(first posted 6/19/2015) With record sales and an expanding lineup of luxury-performance vehicles, many of which have been met with widespread praise, Audi has been on a significant upswing in recent years. While its U.S. sales remain only about one-half that of Mercedes-Benz and BMW, there is little doubt that Audi has become a respected world-class luxury brand, capable of competing with the best from Stuttgart and Munich, even outdoing and outselling these brands in certain categories. But in North America at least, it wasn’t too long ago that the future looked a lot bleaker for Deutschland’s four-ringed luxury brand.
It’s common knowledge that in the late-1980s, Audi fell victim to a notorious 60 Minutes special highlighting unintended acceleration allegations that in reality were mostly a result of driver error. But that didn’t stop the once-reputable 60 Minutes filming an “actual example” of an Audi 5000 failing to slow when the brake pedal was applied. It would later be discovered that the 60 Minutes demonstration was staged and completely bogus, but the damage to Audi’s reputation had already been done. Sales plummeted (from a high of 74,000 in 1985 to a low of just 12,000 by 1991), resale values evaporated, and Audi was almost forced to retreat from the North American market entirely.
As a result of the scandal, Audis from this early-90s dark era are significantly hard to find and less sought-after today than those of other European luxury brands. It isn’t that they are inferior cars in any way, but scarcity of parts and general knowledge make for less enthusiasm than similar-era German cars. It’s cars like this well-worn 1993 Audi 90 that are the few relics left of Audi’s less formidable years.
The 1991-1996 Audi 90 would be the final evolution of the Audi 80, which had first been introduced in 1966. Released for model years 1992 in Europe and 1993 in North America, this “B4” fourth generation was actually a heavily re-engineered of the B3 (aka “Typ 89“) that arrived for the European market in 1986 as an ’87 model.
Riding on a two-inch longer wheelbase, Audi’s smallest car was visually very similar to its predecessor. A new, more aggressive front fascia was the most prominent external change; other than that, the B4 could have easily been mistaken for a B3. While this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, as Audi’s conservative designs typically age well, the 90’s styling didn’t make any statements, and bore a strong resemblance to non-luxury cars like the Subaru Legacy and VW Group’s own Passat.
Interiors have always been a strong point for Audi, and the 1993 90 was no exception. Even in Audi’s entry-level model, high-quality plastics, fine-stitched leather, and genuine wood accents were to be found throughout. As far as design was concerned, things were beginning to look a tad dated though, as little had changed from the vintage-1986 B3’s interior.
The pearl white leather of this car has seen better days, but aside from being deprived of a good cleaning, the rest of the interior has held up rather nicely. It’s worth noting that these thickly-bolstered contoured buckets were the Audi 90’s standard thrones. Entry-level BMW and Mercedes sedans only received seats similar to this as part of extra-cost sport trim levels and packages.
For 1993, the Audi 90 lineup consisted of three models: the 90 S, 90 CS, and 90 CS Quattro. Non-Quattro models, were of course, front-wheel drive and the Quattro featured Audi’s noteworthy all-wheel drive. All trim levels featured items such as power windows, power locks, air conditioning, AM/FM stereo with cassette player, leather-wrapped steering wheel, air conditioning, driver’s side airbag, and ABS – all expected convenience and safety features for a car in the 90’s class.
Cloth seats were standard in the base S model, while leather came standard in CS trim. The CS also added features including automatic climate control, power moonroof, power driver’s seat, remote keyless entry, and for the Quattro, unique 10-spoke alloy wheels.
As typical of most German cars, a multitude of gasoline and diesel engines were available in Europe (in the 90’s case, twelve). All 90s destined for North American, however, came equipped with a single engine, a 2.8 liter V6. The 90’s most powerful naturally-aspirated engine in Europe, the 2.8L was good for 172 horsepower and 184 pound-foot of torque. A 5-speed manual was standard with all trims, and a 4-speed automatic optional.
