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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  What a piece of junk! - 1999 Audi A6
  By cdubya - March 12 - 12:45 pm

  Looks ok, handles ok... it is gutless off the line. Endless problems, the Yugo I had in college had better reliability. Leaks oil - dealer cant find the cause, engine smokes from oil leak. Eats brake pads and tires. This is NOT a supposed luxury car... I now know its a step or two below most American made cars and nowhere near a well built, reliable Japanese vehicle. My ego said buy it, my brain said,"NO" - well the ego won and now Im paying. What a piece of junk! You fooled me once never again... back to the 4Runner. Which was only good to me.

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  Horrible Experience - 2005 Audi A8
  By J Ortiz - March 1 - 3:24 pm

  I purchased a 2005 CPO A8L 6 months ago. From the day I drove it off the lot I have had nothing but trouble. From the minor (ie. remote keys didnt work) to the major items (ie. sunroof, power trunk, console buttons, water pump, head lamps, etc.) my vehicle has been in the shop a total of 3 weeks. The CPO checklist was a total misrepresentation. Most of the items that were bad on the vehicle were checked off as having passed a "rigorous" inspection. I have owned several other luxury new and used brands. But I never had this kind of trouble before. Truly a horrible experience. The final slap in the face is the trade value. All I want to do is trade out of this car but the values are way down.

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  Poor quality in a pretty package - 2002 Audi A6
  By Donna - February 17 - 7:01 pm

  Attractive design wrapped around a nightmare of ongoing expensive repair bills for items I have NEVER had break on any other car I have ever owned! Keeping up with regular maintenance does not help avert the $1500 to $2000 bi-monthly repair bills that begin when the car hits around 75K miles. This has convinced me to NEVER buy another Audi - good looks and style are not worth much when you frequently get stranded on the roadside with a dead car and have to face towing cost AND a couple of thousand dollars of repairs. Not worth the premium I paid for poorly engineered mechanics :-(

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  Must have bought a lemon - 1998 Audi A4
  By SM - January 28 - 5:36 pm

  I bought this car used in 2007. It was a 1-owner vehicle with 65,000 miles. 2 weeks after I drove it off the dealership, it broke down. Thank goodness I decided to buy the extended warranty because it was $1500 to fix all that went wrong. In the year and a half I owned this car, it was nothing but problems. I would be anticipating it to break down every 2 months. Fuel line froze 4 times with Heet in the gas tank, tie rods needed replaced, ABS went out, radio needed a code that nobody could find. Would not buy an Audi unless I was making big bucks. Expect to pay a lot for maintenance.

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  The A4 convertible - 2004 Audi A4
  By maggienono - January 27 - 10:00 am

  The wide threshold results in difficulty getting out of the car. Coupled with wide doors that dont open enough when in a parking space, the car is just not comfortable unless youre over 6 feet, or want to push the seat all the way back to get out. Also, when the top is up, the visibility is very poor when backing out of a parking space.

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  This will be my last Audi - 2007 Audi Q7
  By Mark Conway - January 7 - 11:59 am

  I traded in a lemon 2002 A6 in for the Q7. Within 2 months of the Q7 purchase, the windshield wipers collided during a bad rainstorm on the highway. After 5000 miles the power lift gate stopped working and the back seat wouldnt lock into place. After 19000 miles, the tires needed to be replaced for $1200. Then at 28000 miles the brake warning light came on, $1700 to replace the brakes and rotors. There was a leak in the sunroof and mold started to grow on the drivers side carpet. Great looking cars, very poor reliability and very expensive to keep up. From now on, Im spending a little more for another BMW. There is a reason you see many more older BMWs than older Audis on the road.

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  Disappointing & Unreliable - 2001 Audi TT
  By msjoanne - January 5 - 6:18 am

  Bought my TT certified/pre-owned. Enjoyed the car for almost a year and then the saga began. Towed to the dealership at least 3 times ($200 a pop), had to take it in for oil and coolant leaks twice, had to flush cooling system 3 times, overheating issues, mass flow air sensor broke, immobilizer for keyless remote needed to be reprogrammed, ac stopped working, fan broke, speed sensor broke 1 mile after leaving service. These werent even general maintenance!! Cant believe I had to waste so much time and energy for this car.

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  Problems with Audi - 2008 Audi A3
  By Carlos Fernandez - December 17 - 4:26 pm

  With only 5,000 miles on my brand new A3, the power window is broken, the power seat for the driver is broken, and now the transmission is giving problems. I will never buy another Audi again. This is the most problamatic car I have ever had, worst than the old Ford Explorer. I am going to ask for a refund.

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  2017 Audi Q3 - 2017 Audi Q3
  By Anthony - December 15 - 6:24 pm

  Just purchased a brand new 2017 Audi q3. After two weeks of having it and driving just under 300 miles the car is already back at Audi to get the engine worked on.. My wife was driving home from work when it started to shack uncontrollably causing her to pull to the side of the road. Thank god she wasnt on the highway at the time. The car would not move without shacking. The car was towed to the for them to fix. The dealership was helpful and apologized of course. Never the less I find this completey unacceptable given the fact the we have to go threw this with a brand new car. Love the look of both inside and out but so far has not been reliable.

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  This car is awful. Bad is too mild - 2008 Audi A6
  By Gene - December 14 - 3:31 pm

  Reading good reviews by the editor as well as some owners, my daughter decided to give it a try...I wish she did not. The car has 10,500 miles on it. It is 1.5 years old. She came here to Milwaukee for a funeral. On the way from Chicago the yellow light came on. As soon as she got out of the highway the car stalled. She called the road assistance as well as the leasing company and they told her to try starting it. The car started. They told her that since this is just the yellow light drive it and bring it in when you are back. On the way to the funeral the car stalled again 3 times! She had to borrow mine, left the car parked on the street. This is the Audi/German luxury