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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  AWESOME!!!!! OWN NO OTHER CAR - 2004 Audi Allroad Quattro
  By PARKCITY - October 25 - 9:50 am

  I must have asked about 25 allroad owners before I bought this, and I didnt hear one negative thing. I still ask other owners and honestly have never heard a complaint. I love this car like no other. It is epitomized as a sports-car SUV with good MPG. The 6-speed manual is gutsy and responsive. The 2.7T is perfect for this car and gives good mileage for a car of its size, weight, and safety. The way this thing handles on the road is like my previous A4 quattro, but Ive got room for my bike, snowboard and the like. I really like the fact that this will raise 6-8 inches; I have an SUV with much better gas mileage (manual trans helps) and the power and handling of my previous A4.

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  It is what it is... - 2000 Audi A4
  By Chris - October 25 - 8:40 am

  When you buy an Audi you have to accept it for what it is. My 2000 A4 1.8 Front Track has 150,000 as of yesterday. Ive put 65,000 on it in my 5 years of ownership. Right now the dash is lit up like a Christmas tree, but rather than be obsessed with those lights, I just keep on driving. I think people should stop trying to keep the check engine light out and just accept the fact that Audis have issues. However, that doesnt prevent them from being an outstanding car. My Audi at 150,000 has many issues, but it also starts, stops, and gets me where I need to go. Its fun and has always been dependable.

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  Great Car & Dealer, but Audi Corporate? - 2010 Audi A4
  By boas13 - October 25 - 8:10 am

  The car looks and drives great. Handles as well as my former BMW 325xi and has exceeded my expectations. Only issue, minor, is defective mode switch on steering wheel but there are none in the country with ETA unknown. Availability of parts is the only concern I have at this point.

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  My A6 Deserted Me! - 2001 Audi A6
  By Don Schwinn - October 24 - 9:07 pm

  I wrote a very positive earlier review about how reliable the car was after 6 years of ownership. It must have jinxed me. Since then Ive had an $1100 alternator replacement, a frozen front caliper and a broken right front coil spring (the day before I was to trade it in!) I bought a new 2009 Ford Fusion SEL AWD with nav, leather, heated seats, alloy wheels, rear backup sensor, Microsoft Sync, etc for 1/2 the price of a new A6. A close friend of mine who has the same car just spent $4000 in repairs on his 2001 A6.

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  Great car but... - 2005 Audi A4
  By Keith - October 23 - 4:54 pm

  Well, it is a great car. Convertible and great gas mileage. Fun to drive and gorgeous to look at. I recommend that you buy one if you can but make sure that it comes with a warranty. These cars cost a lot of money to fix when they break and make sure that the dealer will take care of the problem for you. My 05 A4 at 38k just encountered a transmission problem and I never thought that I would have any kind of problem with this car that involved the transmission. My warranty expired 3 months ago and the cost to fix is $1600 for a modulator. The next thing that Im going to purchase for this car is a warranty. But it is a great car!

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  Little big Audi - 2010 Audi Q5
  By Chris - October 23 - 12:23 pm

  Great car to drive for short and long distances. I drive it during great traffic hours via NYC and it is fantastic! Car handling, design, interactive navigation, great stereo as well as huge sun roof are fantastic. I had BMW sport wagon and there is no comparison, as Audi is much better.

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  Awesome Audi - 2002 Audi S6
  By Wicked6 - October 22 - 8:50 pm

  2 years into ownership of this car, and I have NO regrets. I cannot say enough about the performance of the little V8, even at high altitude. (I bet this would be a beast at sea level.) I have 2 young kids (6 and 3), a wife, a big dog, a little dog, and stuff to haul back and forth to grandmas house 275 miles one way - this car handles it amazingly well!!! It is perfect in every way.

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  Awesome Xover - 2010 Audi Q5
  By lmariorod - October 22 - 7:38 pm

  What an awesome vehicle. Only owned one foreign car, an Accord. Was shopping for several xovers and fell in love with this vehicle immediately. DO NOT test drive this beast, otherwise you will love it. Handles like a sedan and I havent yet broken in, so Ive only touched the surface of this Q5s potential. Heard people say Audis were nice but never really liked any of their sedans, except for the TT. If this Q5 is decently reliable, Ill be an Audi purchaser again. Love my Q5!!

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  Ultra Sport with Ultra Repairs - 2004 Audi A4
  By Ceizure - October 21 - 6:58 pm

  Car is gorgeous. Dolphin grey ext & Black leather int. Looks like the S4, but with the economy of the 1.8T. It kills me that Audi makes such beautiful cars but cant make them reliable enough to compete with Japanese cars. In a years time, Ive replaced both front window regulators, the clutch, the center armrest, steering control arm, the stereo head unit and now scheduled items are coming up (timing, struts, brakes). This car only has 65k miles... Japanese typically dont fall apart until twice that. Audi does make a great car to lease. Only lease... which is unfortunate as most first time Audi buyers probably buy pre-owned and get turned off by the time they make enough to buy new.

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  Something to consider - 2009 Audi A4
  By coloradodriver - October 20 - 11:06 pm

  I purchased an 09 Premium Plus and found the seats to be super uncomfortable. So uncomfortable, in fact, that I ended up trading it in with only 4,000 miles on it for another 09 A4, but this one had the sport seats (M3-style retractable thigh support bolsters)and better shoulder support plus paddle shifters. Night and day. While I could never get quite comfortable in my Premium Plus I was immediately very comfortable and have been for the past 16,000 miles in my Sport package model. The only issue is that from what I understand Audi has discontinued the "Sport Package" and now only offers the better seats in the S4. Something to consider- you will not like the stock seats if you are 510"+.