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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  The Best of 2005 luxury car - 2005 Audi A8
  By hazar - June 3 - 1:10 pm

  I traded in my big failure 07 BMW X5 with this beauty : and I am very pleased with this move. . It was nightmare to own a very expensive SUV like the 07 X5 ( top of the line ) which give us only troubles... the driving of this car is nothing close to any of BMW & MB .. I drove the S class, C63 -AMG , as well as the BMW , but never tried the Audi which I realize the mistake I did .. This car is a luxury feeling , sporty feeling , fun feeling.. great interior , high quality material , smooth engine.. This is the one to have in your Garage for all season ... you should know that you will not be able to drive MB in snow... It was a big failure m at least to me...

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  Exceptional car, exceptional quality -- poor sound system - 2013 Audi A4
  By hobbes944 - June 1 - 10:35 pm

  I love this car -- it looks great inside and out, the build quality is extraordinarily high, and it offers just the right balance of tight handling, comfort, and size. Personally, I find the engine to be more than up to the task for fun driving (especially when combined with the sport suspension, which I also have), although if youre after raw horsepower you should probably look for something other than the A4 at this price.

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  S4 brings back the fun of driving - 2013 Audi S4
  By texasrich1 - May 27 - 4:03 pm

  The S4 is a great combination of a sedan and a sporty fun to drive sports car. It responds well to normal day to day driving and handles anything the road throws at you. When given the chance to drive it in sport mode this car wants to take off and runs the curses like its on rails. A lot of fun to drive and yet very reasonable for a daily drive car. Audi has a winner with the S4!

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  8000 mile update - 2013 Audi A4
  By mugman1 - May 25 - 9:11 pm

  Wanted to update my review first made shortly after purchase. Have owned the vehicle for 8 months now and continue to be impressed by it. No problems after 8000 miles. Car was virtually unstopable in heavy snow (with 4 Pirelli snows mounted) this past winter. I average 26-28 mpg in mixed drving best tank 34 mpg highway at 70 mph. Despite what some others have noticed, the engine has not consumed any oil in its first 8000 miles. Break the engine in as directed in the manual and there should not be any problem.

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  Love it! - 2013 Audi A4
  By docjay123 - May 23 - 3:26 pm

  I bought an Audi A4 2.0T a month ago and have loved the short time Ive owned this car. I switched from a BMW 325. My wife has previously had an Audi Q7 and currently drives the Infiniti QX56. I think this car has the best styling both inside and out compared to any car in its class. It is fun to drive and nimble although I must admit that my 3 series gets a little bit of an edge in the driving department (thats what bimmers are known for). But overall, in my opinion, the audi a4 is a more complete car than the 3 series if you take everything into account. I have 1500 miles on the car and am averaging between 29 and 30 mpg based on mostly highway driving.

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  Absolutely Incredible! - 2013 Audi A6
  By dustman98 - April 29 - 12:31 am

  When the lease was up on my 2010 Acura TL (which coincidentally was my 3rd TL in a row), I decided it was time to explore other options in luxury performance sedans. I test drove some of the usual suspects (BMW 528x and 535x, Cadillac CTS), as well as some lower priced options (Ford Taurus SHO, Chrysler 300C), before ultimately deciding on my 2103 A6 3.0T prestige. I decided to skip Mercedes (too stodgy), and Lexus (too plain) so that made the decision even easier. Every time I sit down in this car it brings a huge smile to my face and its sexy good looks turn heads everywhere I go! If you want a beautiful, fun sedan that you wont see parked beside you at the mall then the A6 is for you!

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  Best All-around - 2010 Audi S4
  By harold_k - April 26 - 10:34 pm

  This car simply has it all. Compared to competitors it has the best interior of any, classy, luxurious, quality. Its fast, but not too fast to use on the street. The handling is superb, traction is outstanding especially with the Active Rear Dif option. It is grown up and elegant, a head turner anywhere, but aggressive without being gaudy and can be turned loose and feel like a pure speed machine. Take it on seriously curvy switch-back type mountain roads and you will realize was this car was born to do. It is the perfect all- a-rounder, not a kid racer and not a stuffy old guy car. It is a perfect blend of all aspects the someone looking at this range of car could want.

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  Great Vehicle in all ways but one - 2013 Audi Q5
  By db703 - April 17 - 10:42 am

  I purchased the 2013 Premium-Plus in October, 2012 and now have ten thousand miles and can give an objective overview. Love the vehicle, the fit and finish is exceptional. Its quiet, quick, nimble and tight when driving. The suspension is quite nice, not to rough and no bounce whatsoever. The only complaint is that the multimedia system is dated for a 2013 model, especially in this class segment.

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  Great car!! - 2001 Audi A4
  By bustamove2000 - April 13 - 11:13 am

  I bought this car in November of last year and have had it for about six months, other than routine maintenance and fixing the simple stuff it runs great and gets great mileage. Every time i read these reviews i get angry because people complain about how much it cost to do simple repairs on the car and hows theirs engine sludge, One do routine oil changes like you should and you would not have this problem, two if the problem is a simple fix Do It Yourself the car is surprisingly easy to work on for a audi turbo charged vehicle, never take the car to audi to get it fixed they will make you pay a arm and a leg. and lastly my car has 180000 miles on it and runs like new.

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  King of the Mountain - 2008 Audi A3
  By k2mtb - April 10 - 11:42 pm

  Considering how many times a season I head up to the ski slopes here in Colorado a 4wd hatchback was a must. Coming from a Subaru family I started my search there, but was put off by the WRXs insatiable need for speed.. however thanks to this site I stumbled upon the Audi A3 and havent looked back since. Im able to hold highway speeds in the worst snowstorms and the A3 doesnt even wiggle when charging through the midlane muck. Weaving in and out of traffic while pulling up I70 is a breeze, one swipe of the paddle shifter and Im gone. But more-over, its the fit and finish that has won me over, everything is just as it should be and that coupled with the handling is pure eloquence.