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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  Best car Ive ever owned! - 2000 Audi A4
  By RickB - July 1 - 4:21 pm

  2nd owner of a Audi factory specialty built 1999 A4 with all 2000 model year toys like nav, xenon, recaro seats, ESP. Best car Ive ever owned! Only two dislikes and they are minor. Otherwise a very solid car that Ive driven throughout Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Holland and France. I definitely recommend a 2000 Audi A4 Quattro, and would also say to buy winter tires and summer tires then rotate to avoid AWD tire issues.

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  I NEVER write reviews - 2009 Audi Q5
  By NewQ5 - June 30 - 11:32 am

  Okay, this is my first review on a car. I have previously owned 3 Lexus, BMW, Acura, and Toyotas. This is my first Audi, had test drove the A4 when buying Acura and was not impressed, so almost did not even look at the Q5. Glad I did, this IS THE BEST CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED. Upside, engine is great, street from my house is a hill and a turn against oncoming traffic, the car provides the extra torque in the rear wheel for complete control, ALL other cars has issue with this even BMW 535i also 2009. Interior is extremely nice - I have nearly all the options so car price tag is $50k, which is appears overpriced at first, but when comparing quality interior and options is right on the money.

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  Audi A4 - 2009 Audi A4
  By Dave - June 30 - 6:03 am

  I purchased the A4 with the Prestige package, awesome car. Handles great and has much better performance than previous A4s. The only complaint, automatic transmission seems to shift too early in the lower gears and sometimes feels like it cant make up its mind between 1st and 2nd gear.

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  Be sure to test drive prior to purchase - 2009 Audi A4
  By Guy Coates - June 28 - 10:41 am

  This is a great looking car and fun drive but has one major flaw. If you attempt to accelerate fast from a dead stop by mashing the accelerator, the transmission hesitates for a full second before the turbo kicks in. This can be dangerous when attempting to make a left turn in front of approaching traffic. I was told by the dealer that this is a common complaint because of the tiptronic transmission and cannot be corrected. You simply cannot throttle the vehicle hard from a stop and there is no fix. They said that I would get used to it. Be sure to test drive the vehicle before purchasing. I only test drove mine for a few miles.

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  All Season Driving - 2003 Audi A4
  By Michael - June 28 - 10:05 am

  At 76,000 miles, I am very happy with this car. The interior design is very ergonomic and everything is oriented to the driver. Trunk space is huge. The exterior design is simple, yet elegant. Quattro AWD makes the car suitable for any driving conditions and the car is more than capable of performing in the corners - it just stays controlled at all times. The 1.8T engine is a little under performing considering the brute weight of the vehicle, but an ECU upgrade quickly fixes that issue. What you lose in engine performance, you gain in fuel economy where I get an average in the low 30s on the highway - approximately 27 mpg over all. Original and stock clutch is still going strong.

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  Nice to drive when you can - 2003 Audi A6
  By Bummed - June 27 - 1:48 pm

  Love this luxury car! Then I find out that there are all sorts of water problems associated with these and most other VWs and Audis. Of course this happens after warranty, not that the warranty would cover it any way. What a horrible issue! Thousands of dollars in repairs when all I needed when purchased was to be told about "cleaning drains?" Have now read hundreds of people having same issues. Why wont they admit that German Engineering can have defects, too? I guess thats why the rich get richer. Audi fans (which I was one of) claims theyre not even broken in until 100,000 miles! You cant get there! Im at 76,000 miles and the car is ruined. Dont let your Audi get rained on.

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  1.8T is a little underpowered - 2002 Audi A4
  By 1.8T-Fan - June 27 - 2:00 am

  This a great car and for the first eight months I absolutely loved the performance in this car. Then I bought my wife a Turbo S Beetle which has the same engine and I got to realize that this cars weight counts against having the 1.8T motor. The A4 has a lot of turbo lag under 3000 rpm which you dont feel in the Beetle with the same engine. I have a manual shift and quattro and it has the best roadholding in the world. Awesome motorcar. Next time, Ill go with the 3.0 or the S4, although at least this way I dont get the speeding fines I would with the 3.0

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  Near Perfection - 2003 Audi A4
  By mlbean - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Ive dirven them all. The 330 The G35 The IS-300 The 320 None of them compare.

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  better than th couch - 2003 Audi A4
  By krys - June 27 - 2:00 am

  unbelievable! i go to the car to relax

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  Review - 2002 Audi A6
  By susry - June 25 - 2:50 pm

  We have had nothing but problems since purchasing this vehicle. The high repair costs have really turned me off on Audi. CV Boots, some part in the transmission, motor bushings, and now they tell me that the transmission needs replacing. This is the last Audi that this family will own.