Dear A2OC Your my only hope!!!

jonesy23

Member
Hello everybody here at A2OC. I'm in the process of buying a new car and I'm seriously leaning towards the A2. Ive been through some of the archives on here and there is some brilliant information and thanks to passionate owners on here I am back to looking for a A2 after originally being put off by some rather silly comments posted elsewhere.
I keen to get rid of my current car in exchange for something more reliable and cheap to run. Ive been drawn to the A2 for alot of reasons already mentioned on the posts here, but mainly due to the affordable running costs, large space for my kit and of course it's looks : )
But I'm still a bit wary from comments made about it being expensive to maintain due to limited parts and garages not wanting to be involved.

So far (from what i've gathered on here) the 1.4tdi seems the preferable option? 16' alloys are better for drive quality? and avoid the panoramic roof?

Are there any garages around the Northamptonshire area that are kind to A2's?

What is a realistic 'sensible milage' for a car of this age? I know common sense has to prevail on any new car purchase i.e full service history, low to medium millage etc.

My budget is towards the 2002/03 models. £2500 max depending on what my current car is worth.

Please excuse my naivety and be gentle with me ;) Ive been looking at skoda octavia's as a sensible option but my preference is to join the Audi club so I can at least cease the ridicule from my elder Brother and Sister who drive A4 quattro and A3 quattro respectively.

I know i'm still being quite vague but any help/ advice would be hugely appreciated

Jonesy
 
Welcome!

I'd say for £2500, you'd definitely be in the 2002 era, and probably looking at at least 140k+ miles by now.
The TDi is the lowest cost to run and probably the most reliable - £30 a year car tax, but if you get one that's older than that be careful as the tax brackets are different for older cars! However, don't discount the 1.4 petrol either.

Panoramic roofs are a weak spot for sure - if they do break then you can always just keep the roof closed and benefit from the looks/light, but understand that's not to everyone's tastes. You'd have to get a car younger than 10 years old and with a full Audi service history to have the benefit of the Audi goodwill replacement scheme at Worthing Audi on those roofs.

For a car of that age and distance it must have had at least 1 cambelt change by now and possibly needing a 2nd. Worth checking that the water pump is still ok, and of course other faults relating to aging rubber, such as boost leaks need checking.

Garages are stupid in general, but near you is the legendary "Stealth Racing", who, despite their name, seem to service and modify more A2s than anything else these days - Vince there knows them inside out, back to front and every other which way.

Parts aren't necessarily limited - most of the mechanicals are shared with other VAG cars, but some are on back-order, and some exotic bits are NLA (such as the Bose amplifier!). In addition, 2nd hand parts are everywhere due to the increasing numbers of A2s being broken for spares. You can always find bits on Ebay, or on here!

16" wheels on the SE suspension is far more compliant than 17" on the Sport suspension, but it's still not great. On a 10-year old car it's likely the shocks and springs and bushes are going to be fairly jaded anyway, which also won't help the A2's legendarily firm ride.
 
Hi and welcome to A2OC , Obviously the TDI is the better choice when it comes to MPG , but with £2500 budget you will be looking at petrol 1.4 or the 1.6 . I have the 1.4 Sport and with sensible driving I get 40MPG the tax is not to expensive either , think I pay £130ish .
Where abouts in Northants are you ? I am from Wellingborough .
 
Thank you Dan thats very helpful information.

Good news about stealth racing, they're not too far. I just found out the local mechanic Ive always used, used to work for Audi before going alone so things are looking up.
And your right about ebay. I was quoted £780 to fix my current car in the garage - was looking at breaking her until I found the part on ebay for £50, the guys then fitted it for an extra £25 with + 2months warranty.. Passed its MOT with no faults : )

What would you say the main difference between the petrol and diesel versions are?
Ive seen some great A2's on ebay sold privately including one from a member on here, but I'm looking for a dealer so I can get a good part ex.

120000 does sound about right but ive just seen this model here
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190848300131?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

53000? Is that very good or is it 'too good'? Would obviously need to see all the relevant paper work, but if all is legit I'm thinking about going for it.
 
Tdi's MPG varies more with the length of the drive than with the petrol.
If you are doing lots of short town trips then a petrol will not be much less efficient.
My 1.2tdi comfortably gives 70mpg on drives of more than 60 miles but in really short town trips in cold weather it drops to 40mpg.
If you often do short trips and low speed roads then a petrol is nice.
My brothers petrol 1.4 petrol is so quiet and smooth compared to the Tdi. However 4 people in the petrol hits performance more than in the Tdi.
 
I picked up a tidy 1.4tdi with 108K on the clock for £2700. Keep your eyes peeled on ebay and autotrader and you may well get what your after. I live in the country side and find the tdi give superb fuel economy compared to my petrol car, just stick it in 5th and crusie along :)
If you want a higher spec model you will probably be fresh out of luck though.
 
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