The Audi A2 was a departure from Audi's usual path of building large saloon cars. Put in place to be in direct competition with the Mercedes A class, the Vauxhall Astra and the Ford Focus, the Audi A2 would have its work cut out to become a class leader. It's quirky, distinctive design came from the same pen of the designer of the Lamborghini Murcialago although it is hard to find any similarities between the two. Despite its small size however, the Audi A2 is extremely spacious inside with generous head and leg room.

The A2 makes a brilliant second hand car, while depreciation is not great once you have made the initial outlay, this little Audi is fantastic value for money. The build quality is something that has been heralded as exemplary by owners who have had no serious problems with either external problems or servicing issues. Clearly Audi have taken the work ethic they use in the construction of their larger cars and embedded it in the A2.

Rust will never be a problem with the A2; as it has a body made entirely from aluminium; the only production car in the world to be constructed in this manner. The use of large amounts of aluminium makes the Audi A2 the lightest car in its class. Some have estimated that the car is a third lighter than its rivals. Another bonus of the use of aluminium means that engineering tolerances are far more exact, the result of this for the end user is that the car is more solidly built in terms of panels and noise suppression.

The lightweight nature of the A2 means that fuel economy is excellent. This has placed the little Audi in the heart of green enthusiasts across Europe. While the literature states it will do 45 miles per gallon, studies have shown that with frugal driving, keeping mechanisms such as air conditioning down to a minimum the car can achieve mileage in the low sixties. A feat that when twinned with the car' s extremely low carbon dioxide emissions makes the A2 one of the most environmentally friendly cars on the market today.

For those who have no semblance of mechanical knowledge the A2 is the perfect car. While most of us dread opening the bonnet, Audi have supplied an ingenious solution to getting your hands dirty. A service panel or 'Serviceklappe' is a flap at the front of the car that flips open and allows the oil, water and windscreen wiper levels to be checked and filled without the inconvenience of opening the bonnet.

The interior of the car as stated before is spacious and comfortable. The boot space is larger than the A3 thanks to clever design aesthetics and rear seats that can be removed for even more loading area. The interior of the A2 comes in a variety of trims depending on the model you wish to go for. Electric windows come as standard although to receive a climate control system you will have to get the SE model. Again, inside the build quality is excellent meaning that faulty electrics should never be a problem.

In terms of safety, it received four stars from Europe's NCAP body and performed well as an all rounder. If taking the extra airbags as an option it is believed that this result would have been even better but as they come as an extra the findings are not included in the general report. A good performance means that the Audi A2 makes a safe family car, although the extra protection may well be worth considering.

The Audi A2 overall is a decent small family car, as Audi's first foray into the market it can be seen as a reasonable effort that through its exceptional build quality will ensure value for money for the user. If the quirky styling is not a primary issue, it is a major consideration when looking at small cars.