Overview & Reviews

In business for more than 100 years, Audi is an automaker that builds luxury cars and SUVs. The company was started in Germany and has remained Deutschland-based to this day.

"Audi Automobile Works" entered the German car-manufacturing business in 1910 and remained independent until the Great Depression. Because Audi's founder, August Horch, had left a 10-year-old company bearing his own name, he chose a Latin form of his name -- Audi -- for his new company. Audi joined with three other auto manufacturers in 1932 to form Auto Union. Audi, the only surviving nameplate from that union, was purchased by Volkswagen in 1964.

During the 1970s, Audi started to get noticed in the U.S. with its 100LS luxury sedan and compact and sprightly Fox coupe and sedan. By the late '70s the brand had replaced the dated 100LS with its new 5000 luxury sedan.

Every manufacturer has its defining moments. For Audi, one such moment came in March 1980 at the Geneva Motor Show. The automaker unveiled the Audi Quattro, an all-wheel-drive sport coupe that was met with a wildly enthusiastic response on the show floor. The Quattro's all-wheel-drive system went on to help Audi win accolades in motorsports and it was eventually integrated into the entire model range.

That year also saw the Fox replaced by the 4000. Four years later, the range-topping 5000 was redesigned. Audi's sales shot up nearly 50 percent, thanks chiefly to that newly aerodynamic yet handsome flagship that featured what would become an Audi hallmark -- an elegantly stylish, high-quality cabin.

Sadly, Audi's fortunes turned for the worse when the carmaker's 5000 model was accused of unintended acceleration in a 60 Minutes television episode. A subsequent government investigation found Audi innocent of the charge, but the resulting drop in sales nearly put Audi out of business in the U.S.

The late '80s saw Audi redesign the 4000, renaming it the 80 and 90 (with the 90 having more equipment) and also rename the 5000, dubbing it the 100 or 200. The 200 featured a turbocharged five-cylinder with all-wheel drive as opposed to a non-turbo five and front-wheel drive, as on the 100. A Coupe also debuted, as did a new flagship, a V8-powered 200 sedan simply called the "V8".

The following decade saw the A4 and Cabriolet models, as well as the renaming of the 100 to A6. The stunning A8 was introduced as Audi's new flagship, boasting all-aluminum construction and a beefy V8. High-performance versions of the various models bowed, dubbed S4, S6 and S8.

The start of the new millennium brought the TT, Audi's low-slung sport coupe (and later roadster). It also introduced RS versions of the A4 and A6, providing even more performance than "S" variants. In addition to "S" and "RS" versions of the TT, Audi's more recent releases include the A3 hatchback, Q5 crossover SUV, slick A5 coupe, exotic R8 sports car and A7 luxury hatchback sedan.

Today, Audi continues its success in the prestige car marketplace by offering a wide range of vehicles that impressively combine luxury and sport.

User Reviews:

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  A sows ear - 2010 Audi A5
  By sapodilla - January 7 - 12:26 pm

  Before you buy this wonderful car, please be aware that your convertible top will desintigrate in about 25,000 miles. It will cost you approximately $ 8,000 to get a new one. My dealership got it down to $ 4,000 .I am suspicious . It is not covered in the warranty. Otherwise I have enjoyed driving this car. It is a 2010 A5 with 25,000 miles up. I am hardly ever here hence the low mileage. It is parked in the garage of my building. It does not receive any bad weather and is hand washed. My only other gripe is that you cannot pop the trunk from inside the vehicle. I was going to buy another Audi . Maybe an A7 . Now I am thinking that because Audi made no attempt to explain why my convertible top had to be replaced . I can no longer trust Audi . If that happens , what else could happen? I am now looking at BMW , volvo , and Jaguar. Just beware.

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  Fun to drive, but not worth it in the long run. - 2010 Audi A4
  By Brian Gardner - January 1 - 10:13 am

  I bought my A4 used at ~38k miles. Its a comfortable, fun car to drive. Great on gas, accelerates quite quickly, and with snow tires, its a champ in the Michigan winters. However, its been a maintenance nightmare. Shortly after I bought it, the water pump started leaking. Thankfully, that was replaced under warranty. Next, the blower for the front defroster went out. Then it started burning oil badly. Turns out this is a common problem, and the fix was basically rebuilding the engine and replacing all of the pistons. Again, covered under warranty. But, while doing that work, they discovered that the timing chain was in need of replacing as well, which was not covered under warranty. And now, not more than 2 weeks after having that work done, the motor controlling the locks on the drivers door stopped working so I cant lock my car. This has been my first Audi, and it will also be my last.

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  Cheap interior parts, avoid vaccum - 2015 Audi Q5
  By Curtis - December 16 - 8:49 pm

  Ive been a Ford owner for over 30 years from sedans to pickups very satisfied. First Audi Q5 bought with 30,000 miles on it now has 80,000 a year later to give you an idea of the miles I Drive. Overall was satisfied until had an issue with a vacuum ripping off a part on my console. Audi will not sell me that individual part for $20 they bundle it with the entire consol for $300 dealer said it was my problem to go online and see if I could find the individual part itself. I then called the national Audi customet service and did not get any better service there. very disappointing. I wont own another Audi. Im going back to Ford or Lincoln. Someone should buy the senior management team at Audi copies of the book raving fans their customer service is horrible

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  dont dump on your navigation system - 2008 Audi Q7
  By Don - November 23 - 8:48 pm

  The cupholders are placed in a terrible location, making spills into the navigation controls inevitable, as they are located just below the cupholders. Even a minor spill into the system causes it to short out. I have already replaced two and it looks like I have another problem. The electronics should be better insulated to allow for occasional spills. Better yet, move the cupholders to a less vulnerable location.

