Faults:

As soon as I got the car the fuel pump needed replacing.

Both front wings were showing signs of corrosion.

General Comments:

This car is fast.

I bought it for £500 and spent £200 on the engine.

Today I have just beaten a BMW M3 at a trader price of 38 grand, with a 5.5 sec 0-60 spec and feel good.

If you want a car to work on that will beat other expensive cars, this is the one.

Thanks Simon for showing me this car.

Even when I got it as a standard 20v, it was fast.

You need a good parts stockist or you have to use a very expensive dealership.

Faults:

Replaced HT leads at 100,000.

Needed at new fuel filter.

Distributor became loose at 105,000.

General Comments:

I've owned this car for nearly 20,000 miles.

The performance was mid ranged until I fitted a Power flow exhaust.

The car handles superbly.

Braking is top notch.

Steering is precise and responsive.

It feels as though the engine will run forever.

No corrosion due to galvanized steel bodywork.

My only criticism would be the lack of dealerships willing to help an over 100,000 mile car.

Faults:

Radiator blew one hour after collecting from car from dealership.

Temperature gauge works sporadically.

Steering rack leaking, requires reconditioning.

Front bushes need replacing.

Strange clattering noise in engine when running cold.

General Comments:

The 90 is kind of the best of both worlds - it's the 80-style bodyshape, with the more powerful engine from the 100.

My favourite feature of this car is the 5-cylinder engine. It just oozes torque and pulls strongly from as little as 1500 rpm, with the unusual, but pleasant exhaust note unique to these cars. The broad torque curve means there's hardly ever a reason to take it all the way to redline, which is good because it's a bloody thirsty old beast!

Handling is good, but requires more steering wheel input than most cars I've owned. Steering would be the 90's biggest weakness - it's vague, flighty at speed and squirmy under braking.

Ride quality is excellent, and the cabin is decked out in plush blue velour.

Overall it's a rewarding car to own and drive, although I'm not under any illusion as to the long-term running costs of this vehicle. Having said that, the Audi 5-cyl engine is capable of racking up enormous mileages, so I think it's a good car to hang on to for a while.

It's also the most unusual car I've had, which is saying a lot after a Peugeot, a BMW and a string of Fiats.

Dealer service is truly excellent, especially considering it's a 13 year old car.

To sum it up, the Audi has the character and styling originality of an Italian car, with all the engineering hallmarks of a German one. They don't make them like this anymore.

Faults:

The only thing that has gone seriously wrong, and by seriously... I mean that the car was inoperable until fixed, was the fuel pressure regulator. The fuel pressure regulator is what gets fuel pressure to the fuel injectors. Without it, the injectors can't move the fuel... so it doesn't start, and has a tendency to stall whenever the clutch is put in without applying the gas pedal. This repair including parts and maintenance was about $130.00.

General Comments:

This is a good car. People always say that Audi's are more expensive to maintain... but they're not really that much more than anything else.

This car handles amazingly thanks to the All Wheel Drive system, and is quite quick when you push maximum.

I would recommend this car to anyone who enjoys driving windy back country roads at high speeds without being able to afford a newer high-performance vehicle.

Faults:

Back calipers are a part of this vehicle that require regular renewing.

Hand brake cables break around about once a year.

FIRE:- The cable "loom" from the fuse box, passes through a small cable route (automatic gearbox clutch housing) and through time, and the clutch engaging - disengaging, has caused the cables to short-out and resulted in a serious fire within the engine compartment.

General Comments:

This car has been very reliable over the last 4 years, regular Audi servicing is highly recommended if you want the reliablity that Audi is famous for.