New A2

samwire

Member
Hi...

so i've decided to take the plunge on an a2 after admiring from afar...yet i cant decide which model...i need good fuel economy as i do 100+ miles per day, yet from what i've read the 1.4 petrol gives 40+mpg which seems rather good, however, if i go for the petrol option does a 1.6fsi make more sense...i have a budget of around 6k, more if required...any help would be gratefully appreciated
 
If fuel economy is your priority, I'd go for the diesel if you can afford it. You pay a premium but at 100 miles a day (I do about 80) you'll get your money back.
 
Hi,

For 35 years I drove petrol but went to diesel with my A2 and it's fine and I get 62 mpg on average. I no longer hear the ticking noise (was never loud) and I've got used to the lack of response at low revs, or more precisely adjusted my driving style.

With 50 mile each way commute sounds like you are doing cross country / motorways so you should get 60+ if you keep to the speed limits! And save almost £200 p.a..
 
Hi samwire, welcome to the A2oc
The petrol or diesel question is always a popular topic and the best advice is to drive them both, then decide. For example, some people could never live with the diesel clatter at low speeds but if low fuel consumption is a priority then the diesel has a head start. The higher compression ratio, turbocharger and higher calorific value of the fuel make for better efficiency and usually add up to around 25% better economy than the petrol equivalent.
Many members get exceptional economy from their petrol A2's but I reckon that if they drove a diesel in the same manner their fuel bill would be significantly lower.
Let us know how you get on

Cheers Spike
 
I drive the 1.4 petrol and never got better than 42mpg. If you drive 100+ miles a day, then you really want a diesel. With the diesel, you don't need to fill up as often either!
 
Probably needs you to say what sort of driving you do - if its motorway, a diesel will probably give you more mpg, if its mixed I think the difference will be lower. I drive my FSI quite hard I'm afraid (my other car is a BMW M3 and I keep thinking that the handbrake is jammed on in the A2) and get 45mpg on a mixed route (A and B roads and some dual carrigeway and motorway) and a diesel would probably get 50-55, motorway I get high 40s, diesel would I guess get high 60s. The 1.4 petrol is less economical than the 1.6 but cheaper to buy and I guess insure too. However, I drove both and preferred the petrol and figured that it was worth spending a bit more on fuel to enjoy the car more. I paid £1000 less for the car than an equivalent 90TDI but over the long term I'm sure a diesel will save you money. There is still a great deal of debate out there on the environmental damage caused by diesels but either way I think you need to drive as many different versions as you can, diesel, petrol, sport and SE. They are all quite different.
 
nice to see your getting a balaced view for a change, this topic usually brings out the chip fat burning loonatics who seem to want a contract taken out on anyone daring to drive a petrol a2 !!! i have an 1.6 fsi sport and im more than happy with it. all i do is city driving and i get 37mpg, a bit better than my last car a E240 doing 16mpg however i have nothing against deisels and they would defo suit someone doing higher miles.
 
The tdi appears to make economic sense if the car is used on the open road, where I easily get 55mpg plus. Around town, I am not so sure: I only achieve about 39 mpg, which is dissapointing. It is a tdi 90 though, which might explain this poor figure.

If the roads are badly surfaced in your area I would also suggest that a sport model is avoided as the ride is pretty awful.

My advice: go for a tdi SE.
 
hmmm...well my round trip commute is 125miles, of this a minimum of 120 miles is motorway..just as an aside, when you all said to various people you were getting one, did they look at you like you had 2 heads? i seem to be getting that a lot...
 
Yes, "you could get a proper car for that money" is a popular one, if its mostly motorway diesel makes more sense as you won't miss the petrol's throttle response & nicer noises etc. Oh and if you do buy an A2 you may occassionally get small children running after you asking for an ice cream...
 
What about those of use who think A2s look like ice cream vans? Is there going to be a vendetta against us too?
 
ice creaqm vans - since when?!!! Nasty loud musak, ludicrously coloured bedford van pumping out oil fume scause the petrol engine has blown a ring or three..... Well in winter up north they still do the rounds in Jan 07!

In Holland A2s are used as medivac machines - a bit plusher than an ice cream van!

Don't forget an import A2 1.2 TDI, zero road tax, 81g/km CO2, real world 90mpg is also an option!
 
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