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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  Stay Away From Audi - 2000 Audi A4
  By AudiHater - July 10 - 2:00 am

  Having owned an Audi it is the worst car buying experience I have ever had. Dont buy an Audi and stay away from Flemington Audi. The technicians dont know how to diagnose or repair a problem without you bringing it in multiple times. Audi themselves, dont stand behind their cars. The build quality is extremely poor. I have had the same problems everyone else has experienced. The service area told me that German cars have a lot of electrical problems and I have had more than my fair share. The quality of parts going into the cars is the main issue. What ever you do dont buy an Audi!

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  Fix the MMI - 2004 Audi A8
  By waitingforhelp - May 23 - 2:00 am

  MMI has constantly failed, including running down the battery forcing a tow job. Dealership cant fix and blames Audi USA. This is a very serious problem that they need to come clean on. Credibility is vanishing!

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  frustrated - 2004 Audi A8
  By hate it - May 8 - 2:00 am

  I couldnt be more frustrated. Ive had it in the shop six times in five months. The electronics on the car keeps failing. The technicians cannot figure it out. The MMI system and the keyless remote keep failing. I wish I could get rid of it. But Audi does not back up their product.

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  Great car... not with the service - 2000 Audi A6
  By 00AUDIA6 - March 31 - 2:00 am

  The car itself is decent, the Quattro does an excellent job in a Maine winter, but the quality from there on out drops. The rear cupholders both broke in December 02. We have yet to hear back from the dealer who is ordering the parts. Vehicle is safe, was in a minor accident and we did not feel anything, but we sent it to the dealership, and they fixed the rear bumper... with a dent in the front bumper. Way to go for quality control. Car has had many service problems, and dealers service has been unsatisfactory

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  Buy an Acura instead - 2001 Audi A4
  By Namiko - March 9 - 2:00 am

  Do yourself a favor and buy an Acura or a Lexus instead. This isnt a truly awful car. My Ford Contour was a truly awful car. But this isnt a good car. I have had annoying problems since I drove it off the lot. Everything from the vanity light going out to the wiper blades hopping to the car not starting! The brake squeal is insufferable and is part of the design of the Audi brakes and they wont do anything about it. These problems are not acceptable and downright embarrassing from a $30k car.

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  Audi engineering/ service poor at best - 1998 Audi A6
  By nvragin - March 6 - 2:00 am

  Audi and the 3 dealerships I have dealt with should be ashamed of themselves. This is not German engineering/service at its finest. I have had nothing but problems from day one, oil leaks, injector problems. After 3 visits to have the same oil leak fixed, the service mgr told me he thought I should consider buying a new car. It still leaks oil. There is a six week wait to get the car in for service because they dont have enough trained mechanics. Now, after spending $2K on a transmission module which was to fix my current problem they tell me I now need to replace the transmission.

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  Audi A4 has a serious enginer problem - 2003 Audi A4
  By M G - February 23 - 10:00 am

  Engine coils failed one by one on my brand new A4. I heard the same thing happening on other cars. Audi must issue a recall.

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  horrible experience - 2002 Audi A4
  By steve7968@aol.com - February 18 - 2:00 am

  Im the owner of a 2002 A4 1.8T quattro....car broke down 3 times within a year, was stuck 50 miles from my home in 20 degree weather with my wife & 80 year old mother- in-law (who suffers from alzheimers) for over 4 hours until roadside assistance pickedup car.... dealer would not approve rental car until they saw car (being roadside asssitance took so long- dealer was closed!!!)... horrid experience, feel very unsafe in car, will never drive again! 2 years left on lease.....

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  Maintenance Nightmare - 2002 Audi A4
  By TOMNSD - October 30 - 2:00 am

  Expect to spend a lot of time at the repair shop if you buy this car.

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  avoid audi and vw!!! - 2004 Audi A4
  By denzo - October 19 - 2:00 am

  have it for 6 months, its been in the shop for 2,vw/audi doesnt have parts! upon any problems u will wait a month for parts,& very lucky to receive a courtesy car..the sport suspension is horrible! believe me,i drove benz bmw & lexus, this suspension is horrible, u might as well throw a horse in the front and call it a day..the pickup is a nightmare but the car glides at 85..i wish i can say, get this car, but dont!i have every option on the car & the only good thing about this car is the bose system..good luck..oh yea the low profile tires look nice, but i was slippin and sliding on the snow which i didnt expect from a quattro ..gonna need winter tires!