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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  (Red) Hot To Trot - 2006 Audi A3
  By Richard Cooper - August 2 - 4:53 am

  Just traded in my very yellow Mazdaspeed Protege for a base A-3. After a week I am pretty impressed with the cars performance and refinement. The car feels much quicker than the Mazda and vastly improved driveability. It is a little more like a wagon than a hot hatchback. I would probably wait for the VW GTI if I were more patient. Would have preferred the sport package +Bose radio but I couldnt seem to find one equipped that way without buying the Skyroof. The base radio and interior are OK but not as sporty unique as the Mazdaspeed Protege. The dealer was fairly uninformed about MP3, Satellite Radio and this new model in general. Still for $25K, a great buy!

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  S6 Wagon - 1995 Audi S6
  By Maine-iac - July 31 - 2:00 am

  I just sold my 2002 S4 sedan so that I could get my not-so-new 1995.5 S6 Wagon with 99,000 miles on it. So far, I couldnt be happier with my decision. The wagon has tons of room, creature comforts, power and handling. It is also fantanstic in the snow, even with ordinary all-season tires. This car is faster than the 227 bhp figure suggests, partcularly when you figure in the massive torque available at full boost. My wagon dusts my fathers 2002 A6 2.7 bi-turbo every time. And, I think its a better looking and more useful vehicle.

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  A6 Lovely but risky - 1999 Audi A6
  By A6Driver - July 31 - 2:00 am

  I love my A6 Avant in most repects. I can throw my two dogs in the back and go camping or enjoy the twisty canyon roads with the steptronic transmission. I love the interior, the sound system, the looks and the refined engine /transmission combination. All I ask is that the car hold together over the long term. I bought it with 36,000 miles and 2,000 miles later it is in the shop having a clunk in the front suspension looked at. The brakes are also being scrutinized as they have begun to squeal. The air conditioning works well but sounds like a giant vacuum cleaner. I recommend the Audiworld website.

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  Performance at an affordable price - 1999 Audi A4
  By Go Red Sox - July 27 - 2:00 am

  Made a good decision to purchase this used 2.8Q instead of the 1.8Q. The performance is smoother and more powerful. It is a fun car to drive with it makes my heart flutter. My wife and I drove to niagara falls from Mass. this past february and came back during a blizzard. I saw 18 vehicles that slid off the highway or were flipped over (5 cars). This car provided me with a lot of road gripping reassurance. I was sold on the quattro system. Ive had it for 6 months and the fuel guage just failed. I think it will cost about $500 to fix. Ive been very happy with this vehicle.

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  Fun to drive but terrible quality - 1998 Audi A4
  By Doug T - July 24 - 2:00 am

  Bought this brand new, and have had a succession of minor and major problems. While the driving experience is excellent, the build quality of the car is terrible--worse than a 1984 Ford Escort I used to own. Its bad enough that I never plan on buying another Audi. Id advise you not to buy one to begin with.

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  TTs a blast to drive - 2003 Audi TT
  By group911 - July 24 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car in Idaho Falls & drove it home it was an absolute kick in the pants on the wide open highways across Wyoming.

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  Service center wait times - 2001 Audi A4
  By scollier11 - July 24 - 2:00 am

  Although I love my car I would not recommend it to anyone. Last month my window regulator shattered and stuck in the down position. Columbia SC service wouldnt see me for 2 weeks - had to travel 2 x the distance to Charlotte where it took 3 separate trips to fix problem - over a month to fix a window so it would roll up and down also left tape residue ruining tint job. Great car - Bad service

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  My Audi A6 is a Perennial oil leaker - 1998 Audi A6
  By Alpha Ed - July 23 - 2:00 am

  Its a fine car but overall mechanical quality suffers relative to its price range. I had to replace every single engine seal and gasket before 60,000 miles! Some of the gaskets I replaced just 16,000 miles ago are now failing again. My steering is now starting to go out. I have previously owned a Mitsubishi, Honda, Toyota and a Suburu. This car has required by far the most repair maintenance of all those models....combined.

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  Fun Car - 1994 Audi 90
  By Tims car - July 19 - 2:00 am

  A little underpowered but it gets you there. A sharp looking car with lots of luxury features, from leather heated power seats to power sun roof make this an overall cool car.

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  Im glad I am not alone with all the mnx! - 2000 Audi A4
  By Angela - July 19 - 2:00 am

  I bought my A4 in Feb since I needed a safe AWD car in Colorado...It only had 28K mis. However, my Check Engine light has been on more then its been off. I have had to replace the secondary air pump ($460). I have had to replace the O2 sensor ($230) and the mass air flow sensor ($270) and I actually did the installation myself to save money. Audi was no help-in fact Rick from Ed Caroll in Fort Collins, CO tried to con me into thinking I had a oil leak that was going to cost another $600 to repair! Dont buy this car if you think you can do simple mnx on it--it is too complex!I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER AUDI!