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A Marvelous Failure: The Audi A2

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Introduced in November 1999 for the 2000 model year, the #AudiA2 may have been the smallest car in Audi's range, but it definitely wasn't designed as a cheap one. The idea was to offer the same level of engineering refinement that built Audi's success, but in a smaller package.
The Audi A2's body is an aluminum space frame built from laser-welded casts and extrusions, with the outer skin bearing little to no structural load. As a result, this remarkably spacious 3.8 meters-long car only weighs about 900 Kilograms.
Such engineering integrity was, and presumably forever will be, unique in a small family MPV, but it came at a considerable price.
When new, the Audi A2 retailed for a price comparable to a well-specified Volkswagen Golf, one that potential buyers weren't willing to pay, regardless of the car's inherent qualities.
#Design #Youngtimer
As a result, less than 180.000 copies of this great little Audi left the assembly line before the company pulled the plug in August of 2005, and that's a crying shame, as the A2 is arguably the cleverest car Audi ever made, a conceptual landmark that's only proving more relevant as time goes by.
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21 янв 2022

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Комментарии : 175

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

If you'd like more from Roadster Life, please consider joining as a member, for exclusive additional content. Here's the link: ru-vid.com/show-UCDxu3JlOODRQR9ZMLRd6SGAjoin

@andrewmoorhouse687 2 года назад

I used to own an Audi A3 and I remember very well sitting in an A2 in the showroom of the garage. What struck me above all was opening and closing the driver’s door. I have never experienced any other car where the door was so light in weight. I’ve always liked the concept and design of these. Truly form follows function and the exterior, particularly the wheelarches, have some of the ‘Bauhaus’ design that was a feature of the original Audi TT. As you say, in a way the BMW i3 is the modern successor to to the A2; lightweight, spacious cabin, highly efficient, small but not cheap. There was also the original and Mk2 Mercedes’ A class of course, before it transformed into a much more conventional hatchback design. The A2 and i3 feel like a concept that is right for modern environmentally conscious times. I think they were ahead of the game and misunderstood by the buying public.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Indeed, the A2 came 20 years too soon: now its concept would make for an excellent EV… With better chances of success compared to the i3, with its divisive exterior design and relative lack of range. Love the i3 nonetheless!

@jochenkreusel131 2 года назад

It seems to me that a remarkable share of these cars is still out there and well maintained. This car might become a classic without disappearing in between - a late, but well-deserved success!

@MrPagnu 2 года назад

I bought one 6 months ago, 2015 TDI, 1 owner, 7 Audi service stamps with 100,000km. I’ve spent few quid for a full service and replacing shock absorbers and brake rotors throughout, now it’s like new I use it to commute to work while sipping little fuel 20km/l even more and I’m entirely happy.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Great car indeed! Wish you many more trouble-free miles with it!

@guillaumekalfon9117 2 года назад

I owned an A2. Loved it. A wonderful joy to drive. I miss it to this day.

@martian9999 2 года назад

back around 2004, I rented an A2 turbodiesel for a quick run from Frankfurt to Köln and back the same day. It was remarkably good in every respect -- stabile, quiet, highly economical. Its body felt immensely strong (which it is, with very low flex). So it was basically an A6 for Golf prices, except that it consumed less fuel than any other VAG car, and had slightly less interior space than the A6. But people don't like cerebral cars, which is why SUVs are so popular. It's good to know that the A2 is one of the best and most popular cars for conversion to EV tech in Germany. The aluminum body never rusts, its air resistance is low, and it is lighter than most other doners. And since the entry-level petrol A2 was a bit rough and feeble with its 70 PS, going electric means you're strongly improving an already epochal car. Only problem is repairing body panels, and the occasional weak ground connection. By the way, am I the only person who sees a strong conceptual similarity to the original Panhard Dyna? Aluminum, seats 5 easy, quick for the time yet economical, better than most contemporaries, sales flop.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Very true: cars rarely, if ever, are rational purchases: people project their desires, aspirations and insecurities on their choices, and while that keeps car designers employed, it can also cause very clever cars to flop: Multipla, A2, BMW i3... And yes, the Panhard Dyna too :)

@robertmenghini.Lambomad 2 года назад

I’ve owned many A2’s, the TDI diesel models, they were fantastic and very cleverly designed cars, so frugal on fuel too! Cheap road tax, brilliant loading bay etc etc.

