RE: Shed of the Week: Audi A2
Discussion
ajprice said:
rtz62 said:
Back to the original post, I'm surprised I've never seen an A2 with some sort of monster drivetrain in it; I'm sure there must be such but as I don't haunt the Dub Scene I'm probably too far removed from that sort of tuning to know.
Sounds tempting, in a 'Gas Monkey' sort of way....
The 1.8T VW/Audi engine has been done a few times https://www.flickr.com/photos/cp2009/4413991862/in...Sounds tempting, in a 'Gas Monkey' sort of way....
vsonix said:
Were these the ones that were supposed to be revolutionary because the driver was supposed to never see the engine, and you open the bonnet and see nothing except places to top up the coolant and wiper fluid, or something along those lines? Further contributing to the dumbing down of the average motorist. It's a horrible looking little thing, I'd be seen getting out of a SMART before I'd be seen dead in one of these horrible little pug-faced bug-eyed ungainly doom-boxes. I suppose you could jazz it up a little with some small deep dish wheels with big tyres but I could think of a thousand other things I'd rather spend shed money on than one of these.
Fanboy mode: these were revolutionary because they were @500kg / 1/2 tonne lighter than the equivalent hatchback. Except they werent revolutionary because they were too expensive to make and thus changed nothing.
I had one of these, I bought one hungover one Monday morning, I got it into my head that I wanted something small and economical.
Have to say it was a really good little car, just that I hated the manual with the diesel engine. I should have bought the petrol version.
I never got better than 48mpg average from mine, the petrol I test drove was giving me 45mpg so I presumed the diesel was going to be 55-60mpg, it wasn't.
Have to say it was a really good little car, just that I hated the manual with the diesel engine. I should have bought the petrol version.
I never got better than 48mpg average from mine, the petrol I test drove was giving me 45mpg so I presumed the diesel was going to be 55-60mpg, it wasn't.
A few people on here saying they own one and love it.
A few people who don't own them saying they hate it.
I owned one and can see both sides of the coin - mostly meh though.
For the size of it, the interior is massive for passengers, although a lot of that can be attributed to the upright rear seating position.
The boot was large enough with the false floor being particularly handy / pointless depending on your point of view.
Economy on ours - 1.6FSI SE - wasn't particularly great and the engine always sounded rough on start up but they all do that.
There is a known issue on the door hinges and they tend to drop. Ours suffered this on the drivers door which meant at motorway speed it was as though the window was left open a touch. Oh, and you can't have the front windows open without the rear ones as well as the turbulence is horrific. Wouldn't be a problem apart from the fact that rear electric windows are quite rare.
The car had nice handling but the ride was atrocious - and that is on an SE not sport. Not as bad as my R53 Cooper S on run flats but not far off.
Other than that, it without fail cost us the thick end of £1K per year in repairs and servicing (mainly repairs) and when WBAC took it way for a price twice what i thought i'd get, the smoke on my signature was still rising as i ran down the street.
An interesting experiment but ultimately a flawed car. I've heard that they were / are planning on reviving the name on a new car and i think with modern tech and a non aluminium construction i.e. cheaper to make and repair it would find it's place in the market. Premium small cars are now finding buyers after all.
A few people who don't own them saying they hate it.
I owned one and can see both sides of the coin - mostly meh though.
For the size of it, the interior is massive for passengers, although a lot of that can be attributed to the upright rear seating position.
The boot was large enough with the false floor being particularly handy / pointless depending on your point of view.
Economy on ours - 1.6FSI SE - wasn't particularly great and the engine always sounded rough on start up but they all do that.
There is a known issue on the door hinges and they tend to drop. Ours suffered this on the drivers door which meant at motorway speed it was as though the window was left open a touch. Oh, and you can't have the front windows open without the rear ones as well as the turbulence is horrific. Wouldn't be a problem apart from the fact that rear electric windows are quite rare.
The car had nice handling but the ride was atrocious - and that is on an SE not sport. Not as bad as my R53 Cooper S on run flats but not far off.
Other than that, it without fail cost us the thick end of £1K per year in repairs and servicing (mainly repairs) and when WBAC took it way for a price twice what i thought i'd get, the smoke on my signature was still rising as i ran down the street.
An interesting experiment but ultimately a flawed car. I've heard that they were / are planning on reviving the name on a new car and i think with modern tech and a non aluminium construction i.e. cheaper to make and repair it would find it's place in the market. Premium small cars are now finding buyers after all.
Convert said:
We've run one of these for about 10 years, just over 90K miles on it now. Used by the wife to commute 12 miles a day.
Other than routine servicing it's eaten a few front springs and drop links.
Plus an ABS (lateral acceleration) sensor had to be repaired (£50).
They do seem to go through batteries though, ours is on it's 3rd.
We too have the 5 seater, 2001 vintage SE.
Drives well, economical, doesn't rust, we're really struggling to think what to replace it with.
Just a quick update, car has just done 100K and the (original) exhaust has started to blow on the flexi pipe...Other than routine servicing it's eaten a few front springs and drop links.
Plus an ABS (lateral acceleration) sensor had to be repaired (£50).
They do seem to go through batteries though, ours is on it's 3rd.
We too have the 5 seater, 2001 vintage SE.
Drives well, economical, doesn't rust, we're really struggling to think what to replace it with.
shoestring7 said:
Brilliant little car with steering and handling better than any contemporary Audi. Also the repost to anyone who complains that modern cars are too big and heavy.
Well Audi built a small, light car that could comfortably carry four and no-one bought it....
SS7
Rummaging through old sheds as I need an 'interesting' 4 seater, that's cheap to run, won't go rusty on me (it has to sit outside), and find myself once again looking at A2s. Well Audi built a small, light car that could comfortably carry four and no-one bought it....
SS7
Has anyone come up with anything better since 1999?
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