1981 Audi 4000 5+5 Tested: It Really Is Improved!

From the April 1981 issue of Car and Driver.

The Audi 4000 has just been rescued from the depths of underachiever status—and not a moment too soon. For two years now, Audi has tinkered along on the development of a front-drive rival for the BMW 320i, with less than competitive results. While the chassis performance of past 4000s (both four- and five-cylinder models) has always been near the top of the class, blending a controlled ride with precise handling, their straight-line performance bordered on the anemic when compared with the zippy BMW. But that's all changed now.

This latest model, called the Audi 4000 5+5, combines the 5000's 100-hp, fuel-injected, 2.1-liter five-cylinder engine with a new five-speed overdrive transmission. Presto! End of performance deficiency. The quintet of cylinders pumps out 26 more horses than the 74-hp four-cylinder, running almost in a dead heat with the 320i's four-cylinder powerplant. Our fifth wheel clocked the 5+5's 0-to-60-mph time at two-tenths of a second faster than the Bimmer.

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The other half of the equation—a new five-speed manual—is offered as standard equipment on all 1981 4000s. Gear ratios have been juggled in the five-cylinder (the top three gears are overdrive ratios) to achieve 27.4 mph per 1000 rpm in top gear—unusually long gearing for a small sedan.

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Aaron Kiley|Car and Driver

Despite these revisions, the ratios are still evenly spaced and there's enough torque on tap to allow acceptable top-gear acceleration on the highway. The gearbox itself is controlled by a well-positioned lever that moves cleanly and accurately through the motions without a squidge or a grind or a bang.

Unfortunately, the overdrive gears are paper tigers. The end effect of the tall gearing is a disappointing EPA rating of 21 mpg city, a less than outstanding number for a car of this size and weight when compared with the BMW at 25 mpg city. The 5+5 rates 36 miles to the gallon (EPA) on the highway cycle, however, where the tall gearing does pay off, with less than 2400 rpm required to cruise at 65 mph.

One of the nicest parts of the whole is Audi's world-famous magic-carpet ride. Although the majority of the world's cars in 1981 also use MacPherson struts to suspend their front ends, Audi has the key to the highway, not to mention the cow path and Baja trail. Using the same basic suspension design as GM's X-cars (MacPherson struts, coil springs, and an anti-roll bar in front; rigid axle integral with two trailing arms and an anti-roll bar, coil springs, and a Panhard rod in the rear), Audi does an unquestionably superior job matching spring and shock rates to give an epoxy performance through the switchiest of switchbacks and an overall feeling of complete confidence in the 5+5's roadability. Unfortunately, this very same suspension tune acts as a simultaneous interpreter between highway tar strips and the driver's tailbone.

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Aaron Kiley|Car and Driver

The packaging of any 4000 has never been a bone of contention. The shapely design of the two-door wedge is of the "basic black and a string of pearls" school of auto fashion. That is to say, a clean, quality design has produced a timeless, elegant look. The roomy interior is a padded, pampered extension of this less-is-more philosophy. Fat rocker switches activating such functions as headlamps, rear-window defogger, and four-way flashers have been integrated into the dash and actually frame the cluster of performance gauges for a tidy, solid appearance. Complete instrumentation (standard in the 5+5) is laid out in logical, easy-to-read order, and the rest of the dash is free from knobs, switches, and superfluous trim other than the heater, air conditioner, and radio controls.

The seats get rave reviews from some of the most discerning bottoms in America. They offer solid back support, ample thigh extensions, and enough side bolstering to give lateral support without forcing the driver to wriggle out from under the wheel upon exiting. A height adjuster for the driver's bottom seat cushion, à la the Volkswagen Scirocco, is a welcome and laudable addition.

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Aaron Kiley|Car and Driver

Covered with a muted houndstooth checked velour, the seats match door inserts of the same material as well as the luxurious, color-coordinated carpeting. Not only is the total effect eye-appealing, from the picture-window windshield to the oversized backlight, but it's been executed under inflexible, world-renowned German quality standards. Seams match, moldings fit, carpeting lies flat, doors shut tight, windows don't leak, and nothing squeaks. Satisfying.

Audi's goal wasn't to build a barn-burner (the turbocharged, four-wheel-drive Audi Quattro promises to be that), but it was necessary to upgrade the 4000 for success in the $10,000-plus sports-sedan class. The 5+5 is just what the 4000 needed to charge after that market. While the fuel mileage is nothing to rave about, exceptional looks and comfort, improved handling, and solid performance make it one of the world's most desirable small sedans and, at the same time, one of the 320i's most formidable opponents.