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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  2004 Audi A4 - A LEMON! - 2004 Audi A4
  By mvaladez - December 13 - 10:00 am

  My AUDI A4 is on the brink of "lemon" classification -- it has been in the shop for 22 days. I bought the car just 6 months ago and sadly, Ive had problems with it for the past 3 months. According to the service center, it is not safe to drive. It shakes violently and for some unfortunate reason, always decides to buck when coming to a stop. The transmission part needed is on back order & Audi has no idea when it will arrive. Apparently "tracking systems" are not part of Audis lexicon. I highly advise anyone interested in purchasing this vehicle to do plenty of research on the CVT system and think twice before going down this path.

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  Overrated and overpriced - 2003 Audi S6
  By motoole - September 19 - 2:00 am

  I have driven this car for 3000 miles and I am totally disappointed. WHile there are many admirable features, it does not display the power/style differences over other models to justify the extra cost. I am already looking to sell this vehicle.

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  Disappointed - 2002 Audi A6
  By Sucker! - September 11 - 2:00 am

  Poor build quality - recalled twice. Dealership knows nothing about service.

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  I was dupped! - 1998 Audi A6
  By German Crap - August 16 - 2:00 am

  VERY disappointed...thinking I was buying a luxury car, and I got a luxury maint. bill. NEVER buy an Audi again!

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  Audi Nightmare!!! - 2000 Audi A4
  By Jennifer - August 4 - 2:00 am

  This car was WONDERFUL-- until the warranty expired. Since then, I have spent thousands of dollars on engine and suspension repairs. Steve White Audi (Greenville, SC) has the least professional and incompetent service department I have encountered. Audi of America does not hold the dealers responsible, and make minimal efforts to ensure quality service.

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  Worst car Ive ever owned - 2000 Audi A6
  By hatemyaudi - July 24 - 2:00 am

  Constant small problems such as leaks, windows getting stuck over and over again. Rides like a tank. No pickup, very sluggish. Stereo is 3rd rate. I thought I was buying a higher end car, the only thing I got was a headache. NEVER, NEVER again will I buy an Audi.

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  Beware timing chain tensioner at 75k miles!! - 2014 Audi Q5
  By Peter Pan - July 4 - 3:27 am

  The 2.0l engine has a poorly designed timing chain tensioner which is prone to failure around 75k miles - and will take your engine with it. There is a class action lawsuit about the problem (google it). The car also does not hold its value well - I’m told due to lack of reliability and sky high repair costs. That said, until the timing chain failed it was fun to drive and had been pretty reliable. However, at 74k miles when the timing chain tensioner failed, the engine repair costs exceeded the blue book value of the car (4.5 years old). The navigation system was clunky, it had no USB ports, and poor user interface for such an expensive car.

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  DONT BUY THIS PIECE OF JUNK!!!!!!! - 1998 Audi A6
  By cargrrrl - June 23 - 2:00 am

  I bought my car used, with about 32,000 miles on it. I have driven it about 23,000 miles, and over the 18 months Ive owned it, have had the car in the shop 14 times. Not minor things either - new upper and lower oil pans, bad fuel injection system, all new sparks,etc., basically everthing but the tranny. This car is the most unreliable piece of junk I have ever had the displeasure of owning. Now I know why the previous owner traded it in at 32,000 miles, he was sick and tired of the unrealibility too. I cant wait to trade this hunk of junk in!

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  UPDATED 2017 Q7 Leaks Water Front Passenger Side - 2017 Audi Q7
  By Ken E. - May 18 - 2:21 am

  12/11/16: My car was returned from service for this issue after 14 days in the shop. The mechanics comments on my receipt follow: "Took vehicle thru car wash with A/C on. Found water coming from the bottom of the dash. Removed wiper cowl cover and air intake ducting. No damage to seals or evidence of leaking. Ran vehicle thru car wash again using borascope to watch inside housing intake. Found when foam from car wash hits it is sucked into the vent box. Removed housing from another vehicle and found it did the same thing. Contacted product support. Was advised this condition is "normal" and vehicle needs to be in recirculation mode or A/C OFF while going through a car wash!" So according to Audi those of us living in the south should turn off our A/C or put it in recirculation mode to go through a car wash? This is my 20th new automobile. I have never had to do any such thing with any other brand. Ill be trading back to Lincoln next year. I miss my MKT. This is my first Audi. I have always purchased Lincolns, but they discontinued the MKT. I traded my 2011 MKT on a new 2017 Audi Q7 equipped nicely with $66,000 worth of bells and whistles. I should have kept the MKT! I first noticed the car leaking when my wife and I drove it through a car wash and water dripped onto her feet. We returned to the dealer in Jacksonville. After many hours they reported they could not "replicate" the problem. They said they blew out all the drains, etc. and hopefully our problem was solved. 10 days go by and I visit the car wash again. Drip, drip, drip into the passenger cabin with about a cup of water during a 2 minute trip through the automated car wash! I filed a written complaint with the dealer and management. The service writer called me (not a peep from anyone in management). He had the car picked up at my home (117 miles from the dealership). It has been there 7 days now and the last report I received on Thursday (today is Sunday) is that they were going to drive it through a car wash! No kidding? It has not rained since I purchased the car. We are about to take it on a 1500 mile trip to see the grandkids. I am extremely worried the car will flood if we run into rain! This is supposed to be a LUXURY automobile! The electronics are flaky for the radio, and the navigation system is a throw back to the system I had in my Lincoln in 2006! No touch screen! A stupid knob to turn to enter data one character at a time! The MMI system works sometimes, other times it doesnt seem to connect unless I turn off the car, and restart it. The entertainment system has crashed and rebooted several times without explanation. As I stated earlier, this is my first Audi. It will also be my last. Poor dealer service and response, a leaky brand new luxury automobile, and no response whatsoever from management. Do yourself a favor and find another vehicle.

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  Car is just alright. - 2017 Audi Q7
  By Roger - April 18 - 4:18 pm

  Ive switched from Mercedes. Handling is nicer, not as nice as BMW though. Cabin is very quiet. First impression is amazing. Nicely designed and finished. As soon as you start driving it you realize run flat tires destroy the comfort you may like from Mercedes. Head up display, as Paul already mentioned, produces ugly glares on a windscreen, right in front of you, distracting and destroying the whole experience of having a head up display technology. The best you can do when the glare comes up is to use a paper towel or something else to cover it up. Turning it off doesnt help as glare is a reflection from the HUD optics, not an image from the projector. Driver assistance package seems like an interesting enhancement but the car doesnt fully stop itself as advertised. You better read about all the limitations etc. The last one and a very annoying issue it the air-conditioning. The level of the noise the funs produce on a sunny days is hard to bear. If I had the money in my pocket again I would seriously consider other vehicles like GLS or XC90. Perhaps this is what Im going to do. Wait for the new GLS and trade it in. Good luck.