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  Nice ride, but it will cost you - 2009 Audi A3
  By William Lee - November 22 - 11:02 pm

  Akin to what another reviewer described - the A3 is a great driving car, too much fun (as evidenced by multiple speeding tickets). But... Ive gotten to know my service dealer a little too well. Drivers seat fell apart - warranty-covered fix. Fuse box melted - warranty covered that. Its a turbocharged car, so you have to replace the spark plugs every 30k mi. It didnt help that the injector coil also went out on me. Ugh. Now at 80k miles, the engine light is going on, and theres no identifiable reason. The engine was cleaned out (pistons), various valves and manifolds were replaced, yet after $900 in repairs, its still messed up with the engine light brightening my interior lighting. The 25k/50k/75k services at the dealer ran about $500-$700. Oil changes run $100. Premium fuel. No off-dealer maintenance shop will replace the transmission fluid as thats Audi special. My next car will be a Mazda - all the same driving fun, with less costly repairs.

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  Great car but not reliable. - 2009 Audi A4
  By Bill - November 16 - 12:04 pm

  In three years of owning a CPO Audi A4, I have had seven trips to the dealership with the check engine light. On four separate occasions, I have had to return to a dealership after a repair when the repair was not properly completed. It is a great car, but the reliability issue overshadows other issues.

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  Brakes - 2014 Audi A6
  By Phil - October 23 - 4:57 pm

  i lease a 2014 Audi a6. the car sits in my heated garage from December to April. i leased the car in May and during the first winter the brake pads froze to the rotors. When i tried to move the car in the Spring i had to gun the motor to brake them loose. the audi dealership said the only solution was to replace the rotors and i only had 13,000 miles. i had the rotors turned at a local shop and this lasted for 4 months before the rotors were again corroded. At this point i no choice but to replace the rotors and Audi was no help. they said it was normal wear and tear. The dealership was very helpful in covering some of the costs but Audi covered nothing. Thin twice about a new Audi

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  AUDI A4 ....What a dissapointment!! - 2009 Audi A4
  By Ramon Albarran - October 14 - 10:24 am

  Do your research!!! I purchased this used 2009 A4 Quattro with 72k miles, the car is very appealing and looks very nice which is what my wife liked about it. I thought I got a really good deal on the car, but now I know why the dealer basically gave it away and didnt push for that extended warranty. This car is by far the worse car Ive ever had on maintenance issues. The oil consumption is just ridiculous and just started ticking very loud...I have a 3 series BMW and absolutely love it. Im going to be trading the Audi in soon for another BMW and be done with this car. I jumped in this car without doing my research and paid for it. There are complaints about this oil issue every where and the dealership will not help unless your under warranty. Even under warranty it will be a hassle, dont make the same mistake!

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  Less Impressed Than Id Hoped - 2008 Audi A4
  By D Manetta - October 13 - 2:33 pm

  Purchased this car in 2014 after my 2006 A3 2.0T was totaled by a hit-and-run driver. The 2008 A4 had 28K miles from a warm-weather state and was a one-owner car from a vacation home - well cared for with full service records based on time, not mileage. I would have preferred Quattro, but the price and mileage were hard to beat. I should have listened to my instincts. Vastly different character than the A3... this A4 feels like a luxury car without any sporting pretense. The CVT transmission is horrendous - slow to respond in standard mode, jerky engagement from dead stop... in Sport mode, it holds RPMs far too long at low speeds before initially "upshifting." Engine vibration is far more apparent than it should be for any luxury vehicle - the same engine in the A3 was less prone to vibration. Brakes on the A4 are less direct, more difficult to modulate and with longer pedal travel than the A3 - might be fixed with stainless steel brake lines. Steering is much lighter and less dynamic as well same with the suspension which is calibrated for a compliant, soft ride over handling - lacking the balance of a BMW 3-series. Lastly, the climate control is noticeably less accurate than the A3... the interior temp seems to be about 5 degrees higher than the set point during all seasons. Might be a faulty part or just the nature of the system - hard to tell and not worth tearing apart the climate controls to find out. On the good side, the car is indeed comfortable as a highway cruiser. The interior materials are top notch. The trunk seriously swallows more cargo than my wifes Ford Escape. Instruments are legible and direct. For the price paid, the car came well optioned for a 2008 model - although bewildering that certain features now standard on mid-level cars (like heated seats, Bluetooth and USB/AUX inputs) were nowhere to be found on my A4. Its a handsome car that will serve as a good family hauler for a couple of years - a car that I wouldnt be ashamed to take clients between point A and B. Lesson learned though - its not a drivers car in the same way a 3-series might be. No major mechanical issues so far (knock on wood)... replaced post-purchase: an A/C diverter valve, the engine thermostat and the window lock switch. Not bad for a mid-2000s Audi. Overall, Im not sure I would buy the A4 in this configuration again... at this price point for a used vehicle, there are more competent sport sedans and more reliable family sedans that cost less to operate.

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  Lemonade season is almost over - 2015 Audi A3
  By Sonia - October 11 - 1:47 pm

  Uncomfortable rear seats with no leg room. AC is not as powerful as it should be and will not cool off your passengers in the rear seats. There has been a tapping noise coming from the sunroof which the dealership cannot seem to locate. They stated that this is normal due to the new models all glass sunroof. Experienced a loud whistling noise coming from the ac, Talk about embarrassment. The dealer said there was tree leaves. Lol. Less than a year with this car and already went in to have the ignition switch completely replaced. ( key is removed yet still recognizing a key in the ignition, if you dont pay attention your interior and exterior lights will stay on and your battery will drain) The brakes have started to roll which makes me weary if I ever am in a jam. This has got to be the biggest headache known to man. At less than 11,000 miles my check oil light went on, Im not sure this was a wise decision. Its time to breakup!