Second hand Arosa MK2

Freestyler_Bg

Guest
Dear mates,

I am thinking about buying a second hand Arosa MK2 2001-2003. Because fuel consumption is one of major stuffs I have on mind 1.4 TDI diesel or 1.0 MPI petrol engine in which would install LPG later. At my market I can only find second hand 1.4 TDI Arosa about "real" 150.000km or more under wheels or 1.0 petrols with 100.000km or more... I know these both engines have 3 cylinders and assume TDI is very noisy but very economical and 75HP are quite enough for so small car.

So what can you tell me about this car,which engine is best in Arosa,because of those big mileage in second hand cars,what are the commom problems and what should I take care about when buying second hand Arosa?

Best regards,
Ivan
 

s10mph

VAG car nut
Mar 1, 2008
243
0
Thundersley
The TDI is 3cyl. but the 1.0 petrol is 4cyl.
The TDI is the quickest easily and will do 55 - 60 mpg. £35 a year tax
The petrol 1.0 is only 47 or 50bhp and does about 35 - 40 mpg. £125 a year tax,
So all in all the TDI is the one to go for but at a much higher price. Service history is all important. Apart from that choose your car as any other.
 

lunalupi

...is not a bloke!
Jul 29, 2006
953
0
Wiltshire
As in the above post - the TDI will give you better fuel consumption that the 1.0L, but if you plan to install LPG later this may not be a big thing for you. The TDi will give you better performance, and they are not that noisy.

From your english and that you use KM, I think you aren't in the UK, so tax will not be an issue for you :)

Both engines will be reliable - the TDi may be slightly better with the higher mileage though, although the 1,0L will keep going for many miles if it is looked after.

When you buy one, look for rust - the body should be galvanised at the factory, so this may indicate old damage. In the UK we have a problem that the pedal box (where the clutch pedal attaches) breaks - I don't know if you have this same problem on the continent though, this may have been dealt with already.
 

Freestyler_Bg

Guest
Yes mate,as you've assumed I'm not from UK, I'm from Serbia.So tax and other stuffs are not important in my case.In my country it's important that engine does not have above 2000cc.Taxes for engines below 1600cc are very low.So Arosa is ideal!

As we said taxes are not problem but hi mileages are pain killer in my country's market.Most of second hand cars are imported from Germany,Italy and other Western Europe countries.Prices are not so much bigger as it is expected to be.Because local car sellers buy at big car auctions many cars and they get great discounts. But ALL of those cars are with hi mileages,rarely below 150 000 km (about 90 000 miles) and without SERVICE history and than they return back mileage on every car below 100 000 km (about 60 000 miles) !!! The worst thing is that everybody knows that like me but no one from state inspection is willing to stop this and sancioned car sellers.

And that is sad situation and the only way if you want to buy second hand car from abroad because if i would go by myself to buy second car in abroad it will cost me pretty much expensive.

Ok,sorry for little offtopic I had to explain why I need to pick a car with excellent engine which should go above 200 000 km (120 000 miles) without major problems.

It will be easy if I could have real service history and real mileage of car I would buy.
As s10mph sad no matter what engine but with low mileage and regular service history.

I prefer 1.4 TDI engine more than weak 1.0 petrol, but as we said TDI are with much higher mileage and price of maintance and parts for diesel is higher.

I had opportunity to drive and try Seat Leon MK1 1.9TDI. Everything is great, from body paint car to great TDI engine with 120 000 miles. But what I didnt like is that engine is too much earsplitting in some situations it hears like a truck. But that 1.9TDI engine is deviously durable.

So I wonder is 1.4 TDI engine so durable like 1.9TDI and at least a little quieter?

I guess that Arosa MK2 body is full galvanised like Ibiza and Leon and if car had no crashes or demages it should be like a new.
Is there any weak part of body that close attention should be?

...and any other advice if you have go ahead I'm listening!
 
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lunalupi

...is not a bloke!
Jul 29, 2006
953
0
Wiltshire
It will be loud, but the 1.0L will be loud too because you have to drive it very hard to get up to speed. It will be easier in the TDi.

They are very strong cars, mine has had a rather hard life with accidents sadly, but has stood up to them all well and is still driving! Rust is the biggest body problem really, it will usually appear around the wheel arches, near the fuel cap, around the windscreen and in the roof gutters (I hope you understand what I mean by that!).
 

