1992 Audi 80 TDI from UK and Ireland - Comments

The hand brake cables have required replacement several times.

The Heater matrix has been replaced.

All the front suspension bushes have been replaced.

The Audi 80 TDI has a rather strange acceleration curve. It seems to accelerate at exactly the same rate from 0-60 as it does from 60-100. So although it may not feel very quick before 60 after than it seems to gather pace at a rather impressive rate. Off the mark it is a little sluggish. This is due to the turbo being introduced at almost 2200 revs. So to pull away quickly you must make sure that it is a these revs, otherwise it will bog down.

It is rather 'tall' geared. For example it will do 85mph in third gear, just over 100mph in fourth and romp on to 125mph in fifth.

In my experience, for a car of its size, the 80 handles rather well. It gives you far more confidence to throw it into bends than a number of hot hatches.

Inside, there are a few little niggles. The 'clutch foot' rest is very small on the right hand drive Audi 80's. So on long journeys, unless you are wearing very narrow shoes, you cannot get your foot past the clutch pedal to rest it.

The roof is quite low, this can be solved by lowering the driver's seat. However, neither the passenger seat nor the back seat have height adjustment. So try not to be alarmed when your taller passengers emerge from the car with the same postures as vultures.

The brakes are very good, chiefly because the disc's on the rear are far bigger than they need to be. This means you can safely bring the car to a halt even with four passengers.

Unlike the newer A4, the 80 has split fold rear seats which makes it very practical.

All Audi's leave the factory galvanized so if you find a rusty one it is more than likely that it has been involved in an accident.

This car is best suited to traveling great distances along the motorway. It will sit at 90 mph all day without missing a beat. Thus making the TDI Audi 80 a fast economical way of traveling across the country.

You might as well have been talking about my Audi 80 TDI!My Audi has also suffered the exact same minor grievances as yours! These cars are possibly the best thing Audi ever made, it can be pushed harder round a corner than any lowered hot hatch boy racer and still give 50 ish to the gallon! Eat that nova boy!!

We were given our Audi 80 tdi. The previous owner was going to have to pay to have it taken away for scrap, can you believe it. We fitted two new front wishbones as the bushes had failed and the car was fit for the road.

That was 20,000 miles ago. It now has to do three continental trips of around 1,800 mile each. I'm looking forward too many years of relatively untroubled driving in the comfort that I have not had in other car makes.

And with the safety and economy that others have clearly had from their 80's I feel confident that the bank balance won't be too badly hurt, nor the passengers if it all goes badly wrong.

The hand book says that the top speed is 105mph, which is also the best speed I've had from my TDi. How did you get the old girl up to 125mph?, or is the handbook wrong and I should have waited a little longer to get up to this dizzy speed. I'm not saying you didn't get there, just how?

I've a 1993 80 tdi, it's a perfect car (to me anyway). Drives like a dream. Fuel economy is good, generally around 50 mpg. When economy dips though it means that my back brakes are starting to seize again. I've had the car three years now and it's got 168,000 miles on it. I had to get a re con gearbox put into it. If the engine ever gives up I couldn't part with it. I think that I'll just get a new one put in. The body is like that of a new car and there is not one single rattle out of it. Can throw it around the place too, it sticks to the road. Pity about the lack of head room and that stupid left footrest. As I said though otherwise it's a perfect car that starts first turn every day and doesn't drink a drop of oil.p.

I made the 13th Feb '07 comment and wish to add further notes.

Have just made the first of the continental trips without a hitch. When I was driving it was between 90 and 100 mph for two to three hours at a time. When my wife drove it was between 60 and 75 mph. The fuel conmsuption was down at the higher speeds, but we were still getting about 600 miles to a tank full.

Before this trip I found out from the previous owner that the cam belt had not been changed in the last nine years (90,000 miles)!!! So it was off to my local garage. They fitted a new cam belt, alternator belt and water pump belt. Also a new water pump as the old one made the most awful noise. There was a problem in the fitting of the cam belt as there appears to be two types of belt tensioner and we were sent the wrong one to start with. This meant that we did not get the car back until the evening before we left. Just enough time for me to fit a new set of front disks and pads. £128 inc vat. A bit on the steep side, but as there appears to be no option, but to use genuine parts there should also be no come-back either.

The new water pump made the car much quieter and the new disks have made braking under load much safer. (It's amazing how you can get used to the little problems that build up without realising how bad they actually are)

One problem that did rear its head was the lack of space when traveling for long periods with three people in the back seats. The central spine of the car makes foot room a problem and the centre seat and back rest are too firm for comfort. Also shoulder wide was an issue with two adults and a young teenager squeezed in the back. I don't find head room a problem (I'm 5' 11") nor the left foot rest that others clearly have a problem with.

Apart from that, the ride was smooth, cornering at speed was a dream, acceleration a bit slow, but once at the higher speeds it was the same as most other cars which makes motorways easy. Internal noise levels at high speeds was not a problem either (I could still hear the twins bickering in the back and the noise of their game-boys)

In other words, everything that I had expected. An excellent trip made easy by a most excellent car.

Good to see someone saving a car from the scrappy and getting good use out of it-well done!

I made the 13th Feb and 11th March '07 comments and wish to add further notes (if I may).

I can't sing this cars praises enough. Sorry to be boring.

The car has now done it's 3rd continental trip, again at around 1800 miles per trip with no problems at all. The car now has 150,000 miles on the clock. It uses no oil and doesn't smoke. My wife drives the car to and from work as well as being a taxi for the kids. We seem to be averaging around 18000 miles per year and apart from oil and filter changes the bills are very small. We bought a second hand electric wing mirror off Ebay for £18 and a pair of tyres. Its going to need another tail gate at some stage as there is a bit of tin worm right by the glass.

Apart from that (ordinary running cost as far as I'm concerned) there is no problem with this car. It drives well, corners well and brakes well. It's economic on fuel and makes an easy long distance machine as well as around town. Added to which it has a good payload if one needs to carry a heavy load.

I recommend this car to anyone needing a really good work-horse for not too much money.