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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  A4 Me - 2009 Audi A4
  By S-Line Pilot - June 25 - 1:16 pm

  The commute has gotten a lot more pleasant since the A4 S-Line came in. The Audi is quiet, comfortable, and effortlessly easy to drive. The Alcantara seats are cooler than full leather in hot Louisiana summers. MMI is easy to use and useful after very short learning curve. The steering wheel scroll buttons make dialing phone numbers, radio surfing preset stations easy and safe. The daily commute is a 70/30 mix of highway (65-70 mph)and stop-n-go traffic and the Audi delivers an amazing avg 28-31 mpg with mindful throttle (depends on traffic, weather). Despite the 19" wheels and summer perf. tires the ride is firm without being jarring (test before buying). Gorgeous and feature laden.

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  Hesitation - 2007 Audi Q7
  By Lauren - June 25 - 11:40 am

  Ive experienced an unnerving hesitation occurs at low speeds (ex.) parking lots or left turns when a full stop is not required. The accelerator must be pumped several times before the engine responds. Dangerous at times so Ive learned to adapt to the quirk. Audi has looked at the car twice so far and says there is no apparent problem and my experiences cant be duplicated. Dont find it to be particularly nimble (unfair comparison, perhaps to my previous MDX) Very quiet and luxurious with very good visibility.

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  Was a very nice car. - 1998 Audi A4
  By Zach - June 23 - 11:55 am

  Amazing in the Wisconsin Winters. I call it a tank for the reason that it has been hit 4 times, and the only visible damage to the car was a slight tear in the right rear fender the day it was knocked out of a parking stall and into the stall next to it. However, the repairs make this car not so much fun. I have done regular maintenance on it since I bought the car, and yet I always drive home with it wondering what is going to go wrong with it next. The high dollar fixes become a drain, especially in this economy. Have to get a new PCV valve, and the part costs forty dollars. Repairs total 350-400.

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  More maintance than I can afford - 2001 Audi A6
  By Tim - June 21 - 7:41 pm

  Bought it used thinking I could put 200,000 miles on it. Not so, Engine gaskets and seals twice, frozen turbo, Airbag controller those are the $1,00 plus. Less than $1,000 tie rods, control arms, misc suspension parts, window guides, differential seals (all 3), O2 sensors. Fun to drive , great to look at but built poorly.

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  Lots of troubles - 1998 Audi A4
  By Alex Z - June 21 - 2:00 am

  Ive bought this car when it had somewhat high milage of 82K miles about year and a half ago. Ive put about 40,000 miles on it by now and while I really like the way it looks and drives (especially on the snow) it is a nightmare in terms of reliability. Everything which could get broken did. Ive invested about $5000 in it already and can easilu fit another $2K just to make it run normally. Oil leaks, water pump, power steering, tire rod ends, wheel bearings, and honestly this is just the beginning of the list...

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  Looks Good, Runs Bad - 2002 Audi A4
  By jetche - June 21 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car instead of a 325xi, what a mistake. Horrible initial build quality. Drivers seat squeaks constantly, dealer refuses to acknowledge problem. Every time it snows(which is what I bought the car for)the windshield wipers freeze or the motor locks up and the wipers remain stuck right in the line of vision. I am also experiencing crazy electrical problems, I will turn off the esp and my turn signal will activate and my headlights will shut off. Now there is a re-call for the ignition coil. The Bose stereo is nice, just dont try to listen to it with the sunroof open. I Want My 1999 2.8 Q Back ! What was audi thinking.

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  Drives nice but unrekiable - 2002 Audi A4
  By plewis100 - June 21 - 2:00 am

  Ive had my 2002 A4 Quattro for one year. On the plus side, the car is fun to drive, comfortable and looks great. However the negatives quickly overwhelm any positive aspects of this car. In the first year the car was immobilized for 29 days at the dealer waiting for a new ignition coil. In addition Ive had 2 radios replaced and many minor electrical problems. Ive lost all confidence in reliability of the car and prefer our 5 year old, 88,000 mile Subaru Outback for longer trips.I hate to think what problems Ill have after the warranty expires. I doubt if I will ever buy another Audi.

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  Handles poorly in Town/City traffic - 2009 Audi Q5
  By voltrader66 - June 20 - 9:18 pm

  Car has a serious issue with the gearbox. In start/stop traffic, the gear is either too low or too high. Unable to shift correctly. Jerky harsh ride in town driving. Fuel economy is much poorer than the stated.

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  Impresive Audi - 2009 Audi Q5
  By bomy - June 20 - 2:00 am

  The lease for my MB ML320 ended so I did some shopping around. Ive tried Acura RDX and MDX and I had serious concern on passenger safety and lack of visibility. The same experience I had with Infiniti. MB GLK is really repulsive in design and BMW is still in the works to replace the outdated X3. Q5 was the best choice that I could have made. The design is outstanding, craftsmanship on the same level. Nice gadgets and the rooftop made my life so easy in convincing my wife: a 10 out of 10.

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  Excellent value in a luxury sedan! - 2005 Audi A6
  By Ken - June 18 - 9:00 am

  The Audi Quattro system in my Audi A6 4.2 will spoil you really quickly. I find it quite a transition to drive the Asian front drive imports now. The power and agility shadows Mercedes-Benz models of equal price. The Multi Media / Navigation (MMI)configuration is far superior to the BMW set up. The Audi MMI is the best on the market.