CAR Magazine buying guide

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benbarry

New Member
Hello
I'm writing a short buying guide on the Audi A2 for CAR Magazine and hoping to quote an expert – a senior owners' club member or an A2 specialist, for instance. I'd need a few tips on what to look for when buying, including desirable specs and known issues, with typical costs to fix. A few pointers on service intervals and costs would also be great. We are covering all engine variants, but briefly – there'll be no more than 400 words, and some of that will cover the driving experience and the A2's history, so it's very much top-line info. Please let me know if you can help. I'll give the forum a mention in the article.
Thanks
Ben
 
Engines
1.4 Petrol - Reliable, but most agricultural - probably best option for a car that spends most of it's time around towns
1.6 FSI Petrol - Very refined, but temperamental and costly to fix
1.4TDI 75hp (two variants, but pretty much the same) - Very reliable, 200k miles easily achievable, can be tuned to make good motorway cruiser with amazing fuel economy (I've had 72mpg average over a tankful)
1.4TDI 90hp Again, engine very reliable, but Dual Mass Flywheel weak link and costly to replace

Desirable specs
Open Sky Sunroof (OSS) is a desirable option, but need to be used regularly as they seize if not used and costly (if not impossible) to fix them
BOSE Sound system is really nice.
Votex Body kits are hugely fancied, but check if rear wing is fitted as well as these impossible to get hold of.
Leather interiors.
The 4 or 5 seat debate depends on needs. The 4 seater makes a much more versatile car because a single person can easily remove both rear seats and turn car into VAN mode, but the 5 seater is more practical if you have three little people to transport.

Specification
Special Edition models are not really special at all, being the run out base specification - SE spec is the luxury tag, with Sport models being well specced, but a firmer ride etc.

Colours
A lot of silver cars are around
White is pretty rare
The colour storms are popular, but a lot of cars are advertised as CS which aren't anything like it. True Colour Storms have colour coded interiors to match the exterior and matt rubbing strips/roofs.
Jaipur Red (orange) and Yellow make stunning statements


--- Mechanical wise I'm sure others will add to that, but that's not my area really :) ---

PS Ben, happy to supply a whole load of pictures if you're interested provided I get a credit ;)
 
Problems:

Water in the lower boot (battery compartment). This is due to the 2 seals behind the rear bumper deteriorating. Parts not expensive but need to remove bumper and rear wheel arch liners. Not to be confused with the sound of water sloshing in rear spoiler. Solution: drill a few drain holes in the underside.

Front control arms (wishbones) on post 2002 models are hollow steel and corrode leading to suspension collapse if not spotted. Some members are replacing with the earlier cast iron version but quality parts are getting hard to find. (£250 parts with bushes and £150 labour).
 
sciroccorrado said:
Engines
1.4 Petrol - Reliable, but most agricultural - probably best option for a car that spends most of it's time around towns
1.6 FSI Petrol - Very refined, but temperamental and costly to fix
1.4TDI 75hp (two variants, but pretty much the same) - Very reliable, 200k miles easily achievable, can be tuned to make good motorway cruiser with amazing fuel economy (I've had 72mpg average over a tankful)
1.4TDI 90hp Again, engine very reliable, but Dual Mass Flywheel weak link and costly to replace
;)
Click to expand...

The 1.6 Petrol and 1.4TDI 90HP have discs front and rear, all over variants have discs at the front and drums at the rear. I would not make reference to Votex body kits. These are a non-Audi aftermarket addition and certainly not to everyone's taste. The 1.6 Petrol does have a larger rear spoiler than the other vehicles though. Might be worth starting your article by mentioning the very rare in the UK 1.2 litre model. Also later models were fitted with a larger fuel tank across the range. I have owned a few A2s now. The 1.4 petrol is a bullet proof reliable and light handling city care that wont be embarrassed on a long motorway journey. the 1.4TDI (I is coloured red) is a beast giving performance and economy and IMHO is the star of the range but harder to find (or to get someone to part with). Might be worth mentioning that given their rare aluminum construction insurers are very quick to write the cars off after suffering even the lightest of damage.
 
Mbzpar said:
The 1.6 Petrol and 1.4TDI 90HP have discs front and rear, all over variants have discs at the front and drums at the rear. I would not make reference to Votex body kits. These are a non-Audi aftermarket addition and certainly not to everyone's taste. The 1.6 Petrol does have a larger rear spoiler than the other vehicles though. Might be worth starting your article by mentioning the very rare in the UK 1.2 litre model. Also later models were fitted with a larger fuel tank across the range. I have owned a few A2s now. The 1.4 petrol is a bullet proof reliable and light handling city care that wont be embarrassed on a long motorway journey. the 1.4TDI (I is coloured red) is a beast giving performance and economy and IMHO is the star of the range but harder to find (or to get someone to part with). Might be worth mentioning that given their rare aluminum construction insurers are very quick to write the cars off after suffering even the lightest of damage.
Click to expand...

The votex kit is a factory fitted option.

90bhp TDI's have the red I in TD whereas the 75bhp models have all silver.

Mechanics wise

the 1.4 is a very reliable little engine with the main issues being faulty coil packs, usually from aftermarket items being fitted.

the FSI suffers from lower inlet manifold issues as well as other intake/exhaust gremlins from things like NOX sensors, MAF sensors, injectors etc

the TDI's are very reliable with the only real issues being occasional issues with the 90bhp variable vane turbo and blown intercoolers over time.