@TheAllMightyGodofCod 2 года назад

These cars were amazing! I remember going inside one and thinking the back seats were a bit narrow and lacking on light but it was absolutely amazing how much the car cold do with such a small engine, how much room it had and how fuel efficient it was! If they were made today, I would probably be driving one myself

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Yes they are! Straight after shooting the video, I was on the classifieds looking for A2s :)

@gearhead9828 2 года назад

Probably the best engineered Audi to date. Design still looks fresh today. Thanks for this interesting video, ciao 🙋‍♂️

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Couldn't agree more! Thank you!

@through_changes 2 года назад

20 years ago,, unlike today, vw group would go out and produce what ever they liked, no matter how crazy or expensive that would be. They designed and materialized, excellent special cars, setting unbelievable targets, like the 3 litre /100 KLM, namely the A2. There was a special diesel version of the A2 for this perpose. Great car, I appreciate and like it a lot. Having said that about the particular era, their normal range of production, was not anything remarkable though...

@N1kk3l 2 года назад

I'm pleasantly surprised by this episode. Primarily a fan of Italian machinery, I also appreciate the very rational approach taken with that car's development and design. (Maybe it's irrational considering the costs). I liked it so much that decided to buy an A2 an year ago, it still doesn't fail to put a smile on my face every time I drive it. Having in mind that one of our other cars is a second-gen Panda it still blows my mind that those cars are similar in weight as the Audi feels extremely spacious inside and gives the impression of a much bigger car than the Fiat.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Glad you enjoyed this slightly unconventional episode :) It doesn’t surprise me that you appreciate the A2: it truly is a designer’s car!

@N1kk3l 2 года назад

@@Matteo_Licata Before becoming a designer, I studied and got an engineer's degree. The A2 manages to tickle both my heart and my brain ;)

@Whatshisname346 2 года назад

I always loved the over engineering of this car. It was the only small car I’ve ever wanted to own (apart from an i3). Three years ago I bought a 1.4 petrol and for a 22 year old car it’s still runs and looks, if not like a new car, well, at least like a pretty clean 5 year old one. The body structure helps, given that there is so much salt on the roads here for 5 months of the year, similar aged cars have usually dissolved by now. The design is also really smart. Obviously the looks divide opinion but the interior space and boot space are excellent and the overall quality is typical For Audi at the time. Plus it’s pretty nippy for a 1.4. I think the reason why people didn’t buy it was that they didn’t understand the idea behind Audis intention to build a small Audi rather than a cheaper Audi. So it had all the vorsprung durch technik of an Audi but none of the value engineering that goes into building a small car.

@clarksonoceallachain8536 2 года назад

Someone tell this guy the Suzuki alto works is a thing

@Whatshisname346 2 года назад

@@clarksonoceallachain8536 I do love that era of Kei-cars. Aren’t most of these right hand drive autos though? Not too practical in continental Europe and I’m still auto-hesitant (especially a three speed).

@tomburnham6640 Год назад

@@clarksonoceallachain8536The A2 is special in the way that it had the regular Audi standard of build quality etc. but at a lower price than the other models, hence thier losses per vehicle sold. It was essentially Audi's way of proving a point, that they could achieve it. They also built special '3L' versions that could do 100km on 3 litres of diesel. The A2 wasn't about making money but more about making a statement and showing up the competition. As such, this makes it relatively difficult to directly compare with other vehicles of the same class since the competitors scaled the design and build quality with the price and built thier equivalents to make money. The most commonly compared vehicle of the time was the Mercedes A-Class but the general consensus was that the A2 was just built with far more premium materials, was more roomy and just felt like a much higher grade car all round. I'd bet the Suzuki Alto doesn't come close either.

@clarksonoceallachain8536 Год назад

The new 2020 alto is certainly bigger inside And better on fuel with a simple petrol engine , not diesel And sold on the low price 2.7 litres per 100 km With even 2020 models selling for under 10k

@TomsTenorHorn 2 года назад

Thanks for the video Roadster Life ... I've owned my A2 for nearly twenty years and it's still going strong with almost 200 000 miles on the clock, not bad going for a petrol engine. These cars are addictive and there is a thriving owners club here in the UK that shares advice and helps to keep them on the road. Keep up the good work.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Thank you! I'm glad you appreciated my video tribute to the A2, given your enthusiasm for the model. I confess I was tempted to get one myself, after shooting this video :)

@theo_korner 2 года назад

As a student I'm blessed by the low fuel consumption of my A2 considering the current diesel prices in Germany

@___Steinn___ 2 года назад

I had a 3.5year training to become a mechanic at a VW/Audi workshop between 2001 and 2005. The A2 was a clever car but all mechanics hated the bonnet for not having hinges like every other car. I didn't like it very much, back in the day, but the concept of space on this level of room was great. Today, one of my neighbours ownes one for years and i can't belive that the design is almost 23 years old. I thougt about an A2 as a replacement for my slowly dying Škoda Roomster more than once... 😅

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

By the way, the Skoda Roomster was a brilliant family car: I convinced my dad to get one for my mum, and she enjoyed it a lot. But it wasn't as trouble-free as one would normally expect from a VAG product and dealer service was sub-optimal. Nevertheless, good car, in my view!

