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:

• 

  11 years old still great - 1997 Audi A4
  By oldaudi - February 16 - 12:43 pm

  This car is now 11 years old and it still drives great. It has 128,000 miles on it and still feels like new. The interior holds up well as does the exterior body and paint. It handles great in snow and ice. Repairs are very costly on these cars. I think reliablity is better than a lot of american cars but comes nowhere close to a Honda or Toyota. Ive have to replace 2 controls arms, which was a common problem with these early models. I replaced the clutch after 60 miles which seems pretty weak to me. As far as routine maintenance the most expensive is 90k miles about $1000.

• 

  I love the car - 2001 Audi A6
  By James - February 13 - 2:28 pm

  This a great car if you love to drive. The car responds to your driving. Great handling in any type of weather. Great performance car. I push the car and it still ask for more.

• 

  Super Car for those in the know - 2008 Audi A5
  By Yuriy - February 13 - 11:54 am

  A5 is not for everyone. Its for the experienced drivers to savor all the perks of driving very touchy and agile vehicle. Strong. Solid design in and out.

• 

  Car drives like a dream - 2012 Audi A6
  By Elisa - February 8 - 6:07 pm

  My 4th Audi, bought it used 2012 A6Prestigue supercharge. My first in 88 91,01 and now 2012. Take good care of your Audi and it will take care of you. Living in NEw England its specially important to have Quattro for those crazy winter. Every time I feel its time to get a newer car, I do actually go and test drive, Bmw, Mercedes, I even tried a couple other cars. But theres no handling like a Audi...I cant afford a brand new 60k Audi, but buying a precertified used is still very good. I considered purchasing a brand new car in 25-30k. Problem, they dont hold the value like a Audi do so think in the long run too. Thats my opinion.

• 

  Love the Car - 2003 Audi A4
  By Johnny Q. - February 8 - 2:00 am

  The car in my mind, is your best buy, pound for pound.

• 

  Second owner - 2005 Audi A8
  By David - February 6 - 9:34 pm

  We needed to replace a Volvo S90 and decided to try a used A8 after looking at the new models of Volvo, the Audi A6, and the 5 series BMW. This A8 was a one owner with reasonable miles (40k). It has been an impressive auto from performance to comfort. The 19 inch wheels with low profile tires are great for handling, but with our non-aggressive driving, we will opt to go the the 17" with A/S for lower noise and less road feel. If buying used, be aware of the high cost to maintain, especially at the dealer. Aftermarket parts are not much of a savings. And all the bells and whistles could add to the cost of ownership due to maintenance.

• 

  Audi, unexpected elegence. - 2008 Audi R8
  By Logan D - February 5 - 5:32 pm

  This car is a dream come true. Everything about it is stylish and classy with a sort of dirty elegence. When I first sat in the drivers seat of this beauty and felt the leather I knew that this was beyond ordinary. With its superior handling and stream-lined body style this is truly a car to be appreciated.

• 

  Love my car - 2005 Audi S4
  By njsnowdriver - February 5 - 9:53 am

  I have to say that I really love this car. I now have 35K miles on it and it is as good as the day I bought it. When I purchased it, there wasnt an RS4 yet. Otherwise I would have bought that. But at this price point, I think it is one of the best cars in the world. Due to inclement weather I sold my previous sports cars, a BMW M3 and a Mazda RX8. While the BMW was spectacular, it just didnt work in the snow. At all. The RX8 was a dud all around. It was fun to shift, but that was it. It was slow, could not be driven in snow, and it stalled and needed to be towed constantly. The s4 is quick, handles great in snow, & is a perfect wolf in sheeps clothing. I highly recommend it.

• 

  Quattro for life - 2008 Audi A3
  By Quattro rocks. - February 4 - 10:42 pm

  Bullet fast. Sticks to the road like glue. Modern interior design. Awesome sound system. Torque and horsepower to spare. Quattro all wheel drive. This car is worth every penny, and is truly a drivers car. The A3 3.2 is a total blast to drive. Spent the better part of 1 year comparing the A3 3.2 Quattro to the IS 250 AWD, Infiniti G35, Acura TL, and the BMW 325xi. The Audi is the thinking mans BMW, whatever that means. Gas mileage not all that great, but nobody buys a 250 hp v6 for the gas mileage... you buy it for the big grin it puts on your face when you hammer the throttle. I love this car, go buy one now!

• 

  more than i expected - 2002 Audi A4
  By mr. mortgage - February 1 - 10:00 am

  bought mine 5/16/02. was also considering a jag, or bmw 3series. how ever i ended up at an audi store only to kill a few minutes. came back the next night and made a deal on the car before driving it.well anyway i picked it up the next day and im more than satisfied. i look forward to driving this car every day.the car is put together beautifully, and has all the toys anyone could want. i highly recommend this car.