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:

• 

  Hunk of Junk - 2004 Audi Allroad Quattro
  By allroadjunk - August 5 - 1:59 pm

  Buyers beware of this Audi at any price! I traded in my wife’s Lexus RX300 with 100K (great car) for a 2004 All Road with 75K. A week after we got the Audi the turn signal failed and the part cost over $100. To make things worse, it is under a front dash plate that is impossible to remove without breaking the cheap tabs that hold the metal clips ($150 to replace). Within a month it started to leak oil and I was told that the seal was a known problem and impossible to replace without a top end tear down (eight hours of labor). I did this repair and the trimming belt at a cost of over $2,600. Then a coil went and I was told to replace all six due to an Audi recall. A few months later warning lights started coming on and sensors that cost $300 plus to replace started to become common. I am now at 90K and I have another oil leak going to the turbo (min $500) and the air suspension has gone bad ($1,700 per wheel and should be done in pairs) and my check engine and ABS lights are going on and off. After owning over 65 cars, this is truly the biggest hunk of junk! Audi should step up and do a recall on the suspension and oil problems. While they did the right thing by discontinuing the “All Road” model they apparently still have many problems with the A6 (according to a 2010 worst rating survey) and God help you if you have an A8. My brother gave his to the “Cash for Clunkers” program.

• 

  Best yet - 2003 Audi A4
  By Joseph45433 - August 3 - 2:00 am

  Best Audi to date!

• 

  Good car - 2002 Audi A6
  By SavCD - August 2 - 5:34 pm

  I bought this car new in 2002. I have only had a very things done to it (based on time) that were ahead of schedule. I just had the timing belt changed. It has been a good car and a joy to own. I intend to keep it another five years.

• 

  Disappointed of Audi - 2005 Audi A4
  By Ronny L. - August 2 - 2:55 pm

  Loved my VW Golf build in Germany. My Audi, is a not a total disaster but fighting with Audi NA about quality issues. My headlights were a rain forest. Audi wont fix nor address this issue. I did my own fix to it. If you buy an Audi, make sure you find an independent shop that works on your car for about 40% to 60% less than an Audi dealer otherwise your are paying too much. I will not buy an Audi again. It is a super fun car to drive in rain and snow. This is not comparable to any other cars I ever had. Also, make sure you grease the wiper transmission, this is also an Audi quality issue. Make sure you get a Certified Pre-owned (CPO) if you buy a used Audi.

• 

  Great car but uncomfortable front seats - 2009 Audi A4
  By JB - August 2 - 2:23 pm

  Both front seats proved to be uncomfortable during long driving periods. The problem is that the seats side support bolsters are so high and firm (firmer than all other luxury cars of the same class) that they provide undue pressure on the hip bones. The outside side supporting plastic exacerbates the situation by noT allowing any amount of downward give of the seat. Thus, when exiting the vehicle, the plastic support and firm bolster provides undue pressure on legs.

• 

  Superb - 2009 Audi A4
  By mynewaudi - August 2 - 7:40 am

  Ive had my Audi A4 for one week now. Excellent well designed car. Sharp styling with excellent design/fit and finish on the interior. MMI is really slick. Performance on the 2.0T is excellent - strong pull due to high torque. No problems with the CVT thus far. Exhaust note gives a good growl when accelerating. Pricing right now has been really good too!

• 

  great car - 2004 Audi A4
  By redsox44344 - August 1 - 9:26 pm

  The ride was fun, always a good experience. Gas mileage is pretty good, and so is just about everything else. Not exceptionally fast, but it does the job well.

• 

  Its pretty...pretty expensive to own - 1999 Audi A6
  By autumn - July 31 - 6:33 pm

  I loved everything about this car, except for the true cost of ownership. I owned it for two years, and put $1000/year into maintenance. Water pump $600, Power window $400, etc. It had tons of room in cab and trunk, and lots of quality and style. Watch out for the stereo, though. If you change the battery, or theres a short, the stero locks up and you need a code to unlock it - whichll cost you $75 if you dont know it. And if you want to upgrade the stereo, you have to replace EVERYTHING (deck, speakers, wires). I loved it as long as I could afford it, but I wont buy another. P.S. make sure to get an owners manual

• 

  Loved our Cab so much, bought a Sedan - 2009 Audi A4
  By Hans - July 31 - 1:41 pm

  Just picked up an Aruba Blue,Premium Plus with Navi and wood trim. My wife has a 2009 Cab (older platform) for about a year now. I love driving it so much that I shopped the end of season sales for a sedan for me and found a great deal. I was driving an 04 Accord with 100k trouble-free miles and had no desire to give it up. The Audis driving dynamics, power and smoothness of the engine are great (even vs. Cab) and gas mileage is quite good. Its also the perfect size I was looking for. The gray interior is beautiful. The MMI is awesome as is the bluetooth and stereo. Seats very comfortable as well. If reliability is on par with the Honda, this will be the best car Ive ever owned.

• 

  Save your money for repairs - 2003 Audi A4
  By utahsnowrider - July 30 - 1:52 pm

  I have owned this car for 5 years and purchased it new. I love the handling, performance,and smooth,quiet ride. It handles well in the snow. As soon as the vehicle was off warranty and still under 50,000 miles, I had to replace the power steering pump, cracked vacuum tubes, and oxygen sensors. I calculated that it has cost me $100 per month for repairs since the warranty expired. Not exactly the fine engineering and reliability I expected when I purchased the car. I read a lot of owner reviews that are experiencing the same failures my car has. I still love to drive this car, but I wont be buying another Audi.