In recent years, many Audi models have proven to be somewhat of a value, having both a greater amount of standard features and a lower price tag than their German competition. Audi’s modern ancestor to the 90, the A4 particularly comes to mind in regards to this.
The B4 90 largely adhered to this practice, as the 90 S began at $26,650 and topped out at just over $34,000 for a fully-loaded CS Quattro, including the extra-cost automatic transmission and heated seats.
For comparison, a less powerful 1993 BMW 318i started at less than $24,000, with the 189-horsepower 325i starting at just a few hundred dollars more than the 90 CS. The 1993 Mercedes 190E began at just under $29,000 for the base 2.3L I4, while cars with the 158-horsepower 2.6L V6 began at a loftier $34,000. It’s successor for 1994, the C-Class would be priced similar, at $29,900 for the C220 and $34,900 for the 194-horsepower C280. Keep in mind that these are base prices, and do not include many of the options that were standard on the 90.
It’s no secret that total sales of this final-generation Audi 90 were relatively minuscule. Given Audi’s damaged reputation, conservative designs, and lack of established prestige, the brand was still a few years away from posing a serious threat to Mercedes and BMW. Despite the B4’s minor updates, it was largely the same design that was introduced in 1986. Especially with brand new 3-Series (E36) and C-Class (W202) designs appearing in the early-1990s, Audi’s entry-level sedan looked relatively staid in comparison.
Given the car’s aging architecture and Audi’s still-shaky fortunes in the U.S., it was wise of the German automaker to replace the 90 in relatively short time. Production of the 90 sedan began to wind down in late-1994, with European-market Avant wagon production continuing a little longer. The 90 convertible, sold in North America simply as the “Audi Cabriolet”, continued production through the 2000 model year, by that point looking very outdated compared to newer Audi designs. The 90’s all-new successor would be known as the Audi A4, and was released as a 1995 model in Europe and a 1996 model in North America.
With an all-new platform, sleek styling, and overall modernity compared to the 90, the A4 is largely credited with turning Audi’s fortunes around and greatly increasing the brand’s overall sales in North America. While forgotten by most people today, there are still a few examples of the B4 90 out there, reminding us of Audi’s uncertain purgatory years in the early 1990s.
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This is the car I learned to drive on—not quite this one, but a front-wheel drive one with cloth seats. The interior was, as you mentioned, superbly done—good materials with excellent ergonomics. The V6 was also a strong (though not necessarily fast), quiet puller (and this definitely felt like a front-wheel drive car), and quite effortless, too—I recall being shocked as my Dad inched towards the triple digits on an the highway once, and when I started driving I sometimes was surprised at how quickly I was going.
There was no excess at all about the car. I’m probably one of the few who (with a couple of exceptions) has a definite preference the pre-A4 Audis—from the mid-nineties back I feel like there’s an understated charm that’s lost its appeal as it’s become less understated. The car never felt designed to me—this is just what a car was.
While I fantasized about bringing the car to college, the fact that I was going to a city with good transit and expensive parking at a time when gas prices were climbing towards their mid-2000s high (and the V6 was premius-only), and most damningly of all its age. While my Dad loved the car and it never gave us any problems, it was expensive to keep in top form. There’d be no way I could afford to keep up a twelve year-old Audi in college, thus it had to go.
In any event, I get the impression that twelve years is longer than most people keep these, though its predecessor was a 4000 that had been kept for eleven (and the 90 never lived up to the 4000 for my mother—it was a lighter, less-thirsty—the 4000 was a base-level model too—and probably more direct car, which was more to her taste).
“The car never felt designed to me—this is just what a car was.”
This observation about the pre-A4 Audis is a terrific one. It captures so much about what good design is, IMO: honest, focused problem solving, as opposed to the gussying up of a mediocre solution. I’ll remain a fan of the A4, although I probably will feel a little guilty about it.
