Most irritating thing on your A2? Inside or out?

What do you guys dislike the most on your A2?

For me it is when you wash wipe the windscreen (especially on a clean car) and half the water goes around the A-pillars onto the side windows... Every Mercedes since the first S-class in the late 70s has channels on the A-pillars that specifically stop this water going around... Why can't Audi do the same?

Also because we have only one wiper there is a bigger spot at the bottom in front of the driver that does not get wiped. Thus more water is left there when you wash wipe and more of this "dribbles" up the windscreen after you've cleaned it... I'm forever flicking the wiper again after a wash wipe to clear the residual water...

Rented a new Megane yesterday to see what that is like... don't want to go into that now, but its wipers had a neat trick that Saabs also have apparently: you wash wipe like normal, the wipers stop and then after about a 4 second delay it does one last single wipe to clear the residual water... very neat!




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2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

and iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve

The wipers/washers jets are slightly irritating. I find that I can never get the whole windscreen clean when using the washer jets - there always ends up being a large smear across some or all of the windscreen! Plus as you say, most of the water ends up on the glass roof or A-pillars!

I do also find the A-Pillars to sometimes be in the way - especially when you are approaching a sharp bend or a pedestrian crossing.

2001 TDi SE | Cobalt Blue Metallic | Open Sky Roof | Kenwood Mask CD | Front Centre Armrest
www.Audi-A2.co.uk | www.A2Forum.net

Have any of you been inside the new Renault Espace? Do yourself a favour and go and have a look at that car's A-pillars... they are no thicker than a box of matches! Amazing... but then you can't extrude aluminium that thin... that is why the A2's is so massive and intrusive... I've learnt to turn my head around the pillar to see ahead... or around bends etc... especially irritating on small country roads where the A2's suspension makes it a perfect sportscar, but... the A-pillars make you slow down because you can't see!!!


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2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

and iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve

The worst experience of the A2's A-pillars was on hairpin bends on mountain roads in Switzerland. I had to have my passenger permenantly leaning forward to check if any traffic was coming the other way!

2001 TDi SE | Cobalt Blue Metallic | Open Sky Roof | Kenwood Mask CD | Front Centre Armrest
www.Audi-A2.co.uk | www.A2Forum.net

The same A pillar problem, I think everybody has it. It's very irritating.

Some think I am genius,
Others just can't think...

The A pillars are very large but somehow they give me a secure feeling
I dislike the harsh ride the most, followed by Engine and Wind noise.

Dennis de Held

Amulet Red 1.4 Tdi

Harsh ride is annoying - especially having to do 5mph over ANY speedbump - BUT that same harsh suspension makes the car cartlike in its handling on a decent twisty British B-road. And I'd go slow over speedbumps any day to have such sportscarlike handling when I'm in the mood... I regularly take the long way to or from work just to play on these roads in East Sussex/Kent... I love it and rate it as one of my favourite things in the A2... that in combination with the direct steering and steering feel... The other car in the family (and this is a supposed sporty VW model - the Golf V5) can only dream of doing the things the A2 can do on windy roads. On a sunny Sunday I go for the A2 keys any day over the Golf to go play... The Golf is phenomenal 0-60 (something like 7,9seconds) but throw a turn at it and it all falls flat... sorry no, rolls around and floats!




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2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

and iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve

quote:Originally posted by deheld

The A pillars are very large but somehow they give me a secure feeling
I dislike the harsh ride the most, followed by Engine and Wind noise.

Dennis de Held

Amulet Red 1.4 Tdi

Click to expand...

Dennis: personally the sound of the 3 cylinder was one of the main reasons for buying a diesel A2 and not the petrol! Few cars sound like it and most everyone new to my car can't believe it is only a 1,4 from the sound it makes! I love opening the roof and windows in tunnels and just listening to it... if Ferrari drivers can do it, so can I!

As to wind noise: the Tdi A2 is only 2dB noisier inside at 70mph than a Bentley Arnage... food for thought...


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2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

and iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve

I have to agree - once warmed up, I really like the sound of the diesel engine! Sad but true...I don't think I'll ever own a petrol car again after my A2 experience!

2001 TDi SE | Cobalt Blue Metallic | Open Sky Roof | Kenwood Mask CD | Front Centre Armrest
www.Audi-A2.co.uk | www.A2Forum.net

The engine on the tdi is great, pity you can't hear it above the rattles in the dashboard

Yes it's got to be the A pillars, especially at traffic islands where a WHOLE vehicle can hide from view- scary !!! I've got used to it now, and take a good look.
I think the heater controls are a bit fiddly ie small, and the blower's got a mind of its own- distracting. I'd prefer mechanical circular switches that can be operated without looking at them.
The ride is a bit harsh, but far better than the A Class Merc.
I'd like some more places to put odds and sods. The gearchange isn't particularly brilliant, but maybe it'll improve with age.
The engine is definitely the best bit!, and one of the reasons for buying the car in the first place. It's got soul. Petrol engined cars are just too quiet ( and thirsty ) for me.
Regards JohnW. 2002 TDI SE.