@___Steinn___ 2 года назад

@@Matteo_Licata Indeed, a very good car. Very spacious and versatile for a relatively compact car. I have a 1.2 htp non turbo 3-cylinder and the engine starts to consume more and more oil. I fear it's slowly dying... 😩 but as i said, this gives me the opportunity to get an A2 as my daily family car. Very interesting car, the A2.

@GreasyFingers 2 года назад

Don’t know whether it’s commonly known that Audi had to make the car wider by 2 cm shortly before the launch of production, i.e. with all tools readily developed and produced. This was caused by a moose test disaster similar to the Mercedes A-class one, but discovered just in time before the start of production. Not a cheap solution of the problem, but it fulfilled the purpose to protect Audi’s reputation by all means.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

I had never heard of that story, thank you for sharing it!

@arnebuchner1297 2 года назад

One of the best Audis ever produced. Long voyages in this car were pure fun as the miles flew by. Inside it felt much bigger from the outside and the building quality was on a premium level. Much better than the models that followed. The design still looks timeless and to find a affordable item on the market is not easy. The moment the production stopped prices rose and the still are rising.

@paulmisencik 2 года назад

Perfect “Bauhaus” design in a tidy, flexible package. I have always adored the A2, and won’t be surprised if it ends up becoming somewhat collectible. Great video as always!

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Given it’s not even remotely a “sporty” car, my hunch is that values won’t go up much in the future, but I believe the A2 definitely has appeal for a certain kind of enthusiast!

@Falcone-en4wl 2 года назад

I have the impression that we area facing the sunrise of success as an instant classic, with this A2. You, as usual, grasp the point.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Thank you :)

@Pat_RickX 2 года назад

20 years to early. 20 years!

@jaimegonzalez661 2 года назад

A very good video with a curious story of a soon to be classic.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Glad you think so!

@mvw5721 2 года назад

I'm about to buy a 2001 A2. I always dismissed it as an old people's car. Recently I discovered its space frame, low weight and fuel economy. Not a perfectly handling car, vague steering, but hell, it's still a great package in 2022. Perhaps indeed a case of 'ahead of its time'. Oh, and my old car is a BMW i3 ! Hahaha

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Really? You're swapping an i3 for an A2? That's cool :) Love the i3: how was your experience with it?

@mvw5721 2 года назад

@@Matteo_Licata for real! It's a good car, spirited and the range sufficient enough to not be anxious. I think the i3 will be a future classic, but I no longer have the need for an e-car or a modern replacement. So the A2 is perfect, for occasional use, its space and economy.

@paulmisencik 2 года назад

I think an argument can be made that the “greenest” possible car would be a pre-owned car, like an Audi A2. Small, light, fuel efficient, and… it already exists! All the energy and resources it takes to build a brand new car have already been invested.

@mvw5721 2 года назад

@@paulmisencik exactly my philosophy, ever since my first car. There's nothing 'sustainable' about new cars if you don't retract. I grew up in a classic car nut family, but in the Netherlands you can easily do without a car. In my professional work I went without one for 17 yrs. Switched to car sharing, then back to private ownership bc of use rate, then to electric with business use, now winding that down, and the A2 just fits the bill for now. I've owned 60's, 70's Alfa's and Lancia's, tinkered, restored, raced in historic rallys, had fun. Still love the classics, just not looking to own (or be owned by them :)).

@mvw5721 2 года назад

PS: the car I bought (in 2016) after that 17 yr hiatus was a Mercedes 190e 2.0 automatic from 1990 with 110.000 km on the clock :)

@mikebaginy8731 2 года назад

Your description of the Audi A2 is spot on! The A2 was far ahead of its time, I think it would have had a better market chance 10 to 15 years later. It was comfortable with excellent fuel economy. I remember working on the fuel tank (as fuel system engineer), deigned by Kautex in Bonn Germany and built in their Bavarian plant in Mallersdorf.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Cool, I'm glad you enjoyed the video and that it brought back memories to you :)

@philpaxton2078 5 месяцев назад

I have one of these. I'm considering selling it, as it's quite difficult to work on. However, I've loved them since they were introduced, with the superb engineering and superb efficiency of both form and design. Superb narration as always. Buona salute a te

@zitronenfalte 9 месяцев назад

This was my first car ever, bought in 2002. Used at 19000 km and very basic trim it still costed me 18000 euro. It was worth it. 75ps 1.4 tdi. I still miss it. Now my model s is 10 years old and I'm thinking to buy a a2 with broken engine for later conversation to a ev. A shame and loss for any a2 to end on a scrapyard.

