Faults:

Needed a new exhaust down pipe.

Needed a new catalytic converter at £200.

Needed a new mid section exhaust.

Needed new distributor cap and rotor arm.

Also needed new spark plug leads for mot.

General Comments:

I had the carburettor model and it was not as quick as I thought it might be.

The interior for age was in great condition, almost as good as new.

As the base model it didn't have many toys which was a shame.

The handling of the car was great, despite the high miles it still drove like new.

Above all the car is built like a tank. I skidded on ice head on into a tree, then bounced off it into another one side on. I walked away with a dislocated clavicle and no bruises.

The door pillar came in slightly on the drivers side knocking me about a bit. The bonnet had a slight dent in it, though the bumper disintegrated.

Unfortunately the car is a write off. It had to be peeled off the tree!

Faults:

Tyres needed replacing because previous owner had fitted suspension and shocks incorrectly. Full set of Avon ZV3 and front suspension replaced by AA service centre for 460.00GBP.

Replaced cam belt as a precautionary measure -125.00GBP.

Broken Switch for radiator fans replaced - 90.00GBP from Audi service centre.

Broken hose - 13.00GBP.

General Comments:

Previously had a VW Polo, which was spartan, but reliable. Needed a bigger car with longer legs due to relocation and need to commute. Bought the Audi for 900 quid off an internet advert. Owner had previous service history, had fitted a remote central locking alarm and a CD player.

The car has ABS, side impact protection and is incredibly solid - there is a lot of steel between you and the outside world.

No airbags on this model unfortunately.

This £900 car has done 48000 miles in 12 months, and has had no real problems. It starts every time, is superb for motorways and long A-roads and has NO corrosion anywhere.

This is NOT a nippy town car - performs best above 3000 revs, and accelerates really well in 4th and 5th, but is a bit heavy and slow in the lower gears.

Very high waisted, low overall glass area, so visibility is not very good.

Driver footwell a bit cramped, with no spare room for a footrest.

Faults:

The hand brake cables have required replacement several times.

The Heater matrix has been replaced.

All the front suspension bushes have been replaced.

General Comments:

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.