I would like to say that my experience with an early A4 was frightening to say the least. It was 1.9TDi and only 3 years old.. the attachment for the power steering and water pump drives ‘broke-off’ from the engine block en mass one day as my wife was entering onto a motorway in a sweeping left hand bend to join the 100kmph lane.. so suddenly ..there was no (power) steering and no engine cooling ..scary? (yes it was, although the car was still just controllable albeit with the heaviest steering effort you ever felt
they said it was ‘metal fatigue’
I asked the Auckland dealership to come to my house with a flat bed truck and take the vehicle away …I told them I never wanted to see it again ..and that I wanted my money back
Nice article. No doubt much of Audi’s bad reputation was due to the 60 Minutes slanderous feature, but a certain small amount was justified in my view – under-engineered front suspension components, poor electricals, etc, all contributed to a quite a few of these “sittin’ by the side of the road”……..
Very true. The recall on the 5000 in part included a brake pedal interlock solenoid conversion only allowing shifter to operate when foot was operating brake. Soon all automatic cars came this way. The rigged car I saw on TV was not even this generation of the 5000, it was the previous generation car. The size and placement of the brake pedal led to confusion with some drivers. We used to joke the “CS” after the 5000 stood for “Can’t Stop”.
I think the B3-B4 were really held back by in the USA by Audi’s trauma from that time. The lines of the car, especially in early B3 form are simply some of the best areo look from what was the innovator in this. The areo look to me falls apart when it is done on too large a scale. It can quickly degenerate into bloat. But here you have the look of the Audi 5000/100 done in 7/8 scale to great effect. The interior was really massively upgraded from the 4000 and was simply better than the austerity of an entry level BMW.
The engine and transmission choices in the USA were also poorly conceived. When it came out, the 5 cyl was unavailable with an automatic and the 2.0 liter four only had a 3 speed auto. They also still only sported 2 valves per cylinder, Sorry Audi, not good enough. Both engines needed the 4 valve heads that were available in the parts bin. There was also a joint Renault/VW 4sp auto that was late to the party. This car could have turned around Audi earlier if Audi had been more serious. The V6 in this car was also strangely lackluster, lacking the high end power one has the right to expect of a German sports sedan.
Keeping going in USA at the time saw upgraded interiors and deep loyalty discounts to trade an older Audi on a new one. Subsidized leases would have helped, Leasing is so important to this class of car and the poor residual value needed to be better addressed.
It is ironic that Audi’s period of real innovation in style coincided with it’s biggest challenges. Thanks Brendan for bringing this story to us.
I would say Brendan and John C. both make valid points. I bought a 74 Audi Fox based on what magazines like C&D said about it and while a great car to drive it was a bit annoying to own. I might have bought another, newer model if that car hadn’t been plagued with several minor but recurring problems.
As for the point John C. makes about the powertrain combos sent to the U.S…..this has been a big problem with several models of VAG’s cars. It’s as though the company doesn’t put any thought into what goes under the hood as long as the stats, on paper anyway, look decent. At least the Audi arm has gotten away from that and it looks like VW’s mainstream models have too.
BTW, reading the British magazine CAR over several decades I seem to remember at least one sticking point testers had….and still have with newer A4 models is (ironically, considering VWs are praised for it) their “wooly”, numb, lifeless steering feel. Perhaps it has to do with the move of the steering from LHD to RHD?
Saw at least 2 A8Ls on my recent 2200 mile road trip. Still very beautiful/yet understated cars.
How was the steering on the Fox? On paper the B3-B4 I think had a similar setup but were powered by then and the weight was up a whole bunch. An early Fox was barely 2000lb and the B3 80 in America was over 2600lb. I believe the steering was considered better on the FWD versions.
Nice find! Even back in the early 1990s when these were new, you basically never saw them on the road. I knew about this car more from the British car magazines, where it was well liked, than from any coverage in the U.S. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve even seen one in person. When my wife and I were looking to get into our first really nice car back in 1994, we looked at BMW, MB, Acura and Lexus. The Audi didn’t make the cut, as it was such a weak brand back then, product attributes aside.
