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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  Luxury Driving At Its Nicest - 2005 Audi A8
  By fastcompany - June 6 - 2:11 pm

  Everytime I see my car I just smile knowing what a beautiful choice I made. I love the curvature and design of the car. I love the ride. The pickup is there if you need it but for style and handling it is pure luxury and I am as happy as the 1st day I got my car. The car does things I never thought existed. Roomy as heck in the back....more than enough for anyone of any size. Couldntve made a happier automobile owner.

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  Horrible experience with Audi A3 Cabriolet - 2015 Audi A3
  By sairamkumar - June 4 - 8:10 pm

  I leased a new 2015 Audi A3 Cabriolet from Audi Palo Alto in October. A few weeks back as the car was climbing a hill enroute to Lombard street in San Francisco in Traffic, it started slipping backwards and refused to accelerate upwards. The cars behind me naturally honked and drivers were mad at my car not only blocking traffic but slipping backwards. When I switched off the car and tried restarting it would not start for 10 min. After 10 min, it started again and went up 100 feet and again slipped backwards. Somehow after an hour long traumatic experience, I got out of the hill. Following this, I had a horrible experience with the service team at Audi Palo Alto too...

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  So far, so good for the most part - 2015 Audi Q5
  By sidv - June 3 - 9:43 pm

  Have had a 2015 Q5 3.0T for five months and 2K miles now. Its the S-line with MMI and the B&O stereo. I love the looks, the comfortable seats, the panoramic roof and the smooth and torquey engine. Quattro and the 8 speed transmission make for a nice, fairly refined drivetrain. Zero issues to date but its early. As for negatives the B&O isnt much of a premium stereo and sorely lacks both overall volume and bass. The MMI is overly complicated and just OK. The back seat could be a bit roomier but is not terrible by any means. The cargo area doesnt seem as roomy as I would have hoped. Curb weight at around 4400 lbs is excessive. The engine runs out of power a bit at higher rpms

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  Great Car!! 185K - 2007 Audi A4
  By a4lasvegas - June 3 - 6:42 pm

  I bought my A4 2.0T FWD new in 08. It now has 185K miles and still has the original clutch. Maintenance has been: timing belt at 90K, engine hood piston (holds the hood up when open) and the normal - Tires, brakes, Headlights, taillights, battery, ignition coils. The only thing that has ever broken is the latch on the center console. I went from a 2001 Porsche 911 to the Audi (kids got to big to squeeze in the back) and while it doesnt have the HP of the 911 it has been a fun car to drive with fantastic gas mileage. Vegas to LA usually 32-33 MPG at 80mph+

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  Not Happy with this SUV - 2015 Audi Q3
  By newbuyer101 - June 3 - 2:15 pm

  I bought this SUV thinking I am getting a good deal but I am not happy with what I got. I paid extra for the Navigation package and I assumed it would be touch screen. I mean why would any car manufacturer make in dash system which is not touch screen in this day and age. It sucks to enter a phone number using the inbuilt dial. The entire system is so cumbersome. It seems AUDI has really skimped on this model. No way to fold side mirrors and no homelink either. I am not sure what else is this model missing but I very skeptical about what AUDI had put in this model. I will most likely trade in this vehicle for something else. This is my first and last Audi.

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  First Teutonic love affair - 2015 Audi A3
  By alex768 - May 27 - 2:33 pm

  This is my first Audi and I have to say Im in love. The little 1.8 pulls hard at the lower end and the grip is seemingly endless. I constantly catch myself pushing its limits in the corners and even when the limit is hit the electric steering does a good job of letting me know. When not bombing corners, the car is incredibly composed and serene, especially at highway speeds. Ive never been happier and Im actually let down when I hop in any other vehicle. The audi service department is also excellent. Whenever I go in for an oil change or otherwise they seem to throw me the keys to a rental and get everything taken care of quickly.

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  All round excellence! - 2015 Audi A3
  By markrn1 - May 25 - 2:39 pm

  I have driven my 2015 Audi A3 for 1 week as of today. I have a Premium and only upgrade is to cold weather package. This car delivers an excellent value for the purchase price and is surprisingly well equipped for a base, entry level model. It has standard sun-roof, leather seats, an incredibly easy to use MMI system and with my upgrade heated seats. Working with my Audi sales rep was a very pleasant and experience and my purchase was made both easy and fun. Trading from a Jeep Commander, I was concerned about how I would feel driving a small sedan again, but the A3 feels confident and controlled. Couldnt be happier!

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  Audi Q5 - 6 month review - 2015 Audi Q5
  By audiexperience - May 24 - 9:23 am

  - Tires: 3 flat tires in 6 months when I have never had a flat prior. No full size space. OEM tires already discontinued after 6 months. I now have one tire that does not match and Audi has said I need to replace all the tires if I want them to match although Audi does not recommend driving with tires that do not match. Audi customer service (awful!) said it would not replace the tires, then said it would (I have a voicemail), then said it would not..... - Actual highway MPG has been 22-23 versus posted 28. I care about vehicle range hence why this matters for me. - Rattling in the winter. Constant rattles that went away when temperatures warmed up.

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  Meltdown - 2007 Audi A4
  By czech3 - May 20 - 7:58 pm

  At around 120k miles I replace the timing belt. The engine sounded more high pitched with a whining sound right aferwards. Several thousand miles later the oil symbol started flashing and several blocks later the engine was toast. The local garage it was towed to thought it was the timing belt. Took it to the dealer and they said it was the oil pump. When Consumer Reports says the A4 models have major engine problems I guess this is what they meant. No satisfaction from the Audi dealer...only blame that I drove it several blocks befor pulling over.

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  Glad to be rid of this car - 2011 Audi A5
  By dontlikeaudi - May 20 - 8:04 am

  I bought mine new in 2011 and kept in nearly 4 years. My car burned oil. Audi settled a class action lawsuit because they used bad parts that cause this problem. Getting warranty to deal with this or any other issue was always a pain in the rear. The programming also was annoying. Set your lights to auto and everytime to open the door with to grab the mail with the engine on you get a warning tone. Radio presets always have to be selected instead of staying in memory. Service light can only be turned off by audi not independent garages. If the passenger unbuckles, I dont need a tone every 60 seconds. I traded for a BMW and am very happy I got out of this POS.