@Matteo_Licata 9 месяцев назад

The A2 would be a great candidate for an EV conversion, I agree!

@SmallBlogV8 2 года назад

Most people are too shallow to notice and appreciate true cleverness in a car. Although I would also say that the insurance costs on these can be remarkably steep as well because of the high repair costs. But I've always found A2s interesting for being so different (and much cleaner aesthetically than the i3 of course).

@hugobloemers4425 2 года назад

The i3? You are not setting the bar very high.

@SmallBlogV8 2 года назад

@@hugobloemers4425 True, but as Matteo mentioned it's directly comparable as a concept (and in its basic proportions).

@michaelbuchanan6289 Год назад

Just bought a petrol one and doing insurance research, quotes back starting at £137/yr……. Not too bad!

@itchyscratch3829 4 месяца назад

My Audi A4 Avant tdi SE 100 from 2004 is group 25 insurance. An Audi A2 the same age in 1.4 tdi form is group 13-15 depending on model.

@fvingerhoed 2 года назад

I owned a ton of them, mostly 1.2. But the gearbox is too weak. Now own a 1.6. S-Line Best car ever.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Those late FSI models must be pretty rare, and I agree they are the peak of the bunch!

@chashennah2268 2 года назад

Once it became clear it was going to be expensive; the marketing team got their claws into it. Instead of offering the car on the small, light wheels it was designed around, they specified heavy 16" and 17* wheels 'because rimmage'. As a result the ride quality on poor surfaces was teeth rattling; try one on small wheels and it all makes much more sense.

@evanleebodies Год назад

Agree, 15" wheels are just right for a sporty drive.

@bravo7373 2 года назад

Nice video. Nice car. When Audis of yesteryear were all about the proportions , simple surface treatments and rock solid interiors. Even standing still they oozed “premium- ness.” Lol

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Indeed. at the turn of the millennium, Audi had great cars in its range

@stephenroberts5993 2 года назад

I love my little ( ish ) A2 1.4 TDI . Bought it for 500 English pounds in November 2020 with 188754 miles on it . Took a chance with it TBH had a few teething issues , mainly fuel sender went a bit wonky . Apart from consumables , tyres brake pads and a new injector loom , it has just gone through another MOT and after a wash looks as new as some new cars for a 20 year old car . And now nearly close to the 200000 mile mark 🚙🙌👍

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Cool! Wish you and your little Audi many more miles together 👍

@delahayenator 2 года назад

Great car. Classic imo together with the original TT, theyre dirt cheap now. Considering buying one (a2)

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Indeed. After filming this car, I was scouring the classifieds for an A2 :)

@jaguarxj1 2 года назад

I'm a proud owner of my little A2, love it!

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Cool :) Which engine?

@jaguarxj1 2 года назад

@@Matteo_Licata hehe, petrol one, but it is ok, after 20 years works like a clockwork....:))

@Pedroo0815 Год назад

Das sparsamste Auto mit Automatik was es je gab. Ein Meilenstein. Warum es den nicht noch heute gibt, gerade heute, ist mir schleierhaft. Ich fahre ihn und bin immer wieder fasziniert wie wenig er verbraucht (2.6L).

@Tourist1967 2 года назад

Before its time - I can only ever remember getting a really good look at one in a car park. They were that rare. I was impressed! Always liked small cars, though. Power to weight ratio is underestimated, in my view. What was it Colin Chapman of Lotus fame used to say? "Add lightness."

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Couldn't agree more! Lightweight tech is only going to get more relevant in the future, as vehicles need to somehow offset the weight of their battery pack.

@NoExpert Год назад

One of the best little cars from Audi Best car Engineers on the planet

@DanielCurti 2 года назад

I've heard about this "failure" which is an amazing car. The way you show it on this video made me think that can't be more german than this.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

It is very "German" indeed: thoroughly engineered towards a very specific goal, regardless of cost. Not even the Germans do that anymore :)

@AaronSpielman 2 года назад

I *really* wanted an A2 in the early 2000s, but they never bought it to the US (I ended up with a Jetta VR6).

@augnkn93043 2 года назад

The Audi A2 3L is in my top 10 fantasy garage. The only Audi in there.

@ThePhilosopher01 2 года назад

Everyone I know hates this car and I can kinda understand why. But I dont understand why I love it.

