The worst A2 by far... sorry to owners of these..

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Johann

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Well my A2 is back now and how wonderful it is to go over speedbumps again!!! Never thought I'd say this, but I aim for potholes now just to hear the silence of going through them! hehehe Needed new brake pads as well so Mr Audi £119 richer... ouch!

What I really want to say is I pray for all A2 1.4 petrol owners... had one of these sad devices as a courtesy car. A 1,4 petrol sport. Yes they are quieter and the engine far smoother than the diesel, BUT anaemic in everything else! We all make choices in life I know and buy what we like, but compared to the TDi this is one lame car and I see no point in getting one. In any gear there is just NO power at normal speeds. You HAVE TO gear down maybe 2 gears to get the same oomph as you have all the time in any gear in the TDi. Doing 40mph in 3rd and you put your foot down it takes ages to wind around to 4500rpm from where speed gradually increases. And by then the quiter engine argument goes out the door as all your passengers are wondering why you are straining the engine like that and reving it like a teenager in a Nova. You can go very fast in the TDi without your passengers knowing since the engine does not sound stressed going up the rev range - and in part the short rev range. But yes I know the 3 cylinder thrum is an aquired taste, but personally I love my Porsche 911 sounding car!

Next thing was the Sport suspension. Too hard I say. You feel every single 1 pence piece you drive over and going fast around bends I felt the wheels loose grip!!!! And this the 17inch standard sport wheels!!! I've never felt my SE spec wheels loose grip around bends... yes the front ones chirp on take off if you apply too much power and the traction control light flashes madly, but that is it.

It also only gave me 26mpg average for the day... and driving my TDi as hard a I did this one I never get lass than 45mpg average...

Sorry to all out there that own one of these, but I can't think of a worse A2 than a petrol 1,4 Sport!

____________________________________________________________________________________
[img=left]http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-2/11882/a2andme2.gif[/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
 
sorry but your wrong. i have a 1.4 sport and its a great car. There's plenty of power cruise at 80 no problem recently did 130 miles in two hours with 4 in and it was not uncomfortable at all and was effortless driving. So i feel i must disagree that the 1.4 petrol is a bad car. Oh and those 17inch rims are just lush
 
Gotta disagree Johann!!

On the motorway, ours gets up to 70 easily with minimum fuss and minimum engine noise.
We return about 35-40mpg for mainly town driving with the occasional motorway blast thrown in for good measure - when I've seem 50mpg.

I agree with Islandgreen - the A2 is a car which you drive smoothly, not one you thrash to get every ounce of performance out of it.

Don't drink drive! Not only is it socially unaceptable, it also harms A2's.
Was a 1.4SE petrol. http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/uk14.htm http://www.audi-a2.co.uk/safety.htm
New A2 - Ebony Black, Red Leather, CC, Symphony + all the previous options we had.
 
Johann. I can't believe you said that. It's horses for courses, the A2 does what is expected. I have not used mine for a while, I've been using the Volvo, but after Johann's tirade, and another post or two complaining of noise , lack of performance etc. I took it out again to see if mine was like the complainants. It isn't, am I too easy to please? Are they too critical? Are their cars faulty? My A2 was bought as an economical easy to park, luxury town car, so I could leave the Volvo at home. It has in fact done much more than expected, and done many long trips fully loaded with luggage. OK speed bumps are a pain, but what a bl***y stupid way of controlling traffic speed, it affects emergency vehicles, it damages catalytic converters, it increases noise pollution, and is environmentally unfriendly for many other aspects. Try towing a caravan over the nasty ones! Speed humps are intended to be taken at the speed limit applicable to their site, that's b*******. Campaign against speed humps, write to your local councillor.
 
Amen hollyrescue.

Phil. TDi Sport, silver, with Climate and OpenSky.
 
Johann. I never got to do much motorway driving in the time I had an A2, but one trip west filled me with dread before hand-how was this 75bhp car going to cope with 2 up, weekends luggage etc. All I can say is that I was suprised at the turn of speed once the thing was going-gave a few other drivers a shock by keeping up with them. OK, take off isn't fast so no traffic light grand prix, but you can work with the power.

And I agree on the speed hump issue. Cars braking suddenly when they realise one of these black lumps is emerging from the ground, speeding up after navigating one of these things. The one which are narrow-trying to line the car up so it goes under the middle. Ah, too much trouble.

