S2 Avant.... Things to look out for?
Discussion
After the arrival of Dan Jnr. we are thinking of replacing Mrs.Dan's BMW MINI with something a little more... err... sensible *cough* so I was... ehem... thinking of an S2 Avant.
Are these worth buying, or am I likely to land myself in a whole world of hurt?
Any gugestions or advise would be gratefully recieved.
Yertis.. thought about an (audi 100) S4 but Mrs.Dan thinks they are too big.
Are these worth buying, or am I likely to land myself in a whole world of hurt?
Any gugestions or advise would be gratefully recieved.
Yertis.. thought about an (audi 100) S4 but Mrs.Dan thinks they are too big.
Another good source of info is www.s2central.net. I have been running the first ever UK registered S2 Avant for around 3.5 yrs. Likes a drink, Normal things get worn out (pads, discs, pumps) but apart from that mine has been incredibily reliable. Keep to service intervals and they go on and on. And from a performance point of view...£300 or so and you are seeing 280 - 290 BHP, with 420+ nm torque. Bear in mind the S2 and RS2 share lot of common parts, and many of the guys on S2Forum are running serious hp. These are very tough engines.
Oh, the performance, with a £300 homefry is just a gas! In gear acceration, for an 'old muddy estate' like mine is really quite rapid. Equally happy as a track day car, as going to the tip....
You should be able to pick up a lot of car, for very reasonable money. Don't bother with RS2 - S2 is rarer -and with the money saved, you can turn your S2 into something that will eat an Rs2.
Have fun.
Oh, the performance, with a £300 homefry is just a gas! In gear acceration, for an 'old muddy estate' like mine is really quite rapid. Equally happy as a track day car, as going to the tip....
You should be able to pick up a lot of car, for very reasonable money. Don't bother with RS2 - S2 is rarer -and with the money saved, you can turn your S2 into something that will eat an Rs2.
Have fun.
good info guys 
S2 Central looks like a great resource.
Are there any good places to go looking for S2's for sale? Obviously there is PH (one currently listed) and the AutoTrader (two listed), but is there a club mag or website I can look for? or any specialist dealers that could be recomended?
Thanks again
Cheers Dan
p.s. whats insurance like?
S2 Central looks like a great resource. Are there any good places to go looking for S2's for sale? Obviously there is PH (one currently listed) and the AutoTrader (two listed), but is there a club mag or website I can look for? or any specialist dealers that could be recomended?
Thanks again
Cheers Dan
p.s. whats insurance like?
Hi,
you could try club Audi or www.audifans.net for cars for sale, but it is also worth keeping an eye on www.fontain.co.uk who occasionally get decent cars in.
Good choice by the way, I bought one as a 'sensible' car about a year ago and it has been pretty good ever since. As Minnsy said, lots of car for the money, very well screwed together and nicely understated as well.
Steve
you could try club Audi or www.audifans.net for cars for sale, but it is also worth keeping an eye on www.fontain.co.uk who occasionally get decent cars in.
Good choice by the way, I bought one as a 'sensible' car about a year ago and it has been pretty good ever since. As Minnsy said, lots of car for the money, very well screwed together and nicely understated as well.
Steve
My two new pence worth. The rear leg room in the 80 (and therefore the S2 and RS2) is crap - I flogged my 80 when my eldest was about three because I was tired of being kicked in the back by little legs. Mind you you have a few years in hand before that gets to be a problem.
The brakes are also crap, except on the RS2 of course. I know they can be upgraded, but from reading between the lines you're after a good, fast, reliable car, rather than a tuning project.
On a personal level I find the styling of the S2 interior a bit clumsy - dials all over the shop, for example.
Of course I'm biased and the S2 avant is a fine car. I just prefer the "C4" S4/S6 - IMO sleeker, more elegantly engineered, fractionally bigger on the outside, much bigger on the inside. Performancewise, nothing in it so you'd notice but big brakes come as standard.
The brakes are also crap, except on the RS2 of course. I know they can be upgraded, but from reading between the lines you're after a good, fast, reliable car, rather than a tuning project.
On a personal level I find the styling of the S2 interior a bit clumsy - dials all over the shop, for example.
Of course I'm biased and the S2 avant is a fine car. I just prefer the "C4" S4/S6 - IMO sleeker, more elegantly engineered, fractionally bigger on the outside, much bigger on the inside. Performancewise, nothing in it so you'd notice but big brakes come as standard.