I think it is really impressive how well Audi recovered and earned a top spot among high-end brands. Their products are now a very common sight in trendy neighborhoods from coast to coast. Even in their darkest days (in the U.S. at least), with this A90 you can see how the company’s philosophy laid the foundation for their comeback–impeccable interior, timeless styling, strong price/value relationship, leading edge technology were all present and accounted for. It was a good base from which to rebuild, and the A4 quickly took it to the next level. So in ~20 years, the brand went from zero to hero in one of the most fickle and competitive market segments. For contrast, think of Cadillac over the same time period, with billions invested in the brand’s reinvention. But rather than strong retail sales, aggressive marketshare growth and coveted brand values, you just have endless GM executive boasts that success is “just around the corner.”
“But that didn’t stop the once-reputable 60 Minutes filming an “actual example” of an Audi 5000 failing to slow when the brake pedal was applied. It would later be discovered that the 60 Minutes demonstration was staged and completely bogus, but the damage to Audi’s reputation had already been done.”
Does the media have any right to do this?
So many stories like this in the press are pretty obviously adjuncts to the legal case of some plaintive’s attorney in a lawsuit. It is legal on free speech grounds, but can make the journalist show what a hack they are.
It is a shame that CBS and the Center for Auto Safety were not penalized financially to the same extent to which their fraud hurt Audi. Same with NBC for their rigged “exposé” of Chevrolet truck gas tanks.
Now as then, ALL mass media reporting should be viewed with skepticism. They still feel that scandal generates viewership and advertising dollars and allow that principle to govern their behavior…or lack of it.
This CC’s Audi series and the 1982 Audi 100 laid the foundation for Audi’s current position in the market. But the brand really gained momentum in the nineties with the 1995 A4 and the 1997 A6. Combined with 1.9 TDI and 2.5 TDI on the trunk lid, which evolved into the current 2.0 and 3.0.
Like many people, I’ve heard of this problem with “unintended acceleration” that happened to owners of Audi cars. I didn’t believe then, and I don’t believe today, that it was Audi’s fault that it happened. When you move the gear shift control from park (in an automatic transmission) to any moving gear, don’t owners know that they should keep their foot on the brake pedal in order to keep the car from moving?
From my recollection, it was found that the majority of incidents were related to non-primary drivers of the cars. The most common point between these people is that their primary cars were a larger GM vehicle. In the GM vehicles the brake pedal was larger and apparently partially in the location occupied by the accelerator in the Audi. So the affected people could have genuinely believed that they were in fact pressing the brakes instead of the accelerator. This led to shift interlocks in all cars and from what I understand larger brake pedals on automatic equipped Audis.
I have no idea why people wouldn’t have their foot on the brake while shifting into gear, but then again I have no idea why people (including my wife) routinely don’t use the parking brake in their cars. It would have eliminated the problem although I’m sure some people still wouldn’t realize their engine was revved to redline when they shifted…
Brendan,
Like you I’m a native of the Northeast – I was born and raised in southern Vermont. If I may ask, do you ski? When I was in college (2001-2005), I was a regular at a lot of the ski areas in southern VT, Mount Snow and Stratton in particular. The parking lots of said ski areas is where I would observe and make mental notes about the European luxury brands I spotted.
Even in those days, I would see several Audis from the late ’80s/early ’90s, just not a lot, and not often. Many of them were 5000 or 90 Quattros. But the majority of cars I saw were classic Saab 900s and Volvo 240/740 wagons. And VT-based mechanics I spoke to at that time said they would much rather work on Saabs and Volvos than they would Audis.
Always nice to hear from another local. Maybe somewhat embarrassingly, given all nature has to offer just a few hours north, the last time I went skiing was more than ten years ago when I was in middle school. I’m a four-seasons distance runner, so that keeps me pretty busy. I’d still like to go skiing again one of these winters.