@mattw8332 2 года назад

I'm not keen on any post 1999 Audis but I do make an exception for the A2. I always wondered why Audi discontinued it but it seemed like my curiousity was addressed in the first few lines of this video. They looked best in yellow and red with the matt black wheel arches and trim in my opinion. Looks like a VW Passat B4 (?) from the side profile if you imagine the boot or trunk cut off.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Regarding your "post-1999" comment, I can understand, even if I'm not "into" the brand at all. Older Audis had a lot of interesting peculiarities and a certain overengineering that set them apart. Now they're still good cars, of course, but not so special perhaps

@alister_grigg 2 года назад

Another nice video, always enjoy them. Thanks!

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Glad you like them, thank you!

@rabit818 2 года назад

Ahead of it’s time, a humble hatchback in 2005. A luxury mini $UV in 2022

@robertcox5469 2 года назад

Another great video, and for once a car I’ve actually owned. I had a A2 for a couple of years back in 2002, it was a lovely little silver one with a more sober grey interior. A fond memory of the car was that it was so light the front wiper would rock the car from side to side when I was stationary… I sold the car to my father who loved it and kept it for another five years… It was certainly a beautifully built and clever little car. Much better than the terrible Mercedes A class…

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Thank you! I was handed over a Mercedes A Class when I turned 18. Very posh car for a new driver, but not a car I have fond memories of… And one that, rest assured, will never appear on this channel 😆. Meanwhile, after shooting this A2 for the video, I found myself looking at the classifieds for one :)

@falkar 2 года назад

@@Matteo_Licata damn. Last Merc A class before it got turned into ordinary coupe was a functional mpv/city car. It definitely drove well up to a moderate highway speeds and it really showed in craftsmanship when it comes to actual coachmaking. Then on the other hand, had its speed capped (due to previous models literally flipping about) and had pretty high maintenance/parts costs. But then, again, this is all IMHO

@JuanManuelTastzian 2 года назад

Great video, Matteo! I really enjoy these quirky bits of story. Keep up the great work! :D

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Hey Juanma, thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoy so much my content!

@joseantonioarandagarcia9966 2 года назад

Very interesting video! Always loved the A2, what a clever design! As you suggested, market doesn't appreciate too much honeslty and functionality, so these clever cars they only seem interesting for true aficionados.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Well said! Thank you!

@mikeviljoen 2 года назад

Love this video.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Cool, thank you very much!

@SixStingsDarko 2 года назад

Amazing car! I miss my A2 1.6FSI Cobalt Blue.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

That was a cool spec too!

@SixStingsDarko 2 года назад

@@Matteo_Licata 110 Hp in under 1000 kg car, was like a go-cart driving. With Audi TT Mk1 wheels, it was amazing drive, specialy on German Autobahn :)

@GTDpowah 2 года назад

Never liked this car when it came out and it's a feeling I still have today. However, I fully expect it to become a classic at some point due to it being the 1st of it's kind. Kind which will probably take over the world in decades to come.

@matttannermann7678 2 года назад

Mercedes A Class was The first one. This was Audi’s answer to it. The A Class was a commercial success that Audi wasn’t able match with the A2.

@studiocalder818 2 года назад

@@matttannermann7678 even though it was a car dump, which a 2 was not

@matttannermann7678 2 года назад

@@studiocalder818 People weren’t ready to buy A2. Not even at the price that made Audi loss. It may have been a better car but it was a commercial flop that A Class wasn’t. Your point is irrelevant.

@Nowageopolityka Год назад

Hilarious is the fact that I like the A2 and I own two i3’s. 😂

@danielromeo1859 2 года назад

From the time when Audis were not mamushkas. Great video, as always!

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Thank you!

@Santos.Sarmento 2 года назад

To much intelligence to be understood by the average stupid consumer.

@clarksonoceallachain8536 2 года назад

Daihatsu recently have made a car with very similar fuel efficiency with petroleum, Its a tested concept and they may make it a 3rd gen tocot

@clarksonoceallachain8536 2 года назад

Daihatsu d base

@Passchen 2 года назад

I bet you would do a great episode on the Subaru SVX. Would love to see that some day, though I think the number of cars Subaru sold was around 20,000 worldwide, so getting your hands on one, especially a clean one, may be very difficult. It combines a similarly overcomplicated development and price tag beyond what buyers of the marque were willing to pay at the time with Italian design that, let's be kind, isn't going to dethrone the 105 GTV. And I say this having owned two SVXes.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

That would be great, as the SVX is my favorite Subaru, by far! However, I can’t promise anything, as the chances of finding a SVX here in Italy are slim. It was imported, but few were sold and I can’t remember the last time I saw one

