return of the inline 5....

[Ti Kan]

Roger M. Woodbury writes:
> [ ... comparison of old type 44 vs. '94 100CS ]
> So my gripes with the "new(er)" Audi , is that while the vehicle itself it a
> much better platform, the overall quality of the car is simply not on a
> level with the 200 that I had previously.  I bought that car with 61,000
> miles on it, and sold it with around 135,000 miles.  I am not sure that the
> '94 will be around that long.

Roger, you have one example of a "newer" (albeit it is almost getting to
be a decade old itself) Audi and somehow you reach a generalized conclusion.
Curious, too, because the type 4A 100 series (your car) is one of the most
trouble-free Audi models in recent history.

My impressions have been completely the opposite.  I've owned several
Audis all the way from the 80s to the present, and I have to say that
the reliability and quality of Audis have made quantum improvements
over the years.  My most troublesome Audi is the '84 type 44 turbo.
The '80 4000 had its share of fuse box and ground related electrical
gremlins, but I think I have it all sorted out by now.  Contrast them
with the '96 A4q 2.8 I had and the new S4 biturbo (which is now over
two years old), the newer cars are virtually faultless.  The S4 had
a windshield washer pump leak that was replaced, and an erratic fuel
gauge that was fixed by simply doing an adaptation with the VAG scan tool.
My newest -- an '03 A4 1.8T CVT is too new to have any history, but
just judging from the subjective build quality aspects of the new model
I have no doubt it would be even better than the 1st-gen A4/S4 cars.

Now I love *all* my Audis.  Despite the quirks of the earlier models
they still provide a high degree of pleasure.  But I can't honestly
say that the 'ol type 44 is an overall "better car" than the new ones
when it comes to quality, reliability, safety, refinement, etc.

I think it's fair to say that my experience is not unique.  I've been
on this list since its inception and I know what are the common ailments
of each model.  The type 44, as durable as the car may be, has got to
be *the* model with the most niggling issues, especially the hydraulic pump,
steering rack and climate control.  Each model has its weaknesses and
strengths, but in general there had been far, far fewer complaints about
the early 1990s and later cars.

> There seems to be an epidemic of cheapness creeping into all the formerly,
> "quality" cars.

That may be true for other marques, but certainly not Audi.  "Cheapness"
would be the last thing that would cross your mind when you get behind
the wheel of a new Audi model!

-Ti
2003 A4 1.8T multitronic
2001 S4 biturbo 6-sp
1996 A4 2.8 quattro (sold)
1984 5000S turbo
1980 4000 2.0 5-sp
--
    ///  Ti Kan                Vorsprung durch Technik
   ///   AMB Laboratories, Sunnyvale, CA. USA
  ///    ti at amb.org
 //////  http://www.amb.org/ti/
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