As for your car observations, I can definitely believe that. I grew up in a predominately white-collar suburb of Boston, and I knew many people in town who skiied and/or owned Saabs and especially Volvos. In fact, the family who lived across the street owned a classic 2-door 900, Volvo 240 sedan, VW Passat, Acura Legend, and an Alfa-Romeo Spyder (not all at the same time). I feel like 4 out of 5 families I knew growing up owned at least one Volvo wagon over the years, more often multiples.
Not many Audis though, but one of my friends from elementary school’s dad drove a B5 Audi A4 Avant. Their family all skied, and the Avant had the ski racks on it all year round.
I bought a new 1988 Audi 90. It was wonderful and the fact that I didn’t see myself coming around every corner greatly appealed to me. I got a great deal on the car and the dealership bent over backwards to make me happy. I put over 100,000 miles on it without incident. All in all, a great buying/driving experience and the first of five new Audis I’ve purchased through the years.
Brendan,
Your appreciation of the understated and high quality nature of these cars is on the mark. Although I never drove or rode in one of these 90s, I was a frequent passenger in a previous-generation 4000 Quattro and for eight years owned a 1995.5 S6 (almost exactly identical to the S6 Avant profiled by Jim Klein here, aside from being a sedan instead of a wagon), and those two qualities were definitely Audi’s strengths in the late 1980s/early 1990s. The early 1990s S6 was a used luxury sports sedan bargain when I bought it in 2000, because it offered near-M5 or AMG E-Series performance, superior interior quality (the sport seats and Nappa leather were a step above what was in the 90, and still the best that I have personally experienced), and Quattro all wheel drive, all in a package that depreciated terribly because of Audi’s (undeserved) bad reputation in the U.S. and therefore was available for far less than any of its German competitors. It also felt good that Audi owners often were quite friendly to each other, since many were diehard owners of an unfashionable brand. It was definitely a different era than with Audi today.
Robert, I can certainly relate to the camaraderie that many Audi owners of this period had with each other. It’s probably to a lesser extent, but I’d say that in recent years, Acura has been somewhat maligned due to its questionable styling language and the problems that come with being a near-luxury brand.
I’ve experienced this camaraderie with other Acura owners both in-person and online, making some good friends in the process. It’s been great hearing of others’ stories of their positive Acura experiences, and just how passionate people are about their cars. I feel like many smaller brands tend to have this to a degree, such as Saab, Volvo, and Subaru. People like not following the masses.
I should also add that indeed Audi has lost some of its specialness in attempt to become more mainstream. In my own opinion, most new Audis are very nice and luxurious, but the excitement factor is lacking.
There was a definite sense of that–I remember going to the local Audi mechanic, seeing and talking about old models, his loaners (a couple of very old–but very nicely-appointed–200s) and it’s just completely different from the image of Audi today–a bit more like American Saab or Peugeot owners (my parents were very nearly in the latter category), which was definitely a nice feeling but also indicative of why they ended up changing their image.
I know very little about Audis as a whole, and even less about the Quattro, but they are making beautiful cars, especially since the head-turning 1983 model with the flush side glass. I was very intrigued about how expensive it was to put the window channels facing outward, and how easy it was for the windows to freeze in the tracks!
A friend has a 2006 A4 and he loves it.
I do hear they are expensive to maintain, however, so no matter how much I find Audis attractive, for my money – or lack of it – I’ll stay with Chevy for the time being!
I had almost forgotten how much I like the Audi 90.
I’m partial to Audis of this era – largely because my first car was a 1981 Audi Coupe that I bought in 1989. The only reason I could afford such a car as a teenager (I bought it for about $2,500) was because of the swift collapse in Audi resale prices due to the 60 Minutes debacle… that low price for an 8-year-old car can put into perspective how Audis were shunned by most consumers in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
This generation of Audi 90 epitomizes what I consider to be the best of German engineering. Having driven a 90 similar to this example once, I remember being fantastically impressed – everything felt and responded so positive in that car, from the steering and suspension to minor details like interior controls. Despite its presence in the luxury end of the market, the 90 was really somewhat of a no-nonsense car, which is perhaps why I like it so much, but that may also partly explain its relatively poor US sales, since American consumers were generally looking for more luxury glitz by that point.
