Audi’s A2 on comeback trail

Reborn Legend?

Would you really call the old A2 a legend?

Yes it might have been clever but i had the misfortune to borrow one of these for a month when my brand new A3 "blew up"

64mpg in the diesel was a pipe dream - my average at the end of the month was 35mpg which was worse than my A3 1.9TDi Quattro ever managed

And then there was all the comments along the lines of "Your in a Johnny cab"

He is a headline for next week "MG revives the legendary Marina"

By JakeBtn on 9 December, 2009, 8:35am

You must have had a problem car JakeBtn. My A2 returns well in excess of 60 mpg in overall mixed driving, even when driven enthusiastically. The A2 is a really brilliant car, perhaps the biggest problem is the blind spot with the front pillar, however, you soon get used to that and drive accordingly.

By cwillnic on 9 December, 2009, 10:13am

Audi A2 a reborn legend?

You call the Audi A2 a reborn legend? Was there that much cultural and sales difference between Holland and Britain? Overhere the A2 sold an average of about 4 pieces a year (a whole year could pass without ever seeing one on the road) and the car was considered to be among the ugliest cars ever...

You could even argue about the sanity of re-using the name A2 because it automatically handicaps the newcomer!

By xedor2003 on 9 December, 2009, 10:58am

I always fancied the old A2 but have never owned or even driven one. But surely its legendary status was it lightness due to the body being all alloy.

Is the proposed new A2 to be all aluminium it is not clear from the article? This new A2 will be yet another supermimi albeit a quality and desirable one in a market saturated with many excellent supermini's . But unless it has an all alloy body it will unquestionably loose it legend status.

By davidlivermore on 9 December, 2009, 11:41am

A Legend??

I wouldn't call the old A2 a legend but it was a very stylish and innovative car - a fact not appreciated by the majority who prefer to buy the boring 'norm'. Its downfall was probably price but what other small car at that time was built of aliminium on an ali space frame, making it light and very safe/strong, coupled with that an extremely aerodynamic shape which then gave amazing fuel economy. Definately a stylish 'Green' car ahead of its time, which still makes sense today - 60+mpg & £35 Tax. This has clearly not been lost by those in the know, as the secondhand prices have really held their value.

So if the Photoshop effort above is to be believd they are paying homage to the original style and I just hope they pack it full of as much innovation as its predecessor - If so I may well be in the queue to buy.

By StyleandDesign on 9 December, 2009, 12:19pm

A Legend??

I wouldn't call the old A2 a legend but it was a very stylish and innovative car - a fact not appreciated by the majority who prefer to buy the boring 'norm'. Its downfall was probably price but what other small car at that time was built of aliminium on an ali space frame, making it light and very safe/strong, coupled with that an extremely aerodynamic shape which then gave amazing fuel economy. Definately a stylish 'Green' car ahead of its time, which still makes sense today - 60+mpg & £35 Tax. This has clearly not been lost by those in the know, as the secondhand prices have really held their value.

So if the Photoshop effort above is to be believd they are paying homage to the original style and I just hope they pack it full of as much innovation as its predecessor - If so I may well be in the queue to buy.

By StyleandDesign on 9 December, 2009, 12:34pm

Phil_in_Tallinn

I had the great fortune to rent an A2 by mistake at Frankfurt Airport a few years ago. I had reserved a run of the mill Focus/Astra type but the rental firm was out so they gave me a discount and the A2. I was in love with the car 15 minutes later. It was a 1.4 diesel model but it sat at 95mph on the autobahn for hours on end and still remained frugal.

I covered well over 1000km in a long weekend rental which had me down as far as Northern Bavaria and then across to Baden Baden and Strasbourg - absolutely superb every inch of the way.

I toyed with the idea of buying one after that but it it was just a bit too small for my family requirements. However when an elderly relative was looking for a low mileage used car a couple of years ago I turned her onto the A2 diesel and she has not looked back.

By plawrence1 on 9 December, 2009, 2:33pm

Lightyears Ahead of its Time?????

"The A2’s lightweight aluminium construction was years ahead of its time" - really??

Then what - the Honda NSX was Big Boom years ahead of the A2?

Aluminum was there to stay from 2000 if Audi had gotten the car right, sadly it was a distasteful turd of a craft.

By vazirncars on 9 December, 2009, 2:43pm

Phil_in_Tallinn

I had the great fortune to rent an A2 by mistake at Frankfurt Airport a few years ago. I had reserved a run of the mill Focus/Astra type but the rental firm was out so they gave me a discount and the A2. I was in love with the car 15 minutes later. It was a 1.4 diesel model but it sat at 95mph on the autobahn for hours on end and still remained frugal.

I covered well over 1000km in a long weekend rental which had me down as far as Northern Bavaria and then across to Baden Baden and Strasbourg - absolutely superb every inch of the way.

I toyed with the idea of buying one after that but it it was just a bit too small for my family requirements. However when an elderly relative was looking for a low mileage used car a couple of years ago I turned her onto the A2 diesel and she has not looked back.

By plawrence1 on 9 December, 2009, 3:19pm

The A2 a people carrier?

You wrote "Auto Express has learned the German firm plans to resurrect its trailblazing small people carrier". Since when was the A2 a people carrier? Does anybody at Auto Express actually know anything about cars?

By JMDonald on 10 December, 2009, 11:14pm

The A2 was a great small car which didn't feel like a small car. Internal space didn't feel far short of my 1996 A4 Avant. My (ex-)wife had an A2 1.4TDi at the time that I ran an A6 2.7T (followed by an RS6). I was always perfectly happy to take the A2 instead of the larger option - true, it lacked the acceleration of the bigger cars, but was just as comfortable and relaxing to drive. Our average mpg was closer to 50 than 60, but it was still acceptable, and the reduced RFL was a bonus.

As for the A3 - I hated the feel of the A3 and often asked for an A2 loaner, by preference, when my 6s went in for service.

As far as I know, my ex-wife still has the A2 - unfortunately I had to sell the RS6 (and MR2 roadster) when I emigrated to Philippines.

By paobell on 24 December, 2009, 3:50pm