Dan, a good start is to joint the S2forum and post a message, never know what might show up...
As to Yertis posting, rear leg room is not brilliant, agreed on this, and the standard brakes have that unique 'mahogoney' feel to them...I have just upgraged the pads to EBC's. Much better feel.
Interior, well screwed together...and I find the dials pretty well placed. However, horses for courses...
One other point - the 5 pot Audi on full chat is one of the best sounds to out of an exhaust pipe get you wife/partner to accelerate away from you..it is a great noise..
Insurance, I live in the sticks, private road, garaged, fully comp and it comes in at 350 (including the other half)
have fun
As to Yertis posting, rear leg room is not brilliant, agreed on this, and the standard brakes have that unique 'mahogoney' feel to them...I have just upgraged the pads to EBC's. Much better feel.
Interior, well screwed together...and I find the dials pretty well placed. However, horses for courses...
One other point - the 5 pot Audi on full chat is one of the best sounds to out of an exhaust pipe get you wife/partner to accelerate away from you..it is a great noise..
Insurance, I live in the sticks, private road, garaged, fully comp and it comes in at 350 (including the other half)
have fun
minnsy said:
One other point - the 5 pot Audi on full chat is one of the best sounds to out of an exhaust pipe get you wife/partner to accelerate away from you..it is a great noise..
Absolutely agree on this and it still makes me smile when I'm driving it after 70000 mikes or so. Lovely smoooooth growl...
minnsy said:
Insurance, I live in the sticks, private road, garaged, fully comp and it comes in at 350 (including the other half) have fun
And for reference mine is £475, just down the road from you, parked in the street, with 3 points.
Thanks again guys
I had read the brakes were a bit pants, but I don't mind investing to a certain extent on the right car.
Re: the S4/S6 Mrs Dan was very adamant and as (in theory at least) it will be her car she has to be absolutely happy, however I do have an ex-collegue who runs an S2 Avant So I am arranging to go down and make sure we are happy with the concept as a whole.
Yertis, it has to be said you are partly responsible for this whole chain of thought, after reminding me what a proper Audi sounds like in that run up the a38 in your UR. When Mrs Dan said Audi 80 I instantly thought... Mmmmm 5 pot quattro.
Pleased to hear about the insurance! I'm paying more than that on my schleppmobile 1.8 Passat! but I guess thats what you get for using the no claims on the other car (didn't even get extra discount for having a smiley and cross pistons on the back
). Mrs. Dan has full NCB so we should do ok.
Definitely starting to think this idea might be a goer, just have to see what happens when we try offloading the MINI before the end of its term to BMW.
... oh yeh was there any suggestions on specialist dealers, and yertis where do you get yours serviced? and is it reasonable?
Thanks again
Dan
I had read the brakes were a bit pants, but I don't mind investing to a certain extent on the right car.
Re: the S4/S6 Mrs Dan was very adamant and as (in theory at least) it will be her car she has to be absolutely happy, however I do have an ex-collegue who runs an S2 Avant So I am arranging to go down and make sure we are happy with the concept as a whole.
Yertis, it has to be said you are partly responsible for this whole chain of thought, after reminding me what a proper Audi sounds like in that run up the a38 in your UR. When Mrs Dan said Audi 80 I instantly thought... Mmmmm 5 pot quattro.
Pleased to hear about the insurance! I'm paying more than that on my schleppmobile 1.8 Passat! but I guess thats what you get for using the no claims on the other car (didn't even get extra discount for having a smiley and cross pistons on the back
). Mrs. Dan has full NCB so we should do ok. Definitely starting to think this idea might be a goer, just have to see what happens when we try offloading the MINI before the end of its term to BMW.
... oh yeh was there any suggestions on specialist dealers, and yertis where do you get yours serviced? and is it reasonable?
Thanks again
Dan
I would steer clear of specialist dealers - you'll get charged a premium for no real benefit except a coat of wax.
My own route in your position would be scour the classifieds, especially the Owners Clubs (QOC is good for used cars), drive a few, get it checked over by either Roger Galvin of the QoC or Phil Payne www.isham-research.com/quattro), either of whom will examine things you never thought existed (for example the grease nipple halfway down the prop shaft - not many main dealers even know it's there).
As regards servicing we're a bit spoiled around here. Dialynx just up the M4 J16 for your trick brakes and chips (or use AMD for the chip - they're up Oxford-way though). For regular servicing and running repairs I use Four Circles (Neil and Steve) who are Audi trained enthusiasts - they collect and deliver and have always seen me right.