@benzinapaul7416 2 года назад

Great video. I still think the first series A-Class deserves to be held in the same respect as the A2 and i3, it was a packaging triumph despite it's handling issues - personally I would never wish to own any of these cars. Big problem with the A2 here in the UK is that the insurance costs are so high as any structural repair required to the body results in an insurance write off

@cancracker 2 года назад

I’m surprised by the staggering losses they incurred on this model given the number of vehicles they sold. I did not expect it to be that high for such a niche model as the target customer must be someone who can afford it, who really needs this type of car and who wants to save on fuel even though prices were not that high back in the day.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Yes, that report from Bernstein Research had staggering numbers on it. Audi has never confirmed it but it also never denied it…

@Whatshisname346 2 года назад

The Peugeot 1007 was even worse. I read a figure somewhere of €14,000 per car. And it wasn’t actually that clever apart from the sliding door. Terrible for a mass market car.

@mrbroons 2 года назад

Great video, love my A2's

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Thank you!!

@watchclog2979 2 года назад

I had one. It was a great car

@BanjoLuke1 2 года назад

This was a strange and wonderful dodo. It evolved at a time when lightness (low mass) was still just about possible. But the core flaw was that it cost the price of a palace and justified the price in terms of low running costs. It ended up (in the UK) being bought often by "virtue signallers", people keen to be seen to be living a green life. Some of the braver steps of this car were immense and it is a pity they died when it died.... An opening bonnet is heavy and expensive.... and these days (almost) nobody opens their bonnet. They can still be seen around the UK, driven sensibly by sensible people keen to be seen driving sensibly. I think they are the most wonderful, quirky evolutionary branch.... But it was not a branch that thrived in a cynical and Darwinian auto market. It is the spiritual grandchild (nephew, maybe) of the original Audi V8. It makes sense, but not for the person paying for it. Good video. Again.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Thank you! I think the A2 makes more sense now than it ever did, in a way... A true trailblazer, that's for sure!

@chashennah2268 2 года назад

Not just virtue signallers, but quite a few from down-sizing retirees who wanted Audi quality in a small car for local journeys. These are the ones to look out for; dealer history, low miles and garaged since new.

@mourlyvold64 2 года назад

Is it conceivable that people whom you think are "keen to be seen to be living a green life" in fact are just keen to be living a green life? Just saying...

@BojanBojovic 2 года назад

German over-engineering is magnificent.

@TC-V8 2 года назад

My A4 also had an alloy jack - nothing unique to the A2, the A2 just had a different attachment into the cill.

@kounterfit Год назад

Not 42 liters but 34. The later models had 42 liter tanks. But that was to extend the 500km range it already had.

@Matteo_Licata Год назад

Thank you for pointing that out 👍

@Speeder76 2 года назад

Right car, wrong time... and perhaps, wrong morotization. I had a friend of mine that owned one. I did some spins, but to be honest, whan you had at the time cars like the A3 anda the Golf, that car was a sort of elephant on the living room. You never seen it a lot during it's time and now, it's going to be rare. Maybe the right time should be this one, but with electric engine. You told about the BMW i3, but in a way, it looks like that some upstarts are copying the design of the A2...

@simonboyes2550 Год назад

2:57 curious dent in the tailgate

@benzinapaul7416 2 года назад

Funny how lots of people thought this would be a TT series 1 review. The first Mercedes A-Class deserves accolades too

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

If there’s a car that I can guarantee you will never see on Roadster Life, it’s the W168 Mercedes A Class. It had a clever packaging, but from a design point of view it’s not a patch on the Audi A1. By the way, I’d gladly film a mk1 Audi TT, that’s a true design classic indeed!

@benzinapaul7416 2 года назад

@@Matteo_Licata maybe not, I'm not a fan of either but the Merc is definitely a better ownership proposition due to it's lower repair costs.

@benzinapaul7416 2 года назад

@@Matteo_Licata I don't like the A-Class either but out of interest why do you dislike it so much? I always thought it was a clever design if not very Mercedes, I can't say I like the A2 very much, I think the i3 is stunning though. But then again, what do I know...I'd have a Series 1 Multipla over any of them!

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

@@benzinapaul7416 An A140 Auto has been my first car, handed me over from my dad when I got my license. Quality of the fittings was unworthy of the badge, rode badly, handled like the proverbial pig, and service costs were unreasonable. Moreover, I've never like it as a design: it was dressed in the peiod's fashion, rather than being timeless like an a A2.

@TheInstructor66 2 года назад

I’m into Alfa Romeo and Citroen mostly. Never been i to Audi’s, except the A2. I think its because looks so special, and a little bit «wierd». I also like the Fiat Multipla and Pontiac Aztek, for it wierdness. Thank you again, Matteo, for a great video!

