Waiting at traffic lights to enter the Farringdon Road in London, my heart sank a little, as it does every night when I leave at this time. A line of cars runs from as far left as I can see to the horizon on the right. I need go through the side of this traffic jam to get the lane I need, which is clear.
Then a little gap appears and I realise that in the tidily A2 I can slip through sideways, turn on a metaphorical sixpence and have it away. My satisfied giggle could be heard across Europe.
This is a city car that gives you almost as much manoeuvrability in traffic as a motorbike. As the test progressed my confidence grew until I thought, ‘the car is so small that, like cyclists, I probably don’t even need to stop for red lights.’
A cab pulled up opposite a builder’s truck opposite, effectively blocking the road to an average vehicle. But I didn’t need to yell, “Oi check your flippin’ mirrors you selfish son of a hackney carriage.” I just jinked left and right, barely slowing and the slender Audi continued to carry me through the back streets delivering me to meetings on time for once.
Don’t let me mislead you with all these frenetic inner city tales though, acceleration isn’t one of the A2’s virtues. Not at anytime, in any gear or at any speed would you feel the A2 was quick. Its size makes it nimble, but its gearing and torque are very pedestrian; a gear change or two and some patience are always required when trying to make progress out of town, and sometimes in town too.
All this city-traffic weaving is done from the comfort of a standard Audi front seat that makes you feel like you are in a proper car. The driving position allows you to sit quite low with your legs out in front, which means you feel like you are driving a car – perhaps a slightly sporty car – rather than a van or golf cart. This is a really important characteristic, that makes driving pleasant, and is missing in some modern car segments. Only when someone you know sees you in an A2 do you realise that it doesn’t look like a sports car but something by Fisher-Price.
Adults have enough head, leg and shoulder room to be comfortable, or at least as comfortable as they would be in a small family car. Its shape is such that there is more room in the rear for adults to sit than in some more conventional, and bigger, small cars. Equally the boot will take a couple of suitcases or a large weekly shop without you needing to deploy a tetris-inspired boot-packing strategy.
The dashboard and all the controls are still as solid as ever and working, despite the car being 4 years old. There were no shiny plastics or worn upholstery and good quality paintwork all round. The red illuminations look a little darker now, but none of them are breaking up or failing. Audi’s reputation for concrete engineering is well-earned and this aged A2 epitomises the benefits of spending a little more to get a reliable quality car. Plus its condition owes something to the previous owner (are all Audi drivers careful with their car?) and it being prepared to a main dealer used approved standard too.
Out on the motorway in a howling wind, with hail and heavy rain, I was expecting to be very aware that I was in a tiny city car. I was fully prepared to cry from fear. But my pre-journey tension was misplaced, the A2 remained stable, quiet and effective throughout the run. The only exception to this was on a particularly poor condition back street, where hitting a water-filled pot hole created something of a bow wave over the car. But, that’s more a reflection on the roads than Audi.
Summary
A tiny car that isn’t silly. You genuinely feel the benefit of this cars size in town, without feeling you have compromised safety, interior space or style. An enduring city car because it is so well-built. Sadly the quality means demand has stayed high and so used prices are very firm.
Road test car details:
Audi A2 1.4 TDI
OTR: No longer in production - see used car prices in the small car section
0-62: 11.6 secs
MPG: 64
Co2: 144
By: Matthew Tumbridge