A1 or A2 diesel?

[RAMMSTEIN]

Which one is best and why.

I've heard that the A1 had some serious electrical problems.

But they are so adorable!

The A2's are suposedly (sp?) the most reliable VW ever...

So which one is best as a second car? :?:

[89VWdieselGolf]

i own an A2 non-turbo diesel....and i highly advise getting a turbo motor seeing how n/a's are SOOO slow....but as for reliability...i spent $1500 getting my car saftied and certified (thats including car itself) and for the motor, all it needed was new glowplugs...so yes, they are bullitproof

[RAMMSTEIN]

As I said, I already have a Passat variant TDI, so this would be my second car.

I would not like it to be desirable to drive because I like my Passat so much.

I just want something dead reliable, that will always start.

If it's slow, so be it, I don't drive fast anyway.

I want it somewhat inconfortable (no AC, no power window, no sunroof, no nothing), so there's no question in my mind that I'll choose the passat to drive daily and that the Golf/Rabbit will be "the other car I have just in case".

So I would like to know which one of A1 or A2's are the best for this intended purpose.

[BlackTieTD]

mkI!

electrical issues? not any worse than a mkII IMO. my corrado is a friggin electrical nightmare, the rabbit is almost laughably simple in comparison... so maybe i'm biased.

bottom line in this decision is... you sound like you like the mkI bodystyle best (so do i), and the mkIs are super-light. they make a fun car to bomb around in. mkIIs have their merits as well... but you can't beat the weight of a mkI. if you can find one without much rust, especially in the floors and strut towers, go to town on it. another plus side of mkI weight in respect to reliability is, if the starter or battery fails, you can always bump start them yourself they are so light  :lol: less weight to haul around = less fuel (i like that one).

[Blades]

mk2.

High availability in Quebec. Low cost. Those late mk2 1.6D don't go over 140km/h. That's already fast for you. Easy to run on veggie oil.

I'd go for a Jetta due to the bigger space in the trunk. But the Golf Folding seats are also an asset.

We'll talk about it on tuesday.

[RAMMSTEIN]

I like a wiper in the back too (I'm a variant guy   ).

I like to see from behind.

I don't see much Mk1 for sale, most of them are either cabrios or GTI's.

I'll talk to you tomorrow Blades. :wink:

[BlackTieTD]

mkI diesels are definitely not easy to find, especially here up north in the land of salt. but they are out there if you look hard enough. i found mine after 16 months of looking for a clean 2dr rabbit (no rust / straight body). if you need something soon to just get around in... sure, mkIIs are easy to find and parts are everywhere. i have a mkII jetta shell that i'd basically give away, but no one wants it they are so abundant  :lol:

[RAMMSTEIN]

Caddy's are also very cool...

[dub]

I just bought a Mk II jetta coupe, and I really like it. It did blow a head gasket after owning it for only 5 weeks, so i dumped too much money in it, but its running on veggie oil now making up for that initial cost. 235K and still ticking (despite some low oil pressure issues)

[janb]

Which one is best and why.

...
So which one is best as a second car? :?:

I like my A1's when I want the 'go-cart' feel.  My main commuter is a Caddy w/ 1.9D.  It is not turbo,  yet... I do lots of remodeling / construction in my free time, plus I've been known to come home with a couple engines or trannies, so the Caddy fits my needs (but it is not easy to take a lunch break nap in. :cry: )

For safety, comfort, and lower noise the A2's win pretty significantly.  The economy seems same or very close.   I like my 2dr, as it is much quieter from less road noise (from rear doors)  I think an extended cab A2 pickup would be nice, but you will need to make it yourself :wink:

The hatchback of Golf is good for utility, but trunk size in Jetta is pretty good.  Since you have A2 1,9TD's in your area, I would get one of those.  Otherwise, make yourself a Diesel from a nice GTI or GLI

[Wingaman]

... Since you have A2 1,9TD's in your area, I would get one of those.  Otherwise, make yourself a Diesel from a nice GTI or GLI.

No, we don't have A2 1.9TD. You need to make an engine swap if u want to have a 1.9TD in this. Like i did.