Getting Disenchanted with my A2

dilbert

Member
OK, I know that it is heresy on the forum to say this, but after 3 years of ownership my wife and I equally are becoming fed up with the A2.

Despite the car having oodles of appeal in terms of novelty, economy, gizmos, etc. we're thinking of trading it in for a Massey Ferguson tractor to get a smoother and quiter driving experience. In particular the main frustrations are, in order of impact on our enjoyment of the car:

(a) The crash, bang wallop as it negotiates the slightest road surface imperfection, having to slow to 10mph for the now ubiquitous "traffic calming measures" (aka sleeping policement) :mad:
(b) the coarseness of the 1.4tdi engine which seems to be out of a previous technological era :eek:
(c) the stiff gear change
(d) uncomfortable driving position and narrow seats

I know that a lot of people spend out on fsd conversions but I can't understand why it is necessary to spend near £600 to get a car to the level where it is acceptable.

Has anybody else reached this point and found solutions? Or should I just whack it on Autotrader and then buy a s/h Peugeot 307 1.4Hdi?

Yours severely in need of encouragement!
 
Hello.
The A2 is infamous for it's crashy ride, that much is true. It's an unfortunate consequence of the high and narrow design of the A2, coupled with an aluminium chassis, and Audi's prediliction for firm ride in the first place.

What you could do is:
1. live with it
2. sell it for a French jalopy
3. spend some money on improving the car.

If you decide to go for 3 becuase you love the charm and uniqueness of the A2, then you could:
1. downsize to 15" wheels and get the largest permissible rolling diameter tyres
2. swap your existing 16" tyres for a larger rolling diameter ( eg.195/50/16) - the effect of this will be to give you a bit more sidewall flexibility in your suspension.

And if that doesn't improve it enough go for the full FSD route.


Re the coarseness of the 1.4TDi. Well, you could look at it instead as a charming 3cyl burble?! A re-map will actually make the engine drive more willingly and respond better to more throttle at lower revs, so you won't then be driving it as hard. That could help?

Stiff gearchange. Nothing you can do about it. But at least it's reliable?! French gearboxes have a habit of exploding...

Uncomfortable driving position and narrow seats? Not found this to be an issue for me and I'm 6ft3 and sit in my car for about 3 hours a day. The seats and wheel have a good range of adjustability...

Obviously it's your choice and if you want to buy a Peugeot then go for it, but I know where my preference lies :)
 
I can understand the issue of ride which is probably my biggest bug bear along with the majority of owners. However I would think the cost of trading to a Peugeot will be more costly than an FSd upgrade and remap. The seats issue is a mystery to me having more than once driven upto 600 miles in a day without any discomfort. The sound of the engine is distinctive however again not something I find a problem and I am comparing with a Seat with the 2.0TDi engine as my other car. I drove 250 miles on saturday in the SEAT and honestly did not have any problems jumping in the A2 for my 40 mile commute this morning. Maybe you need to play with the seating position you adopt? Personally a french car is the last thing I would go for and the 307 is notoriously unreliable, at least look at a Fabia or Polo! Ultimately the advance of newer cars generally will eventually put the A2 into keen enthusiast only territory however I am not sure they are yet overtaken by newer cars when taken in the 'round'.
 
a) well documented, I was the 1st person in the UK to fit FSD in search of comfort. I'm on 195/50/16 tyres as well and I assure you it is still not 'acceptable' as I'm guessing your definition is similar to my wife's. Recently, I borrowed a Honda Jazz (needed 5 seats and boot space) and literally doubled my speed over speed humps compared to my A2. The FSD (fixed the crashiness) + higher profile tyre (slightly softer) setup is still a very firm ride, it won't fix everything I'm afraid. I would recommend trying out 15" wheels with largest profile tyre first, plenty of used A3 15" wheels cheap on ebay as an experiment.

b)specifically the engine or general noise level? The A2 isn't a quiet car by any means, the TDI engine is noticeable but all A2s suffer from road noise and at motorway speed, wind noise. Sound deadening around the doors, floor, firewall may help although not cheap. Again, the Jazz I drove was noticeably quieter, apart from the engine.

c)not spent enough time in a TDI to notice. My petrol 'box is quite good. I tried an FSI and didn't like it at all. May be a specific problem with your car?

d)I'd love lumbar support adjustment but otherwise it's been fine.

I probably won't consider a french car, least of all a 307. It does depend on what you want out of the car. The little Jazz has much more space, rides much better than A2 and very easy to drive. But I wouldn't want the plastic interior, too light weight clutch/gear change nor give up the A2's proper climate control system and superior handling. So really, you need to know what's your requirement, before targeting specific issues with the A2.
 
