Good morning! This week and next, I’m giving you a break from the Chevies and Dodges and showing you nothing but import brands. Today we’re going back to the heady days of Aaron Spelling TV dramas and old guys selling wine coolers to look at a pair of budget-conscious yuppie rides. These were the stuff of dreams for junior associates and middle managers who could suddenly manage the payments and wanted something that made more of a statement than a Cutlass Ciera.
We looked a couple of Japanese bargains yesterday, and I had an idea how the vote was going to go, and I was almost exactly right. The idea of a Camry wagon in that condition for that price was too strong of a pull for even a manual Honda Accord to overcome. I was expecting more of a two-to-one margin rather than three-to-one, but I guess the Honda had too many yellow or red flags for some of you.
That Camry is a hell of a deal, but with these two cars sitting side-by-side, the Accord would have to really hinky for me to not choose it. The extra space of the wagon is nice to have, but I greatly prefer the Honda feel to the Toyota feel, even with lots of miles.
Now, let’s turn our attention to some German sedans. Everyone remembers the S-classes and the Quattros and the M cars, but German cars came in lesser flavors as well, simpler and slower, but with that all-important badge on the grille. That’s all the folks at the country club cared about. An Accord or a Maxima might have been a wiser choice, but you can’t park that next to the boss’s 735i, now, can you? Either of these would have fit in better, despite their inability to break 60 miles an hour in less than ten seconds. Today they’re curiosities more than anything, but they’re both still pretty nice cars. Let’s check them out.
1983 BMW 528e – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: 2.7-liter OHC inline 6, four-speed automatic, RWD
Location: Edmonds, WA
Odometer reading: Unknown, odometer broken, approximately 145,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
BMW was on a roll in the US in the 1980s, and its cars were the darlings of the up-and-coming. But that success came with a strange price: difficulty meeting its federally mandated corporate average fuel economy numbers. Yuppies wouldn’t settle for the little 3 Series; they wanted the bigger 5 Series, so BMW introduced a more economical version called the 528e. With a low-revving and low-compression version of BMW’s famous inline six, the 528e looked the part, but it used a lot less fuel by sacrificing the excess horsepower that your average investment banker didn’t use anyway.
This 528e (e for “eta,” Greek for “economy”) boasts 121 horsepower and a four-speed automatic transmission, which means don’t expect miracles when you step in the pedal. But that lack of oomph does mean that 528e drivers were less able to thrash their cars, so they stayed nice. It’s not uncommon to see really clean 528es for cheap; everybody who wants a 5 Series for fun holds out for a 535i. This one has somewhere around 145,000 miles on it; the seller isn’t sure. The odometer is broken – a common ’80s European car problem. But it runs and drives great, so it doesn’t really matter how many miles are on it.
The seller has this car listed as a manual, and I was specifically shopping for manuals, so when I saw the automatic shifter in this photo, I was disappointed. But I decided to go ahead with the car, because it’s in such good shape. It does need a few things: the HVAC blower motor is dead, so it needs to be replaced. And the seller says something cryptic about the backs of the seats needing to be “fastened.” I don’t know if that means some bolts are missing holding the seats down, or if the upholstery is coming off the backs of the seats, or what.
It’s in decent condition outside, too, resplendent in that champagne color that was so in fashion in the ’80s. It has a few flaws, but it’s as old as Pyromania, so we’ll cut it some slack. It might not look quite as sharp in person, but it does look good in – I can’t resist – a photograph.
1986 Audi 4000S – $3,400
Engine/drivetrain: 1.8-liter OHC inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Bremerton, WA
Odometer reading: Unknown, odometer broken, approximately 130,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Audi made its name in the ’80s with its Quattro all-wheel-drive system, but the majority of its lineup was still front-wheel-drive. The flagship 5000 was a big hit until – well, you know – but its little sister the 4000 was the first to receive the Quattro drivetrain. The Quattro overshadowed the regular 4000, but it shouldn’t have; this was always a nice little car to drive, even in front-wheel-drive form.
The “regular” 4000 didn’t get the five-cylinder engine that the Quattro got; it made do with VW/Audi’s 1.8-liter four, making 102 horsepower. It sounds pathetic these days, but remember this car only weighs about 2,300 pounds. A 4000 with an automatic is pretty pokey, but with a five-speed stick it’s fine. Probably quicker than the BMW, actually. This one has had a lot of recent work, and the seller says it runs and drives great. It also comes with service manuals, both Haynes and Bentley – if you know, you know.
Inside, it’s in eerily similar condition to the BMW above. It’s in great shape, but the HVAC fan doesn’t work, and the odometer is broken. I think this interior is vinyl rather than leather, but whatever it is, it’s in great shape. Like all older VWs and Audis, it has a few foibles: the hood release is partially broken, the trunk needs to be latched in just the right way, and two of the doors only open from the inside. But the seller has the stuff to fix all this; they just haven’t gotten around to it yet.
This one is beige as well, but a solid, non-metallic beige. I think the world used up all its pigment in the 1970s, which is why the ’80s were so monochrome. A similar thing seems to have happened in the 1990s and 2000s, and we’re just now starting to replenish our color supplies. Anyway, this car looks fine. The black trim on the bumpers is turning gray, and it’s missing those two reflectors next to the front turn signals like nearly every 4000 that’s left, but otherwise it looks good. It comes with either the aftermarket wheels shown, or the stock Audi turbine-style wheels, or, for a little more money, both.
Both of these marques have a reputation these days for high maintenance and soaring repair bills, but these two really do come from a simpler time. They won’t give you much trouble, as long as you stay on top of maintenance. And they’ve got just enough little things to fix to make them good weekend tinkerer’s toys. Which one are you going for?
