Audi A2 Hatchback 2000 - 2005

The Audi A2 was a car ahead of it's time. The fact that it is no longer in production is a clear indication that the buying public were not quite ready for such a radical motor. The first car to be built with an aluminium bodyshell the A2 was a real featherweight among UK cars and like Barry Mcguigan could pack quite a punch.

The A2 was a deceptively big car. The small body really didn't give the impression of having that much room inside, but with some clever arrangement of space, the German car maker delivered a really decent sized package. There's ample leg and head room both front and back, with the back seats benefiting from a lowered foot well for added legroom. The boot space isn't huge, but it's a small car so certainly it's no worse than you'd expect. There's enough room for stolen weekends away and plenty of shopping for two, not really enough for a family, but this isn't really a family car.

The engines are small but given the lightweight body of the car that is entirely suitable. The 1.4 petrol unit is lacklustre and needs constant working to get any level of performance. The diesel option is a much more willing powerhouse offering pull and useful power throughout the rev range. The light weight of the A2 does make it susceptible to the input of the wind while driving. You have to take great care when driving on the motorway as gusts can be hard to resist

The cabin is well insulated from noise of the engine and the road but the suspension suffers somewhat from the imperfections of the road. This slightly hard suspension does ensure that the A2 corners as well as anything on the road. The steering is light, but offers little in the way of feedback.

The lightweight body helps to contribute to really decent fuel figures with the diesel engine returning 64 mpg and the petrol options 47mpg. With the current petrol prices racing towards £1.50 per litre the Audi A2 will be more desirable than ever, maybe they'll look to bring it back.

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