I would recommend trying out 15" wheels with largest profile tyre first, plenty of used A3 15" wheels cheap on ebay as an experiment

Dilbert, I'm often knocking around the Bristol area on weekends, I'd be more than happy to let you have a ride in my 2001 A2 on the OEM 15" wheels if you wanted to try Humps' suggestion to try and save you're A2 from Autotrader. Only thing is mine is a 1.4 petrol but both being 2001 cars at least both our suspension is of a similar age.

I agree it is a harsh ride but I'm so used to it now It dosn't bother me. Just glad to have a car I actually like and can afford to run with the ever spiralling cost of petrol, insurance etc.

VonB.
 
What part of Bristol are you, We are in BS15, I could take you out in ours with 15 inch wheels on (195/50/15 or 165/65/15 Winter) to get a comparison PM me if you wish.
 
a/.
New shocks will mostly sort the crashing. It'll always be a firm ride but it dooesn't have to be crashy. Dampers are an item not often considered needing replacement, that if they're not obviously leaking oil or visibly damaged they're ok. It's not until you renew them, even like-for-like oem, that you realise how worn they were. That the damping on A2s wasn't perhaps the best when new doesn't help matters...

b/. It is out of a previous technological, the newer common rail tdis are much smoother. However, I've found V-Power makes them run much more quietly and smoothly. It makes a difference in a new Polo 1.2 three pot tdi back-to-back with Sainsbury's diesel :)

c/. It might just need the linkages resetting. It's easy to do and free :cool:
Here's a guide http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp9ggefOjAE


d/. I don't find the driving position uncomfortable or the seats narrow though I do notice it's narrower compared to my Passat, no problems comparing with an Arosa or Polo though.
While I find the seat squab very comfortable and supportive I can't say the same for the back rest; lack of lumbar adjustment is rediculous and the poor side support is an issue that shouldn't exist either, 9N Polos have better side support never comparing to similarly higher vehicles such as Sharans/Tourans/Golf Pluses. Sport seats solve the lumbar & side support issues but the squab feels shorter to me. Also, I hate the way they're called sport seats; support seats, orthopaedic seats yes but sport seats I find pretentious. I hate fake sportiness...I'll stop myself now before I rant for hours :mad:


If you do want to change car (which I can understand, if you feel you won't be happy with the A2 whatever you do to it then change and save yourself some stress) I'd also suggest having a look/drive at a Roomster. Ok they have love it or hate it looks but they also have a longer wheelbase than the A2 and independent rear suspension from a car the next size up so they ride and handle well. They've got usefully moveable rear seats, can get plenty of options for them, have similar versatility to an A2 yet aren't much bigger and are reasonably priced
Seeing a 1.2 tsi dsg SE with half leather interior & glass roof got me thinking...


Now if only I could get the ride/handling balance of a Saxo VTR/VTS in my A2...the oomph wouldn't go amiss either :D
 
Hi Dilbert,

An A2 petrol with 15" wheels is a totally different car, in the ride comfort department. The one I drove for a day certainly could take the speed cushions at a higher speed and the crashing suspension was absent. If you are willing to spend the money replacing your dampers, go for it, but a diesel A2 ride will always be firm and when the road surface is really bad, crashy. Next time you replace tyres, you might consider 195/50 or 185/55 which both have more side wall than the standard 185/50. I used to inflate my tyres to the high end of the range shown on the fuel filler flap, for economy, but for comfort, I now inflate to the lower end of the range. What tyre pressures do you set?

It has been a very cold winter. Starting my diesel engine, on the coldest days, was coarse to say the least. The engine is noisey at high motorway speeds too. Once warm it is acceptable, just!

Your gear change may just need adjusting.

Seats annoy me at times. The problem I have, is what to do with your left leg on long journeys. To get comfortable, I start by sitting as centred on the seat as I can, with my knees close together. I have found that raising the seat also helps.

I have driven many cars over the almost ten years that I have owned my A2, but I always get back into my A2 and love the way it drives.

John.
 
Hi may gear change was stiff on my A2 TDI so i changed the gearbox oil and it has made a world of difference would highly recommend
 
I've just changed my 2 year old Fiesta 1.6 Diesel for an Audi A2, I've also had a Mini diesel (55 model) both engines where much noisier than the A2, the ride was much stiffer and the quality not as good (Mini quality probably around the same), I'm enjoying mine, but hey everyone is different. :)
 
I think that I'd not only miss the A2 if we part from it but the fantastic A2OC crowd!

Thanks for all your input and encouragement. Sat down with the missus the other night to think more about it and we've decided to stick with it for the time being.

I'll look into the gear linkage suggestions and see if anything can be done.

Thanks too for the offers of "try mine" in Bristol - so good of you. I think I'll say, "Pass" on that one for the time being but may drop a PM at some point if we decide to start looking at the fsd route.

Your a great bunch! :)
 
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