1.4 dilema !!

andyman

andyman

Member
Another dilema, OK I've given up on the Audi dealerships as they are a bunch of T***ers, so am looking at maybe a deisel 51 plate SE with about 55k on clock for £8000 which look fairly OK.
OR a dealer chap I know where my cousing works has just got in an 02 plate 1.4 petrol!!,
I know some have said they are underpowered but are they really that bad??.
This one is Amulat Red and spotless with about 30k on the clock and FHS and has all the basics that we want and is only £7000 but would be able to get a good few hundred off that.
Also Ive bought two cars from this dealer before and he has always been a good chap to deal with and very fair.
BTW anyone know what the yearly RFL is on a 1.4 petrol ??.
Ive checked the performance figures on the udi website and the 1.4 petrol is 0.3 faster to 60 than the TDI and I was wondering what the economy is really like on these things.
Sorry for yet more questions but I want/need to get this right.
Thanks in anticipation,
Regards Andy.
 
Hi andyman
Diesel or petrol ? It's all down to personal choice. As you have read, the 0 to 60 times and top speeds are almost identical. The petrol is more refined at slow speeds but the diesel has more mid range torque which is an advantage if the car is fully laden most of the time or if a lot of your driving is on hilly routes. Economy wise I rekon the diesel will be about 15+mpg better than the petrol but don't forget petrol is a bit cheaper. The 'dilema' suggests you may not have previously owned a diesel so there is always the risk of you or your partner forgetting and filling the diesel up with petrol - a very expensive mistake.
I have not checked the road tax but for ref, the petrol CO2 figure is 144g/kg and the diesel is 119g/kg (£50 per year)
My recommendation would be to drive the petrol car over your regular daily route and then decide. Note that all A2's can be noisy when driving with the front windows open, although some club members say it is possible to play around with front and rear openings and get some airflow without too much noise and buffeting - if the car does not have air con, check this out. Finally, try and get a diagnostic check done before buying, either by a friendly VagCom owner or at the Audi garage. This would show up any hidden problems with failed sensors etc which may not be apparent on the test drive. Apart from the usual things to check, make sure the boot light is working (and the glovebox light if your fussy -if the switch breaks you have to replace the whole glovebox at £200)

Cheers Spike
 
I have the 1.4 petrol and find it Ok. it is the same engine as in the Polo 1.4 and of course the A2 is lighter. I get around 50 mpg when I drive carefully. Prefer petrol but its down to choice at the end of the day. £7000 for 02 plate seems good. But of course you wont get a warranty if buying privately so getting the car checked by the dealership maybe in your best intrests may cost £100 but may save you money if they find a potential problem. Good luck
 
I`d go for the diesel too, however that £8000 seems a tad expensive. I picked up a 2002 (51) diesel se 75hp with 38,000 on the clock for £7600 about 8 months ago, this was a private sale.

Even if the petrol has the faster 0-60, the diesel feels quicker because of the turbo, the diesel also has more torque, and, i would imagine, better in gear acceleration times, although i have no evidence to back this up.

Cheers P.
 
Thanks everyone will keep you all posted.
Both are from garages and will give a 6 months warrenty.
Regards Andy.
 
I saw about 10 A2s for sale at www.cargiant.co.uk in London when I went there with a friend recently to look for a new Astra for him... Great choice and in your price range too... They have over 5000 cars in this one place... Amazing for tyre kicking!
 
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