Freestyler_Bg

Guest
Does 1.4 TDI engine have floating flywheel like 1.9 TDI does?
 

s10mph

VAG car nut
Mar 1, 2008
243
0
Thundersley
Yes mate,as you've assumed I'm not from UK, I'm from Serbia.So tax and other stuffs are not important in my case.In my country it's important that engine does not have above 2000cc.Taxes for engines below 1600cc are very low.So Arosa is ideal!

As we said taxes are not problem but hi mileages are pain killer in my country's market.Most of second hand cars are imported from Germany,Italy and other Western Europe countries.Prices are not so much bigger as it is expected to be.Because local car sellers buy at big car auctions many cars and they get great discounts. But ALL of those cars are with hi mileages,rarely below 150 000 km (about 90 000 miles) and without SERVICE history and than they return back mileage on every car below 100 000 km (about 60 000 miles) !!! The worst thing is that everybody knows that like me but no one from state inspection is willing to stop this and sancioned car sellers.

And that is sad situation and the only way if you want to buy second hand car from abroad because if i would go by myself to buy second car in abroad it will cost me pretty much expensive.

Ok,sorry for little offtopic I had to explain why I need to pick a car with excellent engine which should go above 200 000 km (120 000 miles) without major problems.

It will be easy if I could have real service history and real mileage of car I would buy.
As s10mph sad no matter what engine but with low mileage and regular service history.

I prefer 1.4 TDI engine more than weak 1.0 petrol, but as we said TDI are with much higher mileage and price of maintance and parts for diesel is higher.

I had opportunity to drive and try Seat Leon MK1 1.9TDI. Everything is great, from body paint car to great TDI engine with 120 000 miles. But what I didnt like is that engine is too much earsplitting in some situations it hears like a truck. But that 1.9TDI engine is deviously durable.

So I wonder is 1.4 TDI engine so durable like 1.9TDI and at least a little quieter?

I guess that Arosa MK2 body is full galvanised like Ibiza and Leon and if car had no crashes or demages it should be like a new.
Is there any weak part of body that close attention should be?

...and any other advice if you have go ahead I'm listening!

Best thing to do is drive any VAG 1.4TDI car and see how you like it, why limit yourself to an Arosa? Try the Lupo, Fabia, Ibiza, Polo as well, there must be plenty available in your part of Europe.
Tractor like? Well yes the 1.9TDI's do sound like tractors but do quieten when the engine is hot. The 1.4TDI in all VAG models will always be quieter as they are a newer design and smaller.
 

Freestyler_Bg

Guest
Floating flywheel,, whats one of those?

The 1.9TDI cars as in the Golf Leon Ibiza Fabia have a normal Dual mass flywheel, ie dampened with springs and rubber blocks.

Well I don't know which one exact, I just know that Leon '01 TDI had "floating" flywheel,I'm not sure that is correct name in english,which is very expansive to buy as a part and when its broken you must change the hole clutch also. I knowfor example that some JTD Stilos have floating and other "regular" flywheel.
The point of my view was that are the clutch and flywheel the same on 1.9TDI and 1.4TDI engine?
 

Freestyler_Bg

Guest
Best thing to do is drive any VAG 1.4TDI car and see how you like it, why limit yourself to an Arosa? Try the Lupo, Fabia, Ibiza, Polo as well, there must be plenty available in your part of Europe.
Tractor like? Well yes the 1.9TDI's do sound like tractors but do quieten when the engine is hot. The 1.4TDI in all VAG models will always be quieter as they are a newer design and smaller.

For now only thing I don't like at 1.4TDI engine is that it has 3 cylinders,but maybe it's not huge disadvantage,maybe only not so durable like 1.9TDI.

Yes 1.9TDi is so noisy,especially when engine is neutral,for instance at traffic light,at higher speeds it's ok!

Maybe 1.4TDI is different as you say it's structural 10 years younger!

Yes I can find some Fabia,Ibiza and Cordoba 1.4TDI but Arosa and Lupo less. 1.4TDI is ideal for Arosa and Lupo. Others are too much heavy for those 75hp.
Lupo is VW and it's much expensive and I prefer just SEAT,maybe Fabia,but Fabia has poor trim quality so only beside Arosa I would consider Ibiza.

So it would be nice to compare Arosa and Ibiza 1.4 TDI both around 2001-2003 year of production.
Just to add Arosa the same age as Ibiza and similar equipment level is about 1000-1500 euros cheaper at my market,but much harder to find than Ibiza.
 
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Freestyler_Bg

Guest
Hello,

I couldn't find Arosa with decent 1.4 TDI engine with low mileage. What do you think about 1.4 101hp petrol engine in Arosa? Is it better (durable) than standard 1.4 (60hp or 75hp) and how much higher is fuel consumption?
 
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