Buying an A2

Status
Not open for further replies.
P

Paul H

Guest
Hello to all from a newbie,

Knowing that on a forum about a particular car you probably aren't going to get people to say 'Don't get one!', what are the best reasons for getting an A2?
My main reason would be the promise of a high mgp - I travel 70ish miles a day minimum and probably average around 20k miles a year.

The local dealer is offering me a 1.4 TDi SE at £13,700 with aircon and metallic paint (Black). Is this a fair price, do you think?
 
Welcome to the forum Paul!

That price brand new?

All I can say is look in my signature, I got all that for £14k AND free insurance (although 1.4 petrol not diesel) so go for a much harder bargain. If you want the lower mpg get the diesel. Personally, the mpg has not lived up to expectations, but I drive with aircon constantly on and mostly urban rather than motorway driving, so I am not going to hit the figures quoted.

I bought for:

Audi build quality
Already an Audi owner - hence controls, etc. were all familiar
Neat look/shape
Practical use of space inside

[img=left]http://homepage.ntlworld.com/adriancharles/images/Ade_a2.gif[/img=left]Audi A2 1.4SE (2003): Build Wk40/2002
s.gif
OpenSky
s.gif
Azure Blue
s.gif
Climate
s.gif
DIS
s.gif
APS
s.gif
Lumbar
Retrofitted: Rear Drinks Holder
s.gif
Floppy Wiper
s.gif
Rear Door Blinds
On the Web: http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk24.htm
s.gif
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/adriancharles/
 
Paul H
I took a long time to decide, I wanted a luxury (very) small car, there were only 2 in the race, Merc A series and A2. The Merc salesman ridiculed the A2, the Audi salesman said "drive them both and pick the one you like best". I picked the A2 for build quality, which was much better than the Merc, it was also slighter narrower, very important to me(see owners pics No. 26) as it's a tight fit through the garage. Make sure your fillings are well in if you go over big pot hole, but then it corners as if it were on rails. If being tailgated on twisty bits, keep the power on (safely of course)your tailgater will slowly drift away in the distance. My DIS tells me that I average 39 mpg, all short journeys, mostly 6 miles or less. The Volvo does 23mpg for the same trips so of the two the A2 is the obvious choice for everyday, but my wife prefers it anyway, mainly due to the high seating position. We, two of us, can go on holiday for a week,lots of luggage and a dog (with all the dog beds etc.) and have never been short of room, it's a lot deeper than it looks and loads of stuff can be accommodated low down. Drive it, poke round it, look at this forum, decide, then join the A2OC! As for price, check all available sources of price info, then armed with this, negotiate. I hope you let us know how you get on.
 
Paul H
Sorry, I forgot to say mine is a 1.4 petrol, you wouldn't have been too thrilled with that consumption on a TDi.
 
Hi Paul,
Mpg was one of the factors we got ours, we also paid £13.5k on a 7 month old 1.4 TDI SE, at the time aircon (climate control) was standard.

I drive about 20 miles aday to-from work and it returns 50mpg, on longer runs I've achieved 65mpg (at 70-80 MPH).

I really like the look and can still be caught grinning and looking out the window at it.

Lee and Sheridan,
TDI SE, Build 11/01, Dolphin Grey,
50% Brighter Bulbs : Original Audi 6 CD Changer (Fitted in proper location by me) : Rear drinks holder : Floppy Wiper : Centre Tray - Nearly : Elasticated Belt System - Nearly.
http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk18.htm
 
Paul Welcome to the site...

This has been a long debate as to why A2s are best... maybe you'll see some baised views on here and also some good criticism... but all in all you can't go wrong with an A2!!!

Also visit these threads:

http://www.a2forum.net/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1538

http://www.a2forum.net/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1396

http://www.a2forum.net/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1352

http://www.a2forum.net/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1427

____________________________________________________________________________________
[img=left]http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/180225.jpg[/img=left]
2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony II, BOSE upgrade, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve, rear cupholders, luggage net and floppy wiper!

http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk23.htm
 
Thanks for the info so far.

I suppose I should fill in a bit. My other car is an Elise which I adore. Though I am concerned for its' long term prospects if I keep thrahing it around everywhere. I have done 40k in it in 3 years including two summers round Europe for around 4,000 miles each. In the same time I have used the other car - a Pug 106 - for 50,000 miles, mainly work and back and trips where I need more seats or the ability to carry more than an overnight bag. Consequently the Pug is knackered (as it had 30k on it when we got it).
Other cars I have looked at are the Mini Cooper, the Golf TDi, the Smart and, until I got a slap from SWMBO, a rather vulgar Lamborghini-esque Countach convertible kit car.
The Smart just doesn't have enough oomph. It is like paddling uphill in a corricle.
The Golf is boring and as stylish as a golf sweater.
The Cooper is the business but specced up to a level I'd like comes in at 15,900.
The Lamborghini would lead to a double orchidectomy, sans anaesthetic.
Can't think of anything else to try and cannot think of anything second hand that would fit the bill. Don't need flash (elise) and do want a car that is cheap to run whilst being just a bit different.
 
Hello Paul, welcome, and I'm glad to hear you're thinking of buying an A2.
Sounds like good advice from the others- try as many as you can, the dealers will fall over themselves to offer you demos.
I had an A Class Tdi for a year and it got on my tripe so much I changed it for an A2 Tdi. In my opinion it's a better car all round, and I've caught myself glancing out of the window at it!!
The best mpg so far is 66, some motorway and some tootling.
One of it's greatest atributes is its rarity, though hope that's not the case on June 1st!!!
Regards John W. 2002 TDI SE.
 
Paul

Welcome. I went for an A2 for the perceived quality, dealer experience and residuals. Unfortunately my experience was not to be, but there are good and bad in all services/products these days-I like to think I was just darn unlucky.

The A class has been hamered with Easyjet rent-a-car people having thousand on their fleet and now offloading them. The quality of the A class isn't what you may expect-it was brought out at a time when Mercedes was resting on it's laurels re build quality and were quickly overtaken by Audi, BMW, Skoda etc....

The A2 has exclusivity....always will!.

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

Paul


The A2 has exclusivity....always will!.
Click to expand...

:D That is also why I wrote to CAR magazine!

http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/jcar.htm

____________________________________________________________________________________
[img=left]http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/180225.jpg[/img=left]
2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony II, BOSE upgrade, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve, rear cupholders, luggage net and floppy wiper!

http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk23.htm
 
Bought it.:D

Price fluctuates depending on what you think a 1993 Pug 106 1.4 XT with 84k on it is worth. It's costing me £12,500 cash plus the Pug.

I will now be able to annoy you all with more posts as and when I take delivery.
 
Brilliant!!! We hope to see you at our first social! So be sure to pay your £10 yearly fee... and post to your heart's content!!! We'd be all to happy to read them!

(BTW: did this forum help you in your decision in any way?)

____________________________________________________________________________________
[img=left]http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/180225.jpg[/img=left]
2001 A2 TDI SE Crystal Blue with Open Sky, 6CD Symphony II, BOSE upgrade, DIS and HALF a winterpack!

iPAQ 3970 with Sat-Nav sleeve, rear cupholders, luggage net and floppy wiper!

http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk23.htm
 
You won't annoy us, that's what were here for. Hope you sign up for the club and see you at future socials.

Ade

sig_ade.jpg
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top