Really nice cars, these 90’s, and with an understated but successful (to me) style. I never cared for the B3 80/90 – just a little too rounded, and kind of stubby compared to the lovely C3 100 – but these B4 models and their more upright, elegant styling on the same basic shape worked for me. I’ve never driven one, but I’ve driven a few other Audis (’86 5000S, ’97 A4 Auattro, ’01 A4) so I know and enjoy the experience.
Around here, at least, they’re getting really thin on the ground though. I’ve only seen two in recent memory, one of which was abandoned on a neighborhood street and eventually towed away by the city. And I can’t remember the last B3 80 I saw. (Or 4000 for that matter, but C3 5000/100s are still here and there.)
I always liked the styling on these, at least the refreshed early 1990’s version. So clean and understated, with that full width light assembly in the back. I had no idea the convertible was built until 2000, that explains why the few I’ve seen look immaculate for what I thought were 1993 vintage cars.
Yes, these were attractive car, and played an important role in Audi’s slow comeback. The dad of my son Ted had a B3 90, and I was always impressed at how well put together its interior was.
I always read a lot about Audis in Auto, Motor und Sport, but sadly, never got any seat time in them of these vintages.
Ferdinand Piech may be a megalomaniac, but he did steer Audi on a very consistent course to success.
“The dad of my son Ted” – that’ll be you won’t it, Paul?
Yeah; and I’m my own grandpa!
My brand new 1993 Audi 100CS was the last VW product I’ll ever buy. Everything broke. Even the $400.00 “gas pedal assembly”!
that’s right ..a ‘weak’ automobile ..and dangerous! (see my A4 TDi post above)
My 1993 100CS with a 5-speed manual is my daily driver, with 249,9xx miles. I don’t I wrench on it myself, nor have I had to do much repair over the years (although it is showing its age now). The interior design and materials are just right, and and it still hauls (at least enough for me), especially at 45-60mph. I have been blessed with this vehicle, and I’d love to find anything newer that comes close.
I own a 2001 A6 Avant with the 2.8. Though it doesn’t make for a “fast” car, the 2.8 was a very, very good engine. Even though it looks a little dated for the time, Audi knows how to build a well-put together car. You have to know how to do some of your own work, or they’ll drive you broke and mad. I think that’s why these are rare. When I was in high school, another kid had one of these. I asked him what he thought of it. His reply: “If you don’t know how to do basic maintenance like oil changes and headlamps, don’t buy an Audi. If you can do that though, buy one. You’ll never want anything less.”
What a car!
Nice write up.
The Merc 2.3 was a four-banger; the 2.6 an inline six.
Thanks; Typo has been fixed 🙂
I got an ’87 Audi 4000 quattro at the end of ’99 and still have it. I would have liked a B3 or B4 80 or 90, but the 4kq was what I could afford. It’s been possibly the best car I’ve ever had, but I bet an 80/90 would have been even better!
This generation also brought us the first high-performance Audi wagon, the Audi RS2 Avant Quattro with a 315 hp turbocharged 2.2 liter 20v engine. With a little help from a friend…
Beautiful
We didn’t get the wagon of these. It looks great. What was Porsche’s involvement?
More info about the RS2 Avant here:
http://www.sub5zero.com/fast-forbidden-1994-1995-audi-rs2-avant/
Thanks for the link. Turbo 5 cyl. seem more true to the heritage than the supercharged V6s Audi favors today. Especially with the output they seem capable of. Amazing when you think the engine started at 103hp when it debuted in USA in the 5000.
The current Audi RS3 Sportback has a 2.5 liter turbocharged inline-5. A Sportback is a hatchback / wagon hybrid of the Audi A3.
Audi’s 2.5 liter is also in the Donkervoort D8 GTO, the one below is called the Bare Naked Carbon Edition. You can imagine that this rocket is unbelievably fast (395 hp !) and agile.
