The Audi 5000 by european car

[Ed Kellock]

I just received the latest european car magazine.  In it is an article about
the Audi 5000.  It seems the article contains a fair number of
misrepresentations, if not factual errors.

I'm not sure how much circulation ec has outside of North America, but my
first reaction was to the title which contains the year span of 1983-1988.
The 1st type 44 5000 in North America was model year 1984 and '88 wasn't
really a hard stop in regard to the basic vehicle... it was more of a trim
split.

The article seems to evolve to extol the virtues of the Quattro models, then
talks about faulty transmissions.  Apples and oranges.  Only the automatics
were troublesome.  This lack of clarity/familiarity is further supported by
the advice regarding what model to look for.  "No point in going for any
other Audi 5000 than a Turbo Quattro" is followed by "You'll want .... a
five speed manual ...".  As WE all know, Quattro was not offered with an
automatic in the 5000 or the 100/200.  

Another comment about the advent of rust proofing is misleading as it seems
to indicate that it came along mid-stream of the "1983-1988" run of 5000's.
That was a function of the Type 44 manufacturing process and absent in the
Type 43.  

Later, the most notable problem area mentioned is power windows.  Definitely
not the most common topic discussed on these lists.

Finally, in an article about the 5000, on the last page of the article,
smack in the middle of the final columnn, is a picture of a urq.  

I have issues going back to when it was VW & Porsche.  I guess the lack of
Audi in the title is representative of a terminal lack of real interest in
the marque.   

Ed