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

Alfa and Citroën… I can see why you follow this channel then ;) Those are my favorites too!

@mihai0377 10 месяцев назад

I'm also looking to trade my Citroen Saxo 1.5D 2doors from 2001 for one of this A2! Do you have any recomendation about the engine? I was looking for the 1.4TDI 90cv. What i'm afraid of is that my Citroen Saxo 1.5D has a naturally aspirated engine, while this has Turbo which they are very expensive to fix...

@Matteo_Licata 10 месяцев назад

I don't know my VAG-Group engines well enough to tell, so I can't help you with this unfortunately!

@hugobloemers4425 2 года назад

The auto press liked to bash it as well back in the day and that did not help either. But this was a technological marvel aimed at green people and they have no feeling for technology. For petrol heads the format was a deal breaker. Toyota showed the way by making a spacious car that looks ugly and ridiculous but is reliable and ticks all the right boxes (including the ugly looks because virtue signalling) for Eco zealots.

@Whatshisname346 2 года назад

I’d consider myself relatively eco conscious but I never went for an A2 simply because of the high price. I may care about the planet but I still had a budget. Now I have one, maintain it pretty well so it’ll last another 20 years. Much better for the environment than buying a new Tesla. The press were pretty generous to it as I remember. They actually preferred the petrol but were disappointed when the 1.6 didn’t turn up on launch and found the diesels a bit gutless. They also couldn’t place it in the market as the only other premium small cars at the time were the mini and the Merc A class. The A class because the ideal upwardly mobile middle class second car and the mini had a sense of retro cool but the A2 was just odd especially after the A3 came out.

@hugobloemers4425 2 года назад

@@Whatshisname346 I remember lots of jokes being made about the appearance of the car, oh and the fact a Belgian guy designed it. With your budget restrictions you where not the target pundit of Audi to start with and neither for the Prius. But I agree with you that buying an Audi A2 is better for the environment than a car stuffed with Lithium. And yes your car should last for a long while. Fortunately add Blue and all the mechanical problems you get with that, where not yet mandatory so it should be a reliable car. Oh and VW wasn't caught yet so it has a nice performing frugal engine.

@Whatshisname346 2 года назад

@@hugobloemers4425 luckily ours is a petrol so I’ve no worries about turbos or engine management issues that come with the tdi. Economy is still very good and the 1.4 unit in ours is a very simple fuel injected unit rather that the early valve timing unit in the 1.6 which has more power but can be a world of pain.

@wickiezulu 2 года назад

While the Volkswagen Lupo 3L shared the same engine and gearbox as the Audi A2, do wonder how much of a weight reduction (and thus an increase in efficiency) a Lupo sized car would experience had its body also utilized aluminium like the Audi A2.

@rupertorgan7749 2 года назад

I owned an A2 1.6FSI for about six months back in 2005. It had terrible ride quality on British roads and was constantly at the dealer for misfire issues, hence the short ownership period. However I really liked the concept and the fuel economy was spectacular for a petrol engine and it wasn't a slow car..

@sotirisbakaimis3276 2 года назад

the only audi I like

@patrykperonski5459 5 месяцев назад

The only Audi I really like.

@378-V8 2 года назад

clever... maybe, but Audis "Multipla excursion"! the ugly FIATs were "pretty" claver, too! D/A/G

@yaroslavbozhdynsky 2 года назад

@richardporter6201 2 года назад

I saw them when I was in Paris and first thought should be available in the US, but was not to be.

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

As far as I know, the A2 was never meant to be available in the USA... And that's understandable: small cars rarely sell well there!

@richardporter6201 2 года назад

@@Matteo_Licata I imagine you are right but the Smart car made it over here. I bought one liked it but was a nitce

@richardporter6201 2 года назад

@@Matteo_Licata sorry sent before thought completed. Smart car appealed to few. Surprisingly many are still on the road here, I live in central Indiana where Ford F-150 trucks dominate but I see different Smarts every so often. Sure I would have liked the A2.

@hugobloemers4425 2 года назад

@@richardporter6201 F-150, a truck right? So not bogged down by unattainable emission standards. The law of unintended consequences is never defeated.

@richardporter6201 2 года назад

@@hugobloemers4425 Well the F150s also have to meet all current emissions standards here which are gradually getting more and more strict so difference in emissions is not really the issue. Size is more a factor, hard to turn in city streets much less park in standard slots. Usually driven by one person and fuel economy really on levels of Land Rover. If you have to ask you can’t afford. Getting more common are Teslas, I heard they out sell BMW and Mercedes in US,if true I am not surprised.