Audi has long done great interiors, if you don’t mind black (usually), and this is no exception.
My recollection is that the 2.8 V6 added little, except a lot of weight, compared with the 4 and turbo diesel, though.
The 2.8 was a strange engine for Audi to do. It coincided with VWs seperate VR6 that seemed to have much more verve to it. I wonder if it didn’t fit in longtitudanaly oriented Audis?
how is it in comparison to the saab c900 Brendan?
I haven’t driven either, if that’s what your getting at. It would depend on what engine the Saab was equipped with (obviously I’d want one of the turbos). The Audi definitely had a better interior that was both more modern and luxurious compared to the Saab. The Saab never offered all-wheel drive either. That being said, I still have a lot of love for the classic 900s. If we were comparing the Audi 90 and Saab 9000, that’d be a different story. The 9000 CS Aero is one of my favorite cars of all time.
Still elegant and lovely after all those years! With a few more air bags and a TDI, I’d buy a new one tomorrow!
Although I much prefer this design for its classic-ness and rarity, it’s nice that you can still see it’s lineage in the current B8 generation A4. Still the same six window greenhouse, horizontal head- and taillights, long hood, and short deck. I’m excited for the B9 A4 to arrive next year, and undoubtably it will still follow this evolutionary approach.
Some call it Yawn ! – Boring etc.etc., but I think that Volkswagen’s and Audi’s “evolutionary approach” is one of their strongest points. I mean, look at a 25 year old Audi (in a good condition) and compare it with the rounded aero-blobs of yore.
My hat’s off to Audi for what the brand achieved in the past 20 to 30 years.
Audi = Accelerates Under Demonic Influence
Yeah, the “60 Minutes” report nearly killed Audi in the US. But iffy build quality didn’t help.
My personal experience at an Audi dealership in the mid-80s was with the old 80, 90, 100LS, and 5000 models. In my opinion, their appallingly poor reliability and exorbitant repair costs (and some pretty poor engineering) were much more proximate causes of Audi’s near-death experience in the U.S. than any damage done by the 60 Minutes hatchet job. Even before 60 Minutes, it was a nightmarish tine to be an Audi dealer.
Thats MY car in the article hahaha i cant belive they used my photos
The only good thing about the B4 is that it was available in avant which the B3 lacked.
however US/Canada markets never got them, to make things worse the B4 was only available here with the anemic 2.8 V6.
Europe had a much better engine range.
For me the best (other than S2 and RS2) B4 version was the very rare 80 quattro avant with 2.3 5 cylinder engine. I was lucky to find one in Poland.
I recently purchased a 1994 80 Quottro In Australia and absolutely love it. I have a new model Audi but I love to get out and drive the 80 Quottro. Great car 😀😀
I have a TDI wagon which I’m restoring! A great car 25 years later
I have a 1993 Audi 100 cs, as I’m slowly restoring it. I’m doing all I can to keep it originally. After finding this, it makes me appreciate my decision all the more.
As a forme owner of a 1992 Coupe B4 V6 I can say it was a very comfortable ride, the tan leather was of high quality. No mayor issues and an acceptable resale value.
Four years ago our horse trainer gave us his 1993 Audi 100 CS V6 at 270,000 in the clock. “Maybe just for winter”. We still have it, 309,000 now, and what can I say, no issues but a leaking a/c Aluminium Tube that I had to replace. Even the seats are still fine without any cracks. We will keep it.
One of the wealthy kids at my high school got a brand-new one of these when she turned 16. She crashed it, so money and daddy replaced it with another new one.
This was my mum’s favourite car & I learned to drive a manual thanks to the Quattro when I was 12. My dad had the 5000. When my parents finally sold the Quattro/90, it had nearly 300,000 miles on it & it was still going strong. They got S6s & I’ve since had an A6, S4 & an SQ5. I love Audi, but there will forever be a soft spot in my heart for the old 90. We had so many good memories in that car. My first car was my dad’s year old cast off A8.