1987 Audi 4000 CS review from North America

The air conditioning needed a charge.

The front brake rotors and pads had to be replaced.

The fuel pump was replaced.

There were many small cosmetic defects that I fixed, such as a broken grille, missing center console trim piece, and trunk struts.

All of the cooling system hoses and water pump were replaced.

Fuel gauge does not work.

I've really enjoyed this little sedan. The cabin feels roomy, and the seats provide solid comfort even after 15 hours of sustained driving. The engine is reliable, and handles the cold of winter and hot summer driving. The automatic transmission has always been trouble free, but for those looking at one, the 5 speed version would offer better use of the engine's power, which peaks high on the tachometer due to it's overhead cam design and high compression ratio. Fuel economy has always been good.

Handling has always been competent. I'm sure a set of Bilstein shocks would cut down on the body roll. The ride is smooth without being mushy like a luxury sled. Typical of German cars with low profile tires, there's a fair bit of road noise, but it's not offensive.

I bought the vehicle secondhand for a very low price, and it's delivered good performance and reliability, despite the obvious evidence that it's previous owners thrashed the car. I run 20W-50 full synthetic Castrol in the motor, and it burns very little oil. I would buy one again, and I've heard good words about the 4000 from mechanics who've owned and fixed them.

My only gripe is with the Audi dealer network. Owners of older cars are sometimes given poor treatment in their search for service and parts. My advice is to find a good independent mechanic who specializes in the older K-Jetronic cars (the dealers most likely don't have anyone on staff who can even remember this old but reliable Bosch fuel injection system). I've been lucky and found a dealer parts specialist who helped me track down all the bits I needed to fix up this car.