Which model

D

davida.horsfall

Member
Could do with some advice on which model to buy 2002 1.6 fsi or a 2002 1.4 petrol both have 100000 miles new to a2s and what to look out for

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I would say if possible get a 1.4tdi I have a 1.6 lovely car, but if I had more knowledge I would have bought the tdi preformed like a 1.6 with less costs all round but yea the 1.6 if no tdi available
 
Hello, and welcome to the owners' club. :)

I'm also firmly in the TDI camp, but if I was to buy a petrol-powered A2, I'd have the 1.4. It might not be the most exciting engine the world has ever known, but the 1.6 FSI is just too fragile for my liking. The 1.6 is a great engine when it's running well, but, for me, the near-constant fight against the glow of the engine management light would really detract from the joy of ownership.

There are loads of threads on this site about the pros and cons of TDI vs petrol, TDI90 vs TDI75, 1.4 vs FSI, etc. Rather than using the in-built search feature, use Google to search the content of this site by pasting site:a2oc.net at the end of your search term. It's well worth it before committing to a particular car.

All the best with your hunt,

Tom
 
I'd second Tom's comments. Having owned all variants bar the TDi 90 i'd go for a TDi if you can find a nice one. Other than that go for the 1.4 petrol.
 
Are you a driver of a traveler? If you want an agile car for urban traffic I would also recommend a Tdi, the Fsi totally lack torque below 3000 RPM. The Fsi is my choice for highway and country roads.
 
It depends on where you travel and what type of driving you do (including distance), your style of driving and preference for turbo punch and low down torque or a rev happy engine.

All units have their pros and cons; TDIs offer low end grunt, ability to short shift, ace fuel economy and low tax for example. The 1.4 petrol is agile and nimble and suits round town driving predominantly, but is capable as a motorway cruiser too, though lacks aggression if pushed too hard. The FSI, in my opinion, is a capable short shifter (lacking torque compared to the diesel), but when worked offers a spirited drive. The petrols gear boxes are also the smoothest to engage from my experience. The FSI is also capable of 50+mpg on a run.

FSI and TDI90 carry the lion's share of mechanical reliability issues, but a good well cared for and regularly serviced example may give you many years of happy motoring.

I'd recommend a test drive in the common variants to inform your decision making, unless you happen to find your ideal car first time.

Good luck with your search and don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you need to.
 
In my opinion low to mid rev range torque is a must for a car to be agile. I can't see how you get that from the 1.4 petrol? I cant find it in my 1.6 fsi, it's almost lame below 3000 rpm.
 
The 1.4 engine is a relatively light weight unit and is suited to the A2. Coupled with its smooth gear box, it is agile for the weight it hauls. It isn't a sports car, I concur, but that isn't my point or what I said. The FSI, or mine to me, has a good amount of low down torque before the flat spot leading to the higher rev range when it pulls strong (relative to what it is).

It is no surprise that our views differ, we are different people, with differing views, expectation, experiences and no doubt history with cars. Ours cars performance might very well differ too. This is why I suggest to the OP that they test drive the variants and make up their own mind. All we can do is offer our advice and assistance. Ultimately, the OP will decide what is right for them.
 
It might be that your Fsi is has more torque below 3000 rpm than mine, I haven't had a chance to compare mine to another one. Now I have the Tdi90 also with 300 Nm torque between 2000 and 3000 Rpm so I am satisfied. Beside the sluggish gear change it is perfect in and around the city. In my opinion the best A2.

But as you suggest we are all different, and everyone must decide after own preferences.
 
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