1990 Audi 90 2.3E review from Australia and New Zealand

Cam belt and idler pulley replaced.

All three drive belts replaced.

Strut upper mounts replaced.

Both front wheel bearings replaced.

Radiator replaced with second hand unit.

Two front brake hoses, one ball joint replaced.

Crankcase breather hose replaced.

Coolant overflow tank spigot repaired (twice).

Two things stand out about this car: one is the build quality and solidity, which are way above average. The other is that wonderful five-pot engine, which is gruff, torquey and characterful at low revs, smooth and quiet at high revs and when cruising. It's a bit thirsty though, 30 mpg tops. Three speed auto shifts smoothly, another gear would be nice.

The quality of the materials and build, the roominess and the perfect seats make the Audi's cabin a very nice place to be. The car is exceptionally quiet, the ventilation heating and AC excellent. Visibility is superb.

The steering could do with more feel, but handling is mostly entertaining, and the ride is good. Brakes require a firm shove, but feel solid.

Not the easiest to work on, lots of stuff has to be removed to get to the front of the engine. Beware the bleed screw in the radiator; it has a 13mm hex and it's easy to break the plastic header! Bosch injection seems overly complex compared to Rennix, for example.

No doubt a Peugeot 405 would handle better, but nothing at this price comes close to the sheer quality of the Audi.