What the hell is a A2?

[bobby28384]

Yeah....what is this? Some Euro tiny car? Thanks!

[heisunheiluvilles]

Originally Posted by bobby28384

Yeah....what is this? Some Euro tiny car? Thanks!

You're right. You can check it out from the Audi Europe websites (audi.com->). It maybe represents some different values than you Americans see in Audi. Like in the most economic model the mpg is only 78 or something like that. (3 liters/ 100 km)

[fred Devliegher]

I've actually driven one of these - it's basically a tin can (aluminum , actually) that's tiny on the outside but deceptively spacious within. 'My' model had a 1.4 wich ran ... just. It' s fun when it gets going , just do not drive uphill...
The A2 was in fact a landmark for Audi : full aluminum spaceframe (after the A8) , improved aerodynamics , and a "service hatch" ( you don't need to open the hood - oil and wiper water can be accesed through the radiator panel).
Recommended for city drives.

[porscheguy9999]

Its kind of an Audi mini-minivan. But being Euro-only is a smart idea. I honestly, no matter how much I like Audi, don't think they would sell many of them in the States. I don't know when they will release the A3, and I don't think they will be "the hot hatch" here. I like it, but most of my friends think it's stupid. Even though is basically a Golf for the rich. But I guess it's better than selling the A2 here.

[nbr1nthuzyst]

no i think its a hatch back, but maybe im thinking of the A3... have to check it out?!?

[porscheguy9999]

The A2 is a comact car.
-1.8L TDI 4 cylinder
-5 speed manual
-170 BHP
-78 MPG
-FWD
-seats 5

I dont know what it is specifically classified as. But it sure is small.

[993cc]

Originally Posted by porscheguy9999

The A2 is a comact car.
-1.8L TDI 4 cylinder
-5 speed manual
-170 BHP
-78 MPG
-FWD
-seats 5
.

errr.... no!
1.8lt with ... 170 hp and 78(!!!!) mpg is wrong. We're not quite there yet in engineering!!!! You're confusing it with the 1.2lt/61hp engine. That engine does indeed 3lt of fuel per 100km which must be around 78mpg.

The A2 (which by the way is about to be killed off by Audi) uses 1.2TDI, 1.4TDI, 1.4 gazoline and 1.6 gazoline engines with 61-110 hp.

A2s are same size category as VW Polo's if you have those in America.

[porscheguy9999]

I must have been looking at the stats for the hydrogen concept A2. And, no, America doesn't get the Polo. I think VW doesnt want it here since it would be too small. The Golf it the smallest VW we got. It's not here for the same reason the Smart Cars don't come here. Too small. You wouldn't want to be driving down the highway in a Smart ForFour (even less in an ForTwo!) and have a Hummer H2 on one side and a Chevy Suburban on the other!

I never knew the A2 was that small...

[993cc]

But you did have Renault 5 Turbos in America! I remember the US versions were named ''LeCar Turbo'' believe it or not! That car was as small as a Polo and even smaller was the Yugo! You did have Yugo's over there I think? There was one in Dragnet the movie! OK you might answer that these cars didn't sell so they stopped importing small cars in general. What other very small cars (smaller than a Golf or Beetle etc) were ever imported in north America?

The A2 is actually one of the smallest in its class but one of the more spacious inside! That is its good point and the individual styling (subjective ofcourse) not so much the TDI 78mpg engine which is useless outside town centres. Its big problem is price...A 1.6 lt A2 costs the SAME as a 1.6 lt A3 which is ridiculous! And the reason for its very low sales and its announced premature death from the Audi line-up.

As for Europe I have to inform you that Hummers have landed here as well and YES as you can imagine they drive side by side with Smarts sharing the same city streets it's funny and dangerous at the same time.....

[porscheguy9999]

Well, the "LeCar" was a flop to my knowlage and there are no high-volume sales of french cars here. as for other small cars, we have the Mini Cooper, Chevy Aveo (basically it's a Suzuki with a Chevy badge since it's built in Korea along with Suzuki's), VW Golf, Ford Focus (but no Fiesta or Ka (Street or Sport). Those are Euro-only's), the new Audi A3 is coming in later this year, and so is the Mercedes B-Class.

We don't get the BMW 1, Vauxhall's or Opal's of any kind, or french cars. We also don't get Diahatsu's. And I think there is an Alfa compact hatch (156?) which we don't get since GM never bought Fiat. we do not have Yugo's, the VW Polo, or Smart cars either. Is the Rover 25 considered a sub-compact car? We don't have MG's, Rover's or the likes here anyways.

As far has Hummer's go (not very far ), I think that's hilarious that GM would even CONSIDER selling them in Europe. And if you think those are big, then come to America. The Chevy Suburban is a monster (my friend has one, along with a Volvo S80) or the Ford Excursion (another friend of mine has one of those). While I'm sitting here, all I have is a 95' Jeep Grand Cherokee. It's nice, but, it could be nicer...


Thats America for you! And I wouldn't have it any other way...

[993cc]

Well I was talking about cars in the size of the Mini not A3/Golf/1-Series/B-Class which are bigger - and I guess the smallest size that's acceptable in the US market. There was a Yugo in the Dragnet movie which I found weird maybe it was imported for a very short period who knows... The Alfa hatchback you're talking about is the 147 which is competing with A3s and 1-Series in Europe. The 156 and replacement 159 are in the 3-Series/A4 sector. The Rover 25 is in the Mini/Polo class. Cherokees and Grand Cherokees turned out to be one of the few true ''world cars''! They are common all over the world and basically with the same specs and model-name everywhere!

[porscheguy9999]

Yeah, the Mini is about as small as it goes here. I sort of got off on a tangent in my last postr because I couldn't think of any others that size. And about the Jeeps, I had no idea they were very popular outside the US market. I always thought it was the Land Rover Discovery for the rest of the world's Off-Roader of choice.

[MITSU-EVO]

IMO; the Audi A2 is small, expensive and therefore pretty useless. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing small cars, I drive one(A3); my point is that it is too expensive for SUCH a small car...Therefore it is definitely not popular anywhere in Europe. I mean you can see them around but not way too many of them like you see Opel Corsa's, MINI's, or Ford Ka's...

[lelu]

Audi has never been cheap. It is maybe one of the reasons for what the A2 production will be stopped.
It's a real pity, because its alu-bodywork was a great idea for reducing weight.
It was available with several engines : 1.4 and 1.6 FSI and a 1.4 TDI diesel.

[Verminator]

My wife has the 1.6 FSI which I tend to drive each day to work and I think its great, It has the 18' Audi TT rims on it which make it look realy sporty and it goes like the clappers when you ask it to. Don't knock something untill you've tried it.