LoL the every present rattles, but must admit the Tdi is so much fun, u cant put the petrol through its paces as you can with a Tdi, do the windys and the petrol will do one of 2 things either go dead as in powerless but constant speed (no accel out of bends), or more fun it goes all cat like and shoots out of bends, Tdi on other hand just ploughs through the bends ninja style. sound is nice but h8 those morning starts, yuukk to that noise.

1.4SE petrol 2001, Dark interior, Sat cloth, Brilliant Silver, 3 spoke Steering wheel, Rear electric windows and Panasonic MR555 stereo, Panasonic 8CD changer, 10 speakers (2 extra 13" 190 watt each.)

1.4TDiSE 2002, Biege interior, Brilliant Black, Concert II.

Other Audi's including the new A4 have the second wiper operation after a few seconds fitted - automatic three flash of the indicator is also handy. As for annoying things after 6 weeks ownership I'm still trying to find something. I'm still learning how to best use the climate control, other than that nothing really. As for the three cylinder sound its brilliant, it now means I get the same sound in the A2 as I do in the smart!!

Hehe, I too would also like to see a jog-dial for changing the temp in the car, far more sense that the buttons with have the longest delay in increments u have to bash the buttons real quick to get your temp (eg if going from high to low), as for the gearbox the A2's gearbox is one of the slickest there is it throws into gear almost like the MR2's granted with those u blow them into gear hehe, if your box is stiff of bucks then its probably a faulty one but audi will fob it off as being within their scale of 1-10 acceptance opperating, my petrol has the most nasty gearbox there is, it bucks on 4th gear and 1st although 1st is expected as it does not auto mesh/sync with the other gears as its independent same with reverse, audi say its fine nothing wrong with it, and there was me thinknig it was me who was to be satisfied and not the engineer testing the car lol oh well, at least i got my tdi to have fun in and the gearbox in that is like butter.

1.4SE petrol 2001, Dark interior, Sat cloth, Brilliant Silver, 3 spoke Steering wheel, Rear electric windows and Panasonic MR555 stereo, Panasonic 8CD changer, 10 speakers (2 extra 13" 190 watt each.)

1.4TDiSE 2002, Biege interior, Brilliant Black, Concert II.

Very Slight (almost picky) annoyances (in no particular order)

• Windscreen washers are less than adequate (no coverage, always aim too low, etc.)
• Have to release the clutch a little whilst pushing the gear lever to engage reverse, approx 1/3rd of the time.
• You can't tell when the ECC has switched off in winter. In the A4 the little snowflake icon disappears. If the temp. varies from when you started (i.e. climbed above 5 degrees C) you can always, turn off the engine and restart in the A4 and you can see if the cooling is back on, I miss this snowflake on the display
• Radio reception is awful, AM is a dead loss
• A-pillars mean roundabouts are a nightmare
• Rattles

These are all very minor though, overall I love the ride, fun car to drive, speedbumps I can live with!

Audi A2 1.4SE
Build Wk40/2002 | OpenSky | Azure Blue | Climate | DIS | APS | Lumbar | Rear Drinks Holder

For me, worst thing outside of an A2 is my Audi dealer

Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit

Whilst I am driving my wife is constantly complaining about the nut behind the steering wheel.

Two pet problems of A pillars and wash wipe already aired. I am dismayed by how easily the cloth on the door trim marks up. Occasional difficulty in engaging reverse gear.
BUT just returned from a trip out to north wales and back, 360 mile round trip, average consumption 69.7mpg - Brilliant!!!!

John (& Mary) Imber 2003 1.4TDI SE, metallic silver, open sky, black leather /alcantara, Bose, ECC, DIS, Winter pack, mud flaps

Definitely the suspension. It is just TOO harsh.

Paul
1.4TDi, leather, Open Sky, BOSE, 6 CD, alu trim, cruise, DIS, etc. etc.

quote:Originally posted by Johann
Dennis: personally the sound of the 3 cylinder was one of the main reasons for buying a diesel A2 and not the petrol! Few cars sound like it and most everyone new to my car can't believe it is only a 1,4 from the sound it makes! I love opening the roof and windows in tunnels and just listening to it... if Ferrari drivers can do it, so can I!

As to wind noise: the Tdi A2 is only 2dB noisier inside at 70mph than a Bentley Arnage... food for thought...

Click to expand...

True, the Engine makes a terrific sound for such a small engine !!

Remember that a increase of 3Db means a doubling of the actual noise, DB is a logarithmic scale. Today we took teh car for a drive towards belgium and it was a bit windy, I still think that the noise generated by the mirrors is not quite up to Audi standards. Sometimes it's quite loud.
But then again, I see some problems here that I don't have (like irregular blower speed) so maybe there's something wrong with my doorrubbers, or maybe it's the michelin tires that came with the car....


Dennis de Held

Amulet Red 1.4 Tdi

i find most annoying that when traveling with the A2 my wife allways wants to drive she says it is her car and I can use the van which is my car and I thought they were our cars

Jeff *(yoyoman)