs and I am always interested as to why someone would buy a petrol A2, I always ask people why and they keep coming back with the same answer ultimately "because I dont like Diesels" its like the answer you get when you ask someone "why do you smoke" - it just makes no sense.

As I said above I dont like Diesels, but thats not a logical or good reason to buy a petrol A2 :D

If someone reads my opinion and buys a Diesel than great but if they really hate Diesels they will buy a petrol instead anyway, so what harm is my rant?

Perhaps I should have said "Diesel cars use less fuel, are faster, easily chippable for insane performance, are cheap to tax and potentially have 32000m service intervals but cost slightly more - make your choice" - but thats far too politically correct and boring so I'll stick with the original, its a free country (just).

[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 ... :D - 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]

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]

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!