Steve - 2002 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior, Then an identical replacement 2003 A2. Now a Toyota Corolla 1.6 T-Spirit
 
[37]
Interesting!
Hera comes the diplomacy.
I agree with all of you!
Horses for courses - yep.
As a committed petrol head I drove the petrol and diesel back to back three years ago this month and much to my amazement and initial disgust I found the half-a-subaru (rather than a porker)noise pleasant and a very rapid vehicle. I have to side with Johann there. I dont think I will own another small capacity petrol car.
I recently changed the number two from a petrol saxo to a diesel one. Quick and frugal.
I confess that it took me at least nine months to re-learn how to drive. A disel is soo different if you are to be quick and frugal.
i think this is likely to be a hugely contested thread.
Just remember we all make choices for our own personal reasons. Johann has not slagged the petrol off at a personal level. Lets make reasoned and objective comments.
Happy new year to all.
[35]

NEVER attempt a battle of wits with an unarmed man.
Soon to be ex-A2 owner - but nevertheless extremely satisfied with my experience
 
Well put Mike,
I suspect Johann has got used to the way the TDi drives over the time he has owned it and for sure, the 1.4 petrol has completely different characteristics. The power delivery is completely different. The oomph you get from the turbo when it kicks in in 2nd and third gears still makes me smile as it's so effortless. I have driven the 1.4 and if you drive it as a 1.4 and don't compare it with the TDi then it is fine.

The first test drive I had in a TDi was about three years ago, I got a lift to the Audi garage with my brother who had his wife's company polo 1.4. We got out of town and arrived at a set of traffic lights. The road being a dual carriageway, I could see my brother looking over thinking I'll have you in your diesel. Me being used to a petrol engine, revved the engine as if it was a petrol and soon got bogged down in 1st having hit the rev limiter, my brother shot off. Next traffic lights, much more equal he did edge forward initially but the TDi soon caught up and edged in front. Not very scientific I know but it would have been rude not to.

Shaf

Nov 2002 TDi Sport, Silver,Black/grey interior,climate. Replaced previous Mar 2001 TDi SE
 
Horses for courses as I said! And I did apologise for definitely going to upset the petrol brigade! :)

Maybe I'm too used the instant urge in the diesel... but then that is my point: why get used to something (lame) and live around a problem when for £1000 more you can have instant surge AND economy now matter how you drive it? I'm not going to change my driving style and drive like my gran because the engine is petrol surely? A car must please at all times, all speeds and no matter how many people/luggage in it... The TDi does that. The petrol does not (IMHO I will add again!)

____________________________________________________________________________________
[img=left]http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-2/11882/a2andme2.gif[/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
 
quote:Originally posted by Johann

why get used to something (lame) and live around a problem when for £1000 more you can have instant surge AND economy now matter how you drive it?
Click to expand...

Johann - £1000 buys quite a few options!!!!
 
Johann

Having lived with a Diesel in the past, and about to order another as a company car, there are other problems with Diesels:
1. having to use plastic gloves when filling up to avoid smelling of Diesel all day;
2. Remembering to keep spare disposable plastic gloves in car for when Tesco do not have any;
3. Complaints from the neigbours wen you start the car at 6:00 in the morning;
4. Higher levels of engine noise at idle;
5. Being taken for a ride by the manufacturer because the diesel costs no more to make than the petrol, with three cylinders it probably costs less!!!!
6. Not travelling enough miles for the fuel saving to offset the additional capital cost of the car.

I am sure others will add a few more to balance the equation!

Ian

2002 1.4 Petrol SE, silver with climate control.
Why are NEARLY all the A2s in Lichfield are silver ? ? ?
 
quote:Originally posted by ianjohnsonws14
Click to expand...

[13]

Having lived with a Diesel in the past, and about to order another as a company car, there are other problems with Diesels:
1. having to use plastic gloves when filling up to avoid smelling of Diesel all day; I never use gloves (and not cloves! thanks Mearsk! :)) and once in probably 20 fill ups can I smell diesel on my hands
2. Remembering to keep spare disposable plastic gloves in car for when Tesco do not have any; I never use gloves
3. Complaints from the neigbours wen you start the car at 6:00 in the morning;40% of current cars sold in the UK are diesel and this percentage is raising - so neighbours better get a life and get used to it
4. Higher levels of engine noise at idle;true and I won't contest that one!
5. Being taken for a ride by the manufacturer because the diesel costs no more to make than the petrol, with three cylinders it probably costs less!!!!hmmm not sure on this one... maybe not £1000 more to make, but diesels do use different technology and engine blocks etc so there must be a difference in price
6. Not travelling enough miles for the fuel saving to offset the additional capital cost of the car. true as I stated many times before you have to do 60000 miles in a TDi A2 vs petrol to ofset the cost of the £1000