That being said the A2 is a very reliable little car that is extremely well built and would put a lot of modern VAG range cars to shame in terms of build quality. There are some very good garages in the UK that have a wealth of A2 knowledge namely WOM Automotive and Stealth racing but a DIY mechanic coudl definately keep an A2 running at very low cost at home, especially in TDI form.
 
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For a bit of light relief, mentioning the common "Cannot access engine bay, as bonnet sealed" misconception from all kinds of places, particularly MOT stations.
 
May also be worth mentioning heated seats that were a factory option, in sport style with larger bolsters and latter ones having electric lumbar support too, Se spec in leather could also be chosen with electric lumbar support and/or heated!
Auto dimming rear view mirror was also an option and given its years of production quite a futuristic thing, bit like the A2 really.
Cheers Jeff
 
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I'm glad you got some responses Ben. All very experienced A2 owners with a huge amount of knowledge. The only other thing i would add is when buying, always make sure that the Engine Management light shows up when you turn on the ignition. It does sometimes happen that people will hide a fault by blanking off the light.

Having said that - with the 1.6 FSI, you do sort of get used to having the engine management light on quite a bit. I just ignore mine
 
How about some headline items costs (1.4i sport):

Mintex front disc's and pads £45
KYB rear springs £40
rear rubber spring seats £9 per pair
Cam belt and water pump kit £140
Oil and filter £30
Fuel filter £10
Tyres around £50 per corner for mid range

Adhoc comments:

Worth mentioning that the 17" wheels on the sport models are made of cream cheese and will be buckled, factor in a full refurb on a new purchase.
Sport models did not come with fog lights as standard, but did come with full DIS.
Many will be on original batteries, factor in a new one.
Side bolsters on the sport seats will be worn, as will the AC buttons and head light switches on post 2001 cars.
Audio systems are very good. Single DIN dash can be changed to double DIN for a more modern look.
Petrol flaps refuse to open on cars with dodgy drivers door microswitch - likewise the interior lights (check DIS recognises the drivers door being open)
 
I would not consider any A2 if it didn't have OSS .... even if it was made from gold! LOL! There is, IMHO, one MAJOR negative with the A2 in general, and that is ride quality. Only a reasonable distance away from my home, there is a village and the road through it has a series of speed-bumps. I take great care when travelling over them, but one of my friend's has a Vauxall Astra and HE doesn't have to "take-care"! No, he doesn't even slow down and goes over those bumps in any position! Another real negative is the gear-change smoothness on the diesel. Even with adjustment, it's very notchy and difficult. BUT, when I get into my Partners PETROL A2, the gear-change is perfect! (This is because the mechanism on the petrol is rod-operated whereas the diesel is cable)
There are a handful of A2 diesels that have had a 6-speed gearbox adaption fitted (mine is one of them) They give even better economy and will cruise at 70 mph doing only 2000 rpm. VERY relaxed and almost like an overdrive! "Stealth" tuning of the diesel takes the power output up from 75 BHP to over 100 BHP. Mine was tuned to 108 BHP. It's a very reasonable cost and the result is a MUCH better power delivery. When I've been in Germany and able to use that power with my 6-speed box, I've had to ease back with the car doing over 110 MPH! I just don't know what the max speed might be? However, my typical driving style is not "fast-and-furious", LOL! and I just drive with steady pace and consideration. I keep things for a very long time and my A2 won't be any different. I will probably die still owning it! (I have other "toys", too .... like a liquid injected LPG powered Mercedes SLK) So the A2 is not "exclusive"

David
 
Another modification undertaken by a few owners is changing the 5th gear ratio to 0.65. This drops the revs when travelling on main roads and motorways but means 5th is not viable around town. Cost today I guess is £50 for the gear plus an hours labour. The gearbox oil is supposed to be for life but when I did the gear change it was 1/2 empty so refilled with fresh oil.
 
Kleynie said:
How about some headline items costs (1.4i sport):

Mintex front disc's and pads £45
KYB rear springs £40
rear rubber spring seats £9 per pair
Cam belt and water pump kit £140
Oil and filter £30
Fuel filter £10
Tyres around £50 per corner for mid range

Adhoc comments:

Worth mentioning that the 17" wheels on the sport models are made of cream cheese and will be buckled, factor in a full refurb on a new purchase.
Sport models did not come with fog lights as standard, but did come with full DIS.
Many will be on original batteries, factor in a new one.
Side bolsters on the sport seats will be worn, as will the AC buttons and head light switches on post 2001 cars.
Audio systems are very good. Single DIN dash can be changed to double DIN for a more modern look.
Petrol flaps refuse to open on cars with dodgy drivers door microswitch - likewise the interior lights (check DIS recognises the drivers door being open)
Click to expand...

if you can find me fuel filter for £10 let me know where
 
Your article will NEED to mention the ancillary benefits of A2 ownership which is that the owners are among the most helpful and supportive group of individuals I’ve ever met. Any mechanical or electrical issue raised is given expert consideration and friendly supportive advice to resolve and there are many ‘how to’ guides in here. I’ve been overwhelmed with the various friendly offers and gifts between strangers to just help keep each other going in these amazing cars and to just make things easier and better. The social scene is pretty darn active too!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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