Servicing costs are loooooow - lowest on any car I've ever owned. Parts can be high but again we're lucky around here because we have www.allaudi.co.uk on our doorstep, for all those little bits that Audi like to charge you your teeth for.
Lastly nobody has mentioned the holy trinity of five-pot ownership - cam belt, water-pump, and tensioner. The cam belt MUST be changed every 75,000 miles or better still sooner, and the careful owner will do the pump and tensioner at the same time. It's not that expensive to do, but VERY expensive if either not done or done incorrectly. I suggest you budget to do it anyway as soon as you have the car - pays to be safe.
My own route in your position would be scour the classifieds, especially the Owners Clubs (QOC is good for used cars), drive a few, get it checked over by either Roger Galvin of the QoC or Phil Payne www.isham-research.com/quattro), either of whom will examine things you never thought existed (for example the grease nipple halfway down the prop shaft - not many main dealers even know it's there).
As regards servicing we're a bit spoiled around here. Dialynx just up the M4 J16 for your trick brakes and chips (or use AMD for the chip - they're up Oxford-way though). For regular servicing and running repairs I use Four Circles (Neil and Steve) who are Audi trained enthusiasts - they collect and deliver and have always seen me right.
Servicing costs are loooooow - lowest on any car I've ever owned. Parts can be high but again we're lucky around here because we have www.allaudi.co.uk on our doorstep, for all those little bits that Audi like to charge you your teeth for.
Lastly nobody has mentioned the holy trinity of five-pot ownership - cam belt, water-pump, and tensioner. The cam belt MUST be changed every 75,000 miles or better still sooner, and the careful owner will do the pump and tensioner at the same time. It's not that expensive to do, but VERY expensive if either not done or done incorrectly. I suggest you budget to do it anyway as soon as you have the car - pays to be safe.
Dan
I think an S2 is a good choice and a very underated car.
Mine was the most reliable car I have run and barely depreciated in the 3 years I had it.
All Avants have the stronger 6 speed box and as long as the necessary essentials already mentioned in earlier posts have been done you have potential for high trouble-free mileages.
The brakes arent exceptional by any means but dont seriously detract from the car IMHO. (swiftly adding that they last 5 minutes on a track!
)
The 5 pot engine is still amazing today. The interiors and general quality are great considering that the design is getting on a bit.
The S2 definately gets my recommendation for what its worth.
>> Edited by phlap on Friday 19th March 13:34
I think an S2 is a good choice and a very underated car.
Mine was the most reliable car I have run and barely depreciated in the 3 years I had it.
All Avants have the stronger 6 speed box and as long as the necessary essentials already mentioned in earlier posts have been done you have potential for high trouble-free mileages.
The brakes arent exceptional by any means but dont seriously detract from the car IMHO. (swiftly adding that they last 5 minutes on a track!
) The 5 pot engine is still amazing today. The interiors and general quality are great considering that the design is getting on a bit.
The S2 definately gets my recommendation for what its worth.
>> Edited by phlap on Friday 19th March 13:34
I pursuaded my ex-collegue to let me have a run in his '95 88,000 mile S2 Avant. Have to say I was well impressed with how solid it felt, and how well stuck it was to a damp road.
Size-wise, for the moment certainly it's got plenty of room for the three of us.
The difficulty now I think is going to be finding the right car. There seem to be very few around (not surprising as not that many made) and I'd like a later car with dark leather interior (my mate has a light grey cloth interior and while it looks like it's held together well it's showing the signs of use by his three kids).
Price-wise the going rate seems to be 6K for 93' cars with over 120,000 miles up to just under 9k for a late car with 50,000 miles.
It looks like BMW are going to be reasonable with the MINI. I'll let you know how I get on.
The search begins...
Thanks again for the input
Cheers Dan
Size-wise, for the moment certainly it's got plenty of room for the three of us.
The difficulty now I think is going to be finding the right car. There seem to be very few around (not surprising as not that many made) and I'd like a later car with dark leather interior (my mate has a light grey cloth interior and while it looks like it's held together well it's showing the signs of use by his three kids).
Price-wise the going rate seems to be 6K for 93' cars with over 120,000 miles up to just under 9k for a late car with 50,000 miles.
It looks like BMW are going to be reasonable with the MINI. I'll let you know how I get on.
The search begins...
Thanks again for the input
Cheers Dan
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