But as I said many times before on here I will gladly pay that extra for the many advantages the diesel has over petrol... mainly the instant urge in any gear, the leave-it-in-5th with 4 people and a weeks worth of luggage and doing 100mph up and down hill mile after mile in France (impossible on UK roads! hehehe). Diesels are also far more efficient with every litre of fuel than petrol - hence the need for an electric heater because there is not as much "wasted" energy as in a petrol to give to a heater. I think petrol is somewhere in the region of 20% efficient with diesel nearer 60% (if my bad memeory serves me now...) You petrol guys are so used to driving your cars that I bet you don't notice how many more times you have to gear down to overtake, take a gap in traffic or jsut get up a hill... surely my gearbox will last longer then?


Due to A2's tiny fuel tank you can at least go some distance in the TDi before having to stop to refuel again - and this was a main criticism in most every A2 petrol test I've read.

There are always a nice summary of the advantages of DERV vs petrol in the DieselCAR... too many for my memory and I can't site all of them here now...

From http://www.eta.co.uk/tr/pj/fuels/fuels.htm:

"...Diesel engines also tend to last longer and clock up many more miles before being consigned to the scrap heap. The advantages of driving a diesel are most noticeable on short trips in urban driving conditions, but can be substantial on longer journeys too.."

Or go to http://www.stealthtdi.com/Emissions.html This proves diesel is far greener than petrol as well... a fact accepted by all of the EU with the UK the only government slapping a penalty on diesel. Though in fairness this is due to the worse particulate emussions... though the new TDi 90 meets Euro 4 standards and thus is not penalized...



____________________________________________________________________________________
[img=left]http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-2/11882/a2andme2.gif[/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
 
Personally I dont like the sound of diesel engines - no matter how quiet and refined you make them, they still remind me of a tractor. I choose the A2 diesel purely for the combination of economy and power when compared to the petrol, however the sound of it on a cold winters morning is verging on embarassing. A friend of mine actually thought a black cab had pulled up outside his house once - I am still trying to live that down. When it comes to bigger cars however, no matter how many stats you can show me about diesel engines, and how great they are, my heart always goes towards petrol.

Kaine
 
personnelly
This my own opinion guys and gals
the 1.4 TDi SE would be my option everytime since i enjoy the drive instant acceleration and speed i get when i tap the accelerator pedal.
I did however have a 1.4 petrol A2 for a courtesy car and found it not as reponsive and not as fast up to speed as the tdi and as for the noise the noise grows on you and i have begun to like the noise.
But hey each to there own choice.
[5]

cheers

happy driving what ever version A2 you have

A.D.Simmons
 
quote:Originally posted by andrew simmons



happy driving what ever version A2 you have
Click to expand...

Agreed! As long as it is not a Merc A-class you're driving I'm happy!

____________________________________________________________________________________
[img=left]http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-2/11882/a2andme2.gif[/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
 
[37]
Told you it would be contested and somewhat controversial.
Remember we are all pals.
Johann you probably can't smell the diesel because the 'cloves' are masking it!
[21]
;)

NEVER attempt a battle of wits with an unarmed man.
Soon to be ex-A2 owner - but nevertheless extremely satisfied with my experience
 
According to Johanns figures it will take ME 10 years to break even on the price diesel v petrol, so I did make a mistake when I chose petrol! I have 3 neighbours with diesels, what a racket when you are trying to have a gentle doze. They should be banned on that ground. I've decided I am becoming a Victor Meldrew. Perhaps we should have a Meldrew topic, so we can all have a moan about everything.
 
I am waiting to test drive the Honda diesel - missed a drive just before xmas because I was in a meeting. a friend who drove it described it as "as quiet as a petrol car from inside or outside" and with "engine performance like a VW1.8T" - we both have them in company cars!

May be the diesel that doesn't disturb the neighbours!

Ian

2002 1.4 Petrol SE, silver with climate control.
Why are NEARLY all the A2s in Lichfield are silver ? ? ?
 
Yep, magazine reviews are saying the Accord diesel beats the BMW diesel.

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