Went with the Audi – anybody know where I can get a working period correct Blaupunkt?
Have you seen the Blaupunkt Bremen/Frankfurt/Hamburg retro models? Overpriced but they look the part.
I created a post on Reddit precisely about Blaupunkt’s “retro” line. It seems they’re bad, like generic Chinese head unit bad. Add to that the prices they’re trying to sell these for and it becomes a difficult recommendation.
Maybe Pioneer’s retro unit is better? At least modern Pioneer single-DINs have a ton of great features that Blaupunkt’s lack, like crossovers, time alignment, app support, etc.
EDIT: Forgot the link: https://www.reddit.com/r/CarAV/comments/1ov9w51/whats_the_deal_with_blaupunkts_retro_line/
I wondered about that. Looks like owners like them, and I didn’t know about the “historical appearance” thing for vintage cars in Europe.
I just ran across the Continental TR7412UB which is a much cheaper option in all respects.
Just about anything is better than the Las Vegas head unit in there now. Talk about a mismatch.
The secret to decently reliable, cheap, somewhat cool daily drivers is to get the unwanted, boring spec. I daily a lame BMW e36 318i with the auto, but it was in remarkable shape because the rest of the 6-cylinder and/or manual cars have been hooned to death. I got it a year ago for $2700 with just over 100,000 miles.
Neither. The road to financial ruin is paved with used German car repairs. Ask me how I know…..
Beemer is a little more attractive, but Beige Cage with a manual is potentially more fun and I am not sure I would want a rich kids college beater. I doubt he was kind to it.
These choices are “as close to Bailey’s as you can get without getting your eyes wet”.
But if I were to be drinking Bailey’s out of a shoe, I would choose the Audi as my venue. That’s my preferred creamy beige.
And it looks like there’s enough room in the backseat for a giant mobile phone even.
Automatic upvote for all Old Gregg-related content.
Easy vote for the manual, in better shape and better power. Something about the 528e makes me think it was sitting for a longgg time and there is some nastiness somewhere in there. The underhood shot looks pretty crusty, with rust on the hood itself.
I was going to vote BMW until I noticed it was the e and not the i… and the Audi has a stick. The Audi owner seems more involved as well. I would put the original rims back on, but people sometimes change rims to get a more common tire size.
That color though… ick.
We had an Audi 4000 from new. Actually was happy when the warranty expired, since it didn’t need to go in for servicing all the small, broken stuff. Just left stuff broken after that.
Next car was a Honda and never looked back.
The Audi is a stick and it has gauges! Lots of em! Back when your dash was not all electronic!
See, I guess I’m weird for liking K-cars but not German Luxury sedans? Like this kinda thing would normally be my “Ew, Neither.”
That said, the Audi is more a humble spec, has a stick, and I Am A Sucker For Eight Spoke Wheels. I’ll go for that, and figure out the blower fan.
I’ve long believed that Audi makes some of the most handsome cars that age very well looks wise. I’m picking it mostly because I like its look more, adding a 5 speed just sealed the deal for me.
I’m not familiar with either brand besides what I’ve read, thinking either one could be basket case for maintenance.
But the Audi is a manual, supposedly in good shape NOW, and would make a fun rallycross car. (That’s always my justification it seems.)
A good friend in high school inherited his dad’s manual 528e. It was a great chassis wrapped around an absolute turd of a motor, with the only redeeming value being that it had a manual to take utmost advantage of the diesel-like rev range. I’ll take the Audi.
I agree the Audi would be more fun but I’m a sucker for a sharknose
It’s a “both” day for me. Both of these are quite stately and hearken back to an era of more timeless design. The Audi is cheaper and has a stick, therefore it wins. There are far, far worse cars you could buy in this price range.
So you like the whip and the ball gag?
My parents had an ’86 4000 while I was very, very young. I have vague memories of riding in the front seat with my dad (safety be damned). Those pictures gave me a warm wave of nostalgia.
I really like the E28 and thought about buying one for a while, but I can’t vote against nostalgia.
Audi. If you’re gonna be under-powered, at least have a manual to wring out every last horsie. That said, both have great boxy lines and cockpits. I almost didn’t pick the Audi based on the aftermarket wheels (which look good on many other cars, but not this) until I saw he still had the originals.
This is a tough one! But I’ll go Audi.
My choice was not logical, but my best friend had a pair of 528e’s in high school and I fell in love with those cars. A manual would make it way better, but the e28 chassis was superb. The Audi looks cleaner and I would rather have the manual for less money, but I can’t deny the torquey little 528e.
Wasn’t 1986 the year a lot of Audis would go in reverse at random? So bad that they exited the US market for awhile?
Not with a manual transmission!
It was the Audi 5000s that had ‘unintended acceleration’. I bought a used one after this for a seriously depreciated price. One of the best cars I’ve owned, except when the German gremlins started destroying parts left and right. Sold off for parts when the timing belt broke and that was that.
Here in Europe the Audi 4000 was sold as the Audi 80 and Audi 90. The 80 got the 4-cylinder engines and normal bumpers, the 90 was the fancy one with 5-cylinder engines and more luxurious interior and exterior. This 4000 looks like the 90 we got, but with an 4-cylinder.
The truth is I’d rather have last week’s Buick, but between these two the Audi is a much better looking car, so I’ll have that one.
Both are crazy overpriced but manuals make thing better, Audi.
80s automatics are just awful to live with if you plan to do any spirited driving.
Hell, I wanna 8HP swap my S class and it’s just for cruising.
If I bought that 528e it would be my third one and the most expensive one and the oldest one and probably the nicest one.