@marinusholland 2 года назад

I drove it and then a Lancia Musa so I choice the lancia

@user-fb9os7hy2y 2 года назад

Well ahead of its time.. modern cars are only just catching up with the washing machine utility of this design..plug it in and leave it alone... access for owners maintenance is negligible but @ least you got a jack back then🤣👎

@rogerhudson9732 9 месяцев назад

For a 'failure' there seem to be a lot left, in almost new condition after 20yrs.

@Matteo_Licata 9 месяцев назад

It was a sales flop, but it's true that people seem to be holding on to their A2s

@davidorama6690 2 года назад

With hindsight the A2 was a drivable brand image campaign; the A1 and the TT made Audi what it is today. How do you put a value on that? Also, i must say that the A1 5 door, while quite small, closely captures something of the A2. It too Is pricey for what it is: a less space efficient, more desirable Polo.

@nicolaspwr4ppl 2 года назад

I allways thought of the Mercedes A class as being the closest thing to it, back then, more traditional tech … and more of a success

@Matteo_Licata 2 года назад

The A2 was indeed a direct response to Mercedes's A Class... Which sold by the million. However, I owned a W168 A Class and it's not a patch on the A2... The Audi is a better car, in my view.

@nicolaspwr4ppl 2 года назад

@@Matteo_Licata i believe you

@martian9999 2 года назад

the A Class was an uncouth, cheap-feeling car that tended to deteriorat after a few years of use. It seriously cheapened the Mercedes brand, while the A2 is a tribute to Audi.

@dipling.pitzler7650 2 года назад

@@Matteo_Licata That may be true considering the A 168 but the A 169 is a complete redesign, it is a so called engineers car with remarkable packaging as the engine is slanted forward and partly under the double floor pan making it only 5 cm longer than the A2 but wider, with Golf-like room inside. It is 150 Kg heavier though. Would be worth a Roadster Life review I think.

@nicolaspwr4ppl 2 года назад

@@martian9999 regretfully I don’t know the A2, but I can believe it is a nice car. Back in the day I drove a week an a140 and a few days an a160cdi, I was twice pleasently surprised about the room and relative fun to drive with basic engines. I’ve heard they tend to rust quite seriously, but back the that was the case for many cars. But an A2 is definitely a car I would add to my collection of cheap early 90,s cars … alhough audi and fun to drive? But as light as it is, it should be good

@user-mr3xy3xu6t 2 года назад

Sehr gutes Auto

@minopino3 2 года назад

Yeah wat should i say. In holland we say " schoenmaker blijf bij je leest" it means something like " shoemaker stay with you yob" or audi should never make this kind of cars, also a mercedes a clas or bmw 1 serie, and even the alfa mito. That kind of cars are for Fiat, Daihatsu, Suzuki or kia. And brands like audi bmw or Mercedes are al ready big company's why should they make little cars? Because they want every penny they can take. Just like scroogeman duck🤑

@minopino3 2 года назад

@@DashCamSerbia not bad, but also not the best. It's a alfa polo🤦🏻‍♂️

@minopino3 2 года назад

@@DashCamSerbia yep, and the giulietta is the new 147,146,33,alfasud. That was always the little alfa, and then they come with a alfa mito. That doesn't fit in my haed, and actually the giulietta should be named alfasud, becaus the giulietta is the new giulia (105) and giulietta from the 50's

@minopino3 2 года назад

@@DashCamSerbia you surely have a point there, but yeah that's a little bit my logic. 😂

@atodemer1426 2 года назад

Dommage que vous utilisez l'anglais pour communiqué!

@marcbrasse747 2 года назад

But ... but ... but it's a German car! :-)

@3030hp 7 месяцев назад

want

@raufsahin334 2 года назад

Hahaha ..Never Like German Cars ..

@foreyfriend145 2 года назад

⭐

@burhanbudak6041 2 года назад

Its the ugly duckling of Audi. The A1 and A3 is more luxury then the A2

@AC-busso 2 года назад

Why to speak about Audi ?... This brand has no soul!. It was recreated, almost 40 years after the end of Auto Union... Please stay with Alfa, with such a rich history, which never sold its soul to the devil...

@glr2822 2 года назад

I love italian cars and I liked this video. There are a lot of cars that are interesting, not only Alfa Romeo and Italian cars.

@jimmyj1969 2 года назад

Now, that's a really ugly car!!

@AlessandroGenTLe 2 года назад

It may be an ingeneering marvel but it did the same service of cars costing half of it and it definitively was quite ugly... Hence the flop. No surprise at all it failed.