Faults:

Brake pipe at MOT, suspension ball joints, exhaust mid section, and so on.

Battery and alternator failed at around 100K.

Oil pump, most expensive item, replaced at 110K.

Servicing is a must as for any car, I did every oil change, and the car had full history upon purchase. No rust! Cosmetically the car was excellent. Even the interior looked great after many years and miles.

General Comments:

Solid red Audi 80 2.0 E, one of the best cars I ever had. Bought at 10 years old and would go on for another 7 years of reliable motoring.

These cars were not exciting to drive, instead the car had a solid predictable feel. Ride was rather firm, but cornered sharply. The car didn't feel too heavy as a lot of people complained, I found the handling nicely weighted.

2.0 petrol engine accelerated adequately, and you could get over 30 mpg taking it slow. Manual box was slick and satisfying to use.

Interior looked great in black, visibility was good, the car had all the basic instruments but was not very well equipped. Alloy wheels and sunroof, but... wind up windows?! Really Audi? Ford and Vauxhall offered electrics on some similar or cheaper basic cars at the time!

Overall however I loved it. Just was a good car, the odd expensive repair aside, I have good memories with this car. My father had a 1992 VW Passat at the time, which was very similar, but the Audi felt that little bit more refined and expensive.

Faults:

Diesel pump - Well documented fault, fixed at a fraction of the price. Research on well known forums. Involves changing the electronics on the top of the pump.

Usual consumables, power steering pump, cracked headlight, rear washer motor, door handle cable. All fixed by myself using the Haynes manual.

General Comments:

4 years of ownership - 50,000 miles. Not bad for an 18 year old car.

Practical, spacious, reliable, efficient. 50mpg in winter. 55mpg in summer.

Lazy motorway cruiser. Legendary 1.9 TDI engine code 1Z (90BHP) won't win any races, best suited for eating up motorways on the continent. The 'old barge' was an excellent companion on these long journeys.

Part of the family. It was a sad day when she moved onto pastures new - Local mechanic will fix the clutch and run it as a spare.

Hats off to those still keeping these fine machines alive.

Classic example of German over-engineering.

Faults:

Vacuum assist pump started knocking 2 days after I bought it.

Roof lining fell.

Air conditioner compressor bearings are noisy as of last summer.

Central locking has decided not to work every now and then for the last couple of months.

General Comments:

The car is front wheel drive and can suffer understeer when pushed, but that may be my enthusiastic driving. All in all, it handles well and is a pleasure to drive at any speed.

The 5 cylinder sounds great when pushed. The performance is good considering the weight of the car and the size of the motor. It keeps up with the local products pretty well.

Reliable and comfortable, well made and durable.

Would loved to have owned one from new.

Have been grateful to own such a nice, safe and reliable car. Now that I need a larger car, I will be moving to a larger Audi.

I have heard it said that if you can't afford a new Audi, then you can't afford an old one. I have had this car for six years, and it hasn't cost any more to maintain than any of my previous vehicles.

And if you want to do your own oil changes, you'll be happy to find that the oil filter is straight up and down, so it won't spill all over your engine and driveway.