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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  Great Car - 2002 Audi A4
  By - March 4 - 10:00 am

  The car has been spectacular thus far. The fit and finish is excellant and the cars preformance and handling is close to perfection.

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  New Audi owner - 1994 Audi 90
  By Swimminginblues - March 3 - 1:05 pm

  Alright, its German engineering, but Im used to Japanese. I have 185,000 miles on my Quattro and, it still rocks! I just bought it, but so far, I love it. Watch out for power steering leaks and the like. I am lucky enough to work for a store so the repairs will be mild, but I would dread repairing anything if I didnt have a lot of cash or a connection or even the ability to work on my own vehicle. I think, even with the expensive repairs, that the car is well worth it! Laughing at the snow and living in the mountains... Heated seats, elagant styling, sun roof...needs some new speakers... but still, for the price, I will gladly see this car past 300,000 miles.

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  Ten Year Review - 2007 Audi A3
  By Dan - March 1 - 8:17 pm

  What a fun car from a Corvette owner also. Built her on-line in 2006, found her with everything except the gray interior (has Camel). At 65,000 miles Mary Jane has to have her front Boots repaired. Not bad for ten years. Great road car in snow and rain. Has open sky, very fun option. Has Bluetooth, CD, and Cassette player. Perhaps will not sell for these options alone. Has the active headlight option where the lights are just ahead of your turns. It is also the S-Line quattro with 18 inch fancy wheels. Has things and functions if not used on a regular basis, one has to get out the book to remember what does what. Everything still works fine. Perhaps one of the most fun things is being able to put the rear seats down for hauling a family of dogs or whatever. Excellent road car, but not the best mileage. can achieve 30 mpg if one does not go over about 68 MPH. They only put six forward gears in this racing transmission. They now have seven to eight gears in the new Audi models. At highway speeds the motor should not be turning more than about 2000 RPMs. Would prefer about 1750 @ 70-75 MPH. It is turning over 3000 RPM......a killer for mileage.................Very cool, good looking, functional car anyway. Much better looking than the sedans for 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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  A4 Sport Line - 2018 Audi A4
  By Chris - March 1 - 4:24 am

  Ive driven A4s for over 15 years. Ill be fair but I have always loved them :)

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  Quirks you should know - 2009 Audi A4
  By Boston - February 27 - 10:59 pm

  Ive had the car for about 5000 miles so far, and probably would not buy it again. Theres much I truly love about the car but the commuting ride quality on worn roads is very harsh, especially here in New England roads where the car is useful in snow. Since delivery car has real vibration 70 - 80 MPH. Ive seen others talk about this, and dealer has not resolved. I plan to take it to an independent tire spot. Speedometer seemed high, and reads about 4-5% higher than actual speed when calibrated with GPS. 77 MPH shows as 80 or 81. Racking up extra miles if you leased! Car is good from stop lights, but 2.0T feels underpowered with highway onramps, etc. Requires "S" mode and a heavy foot.

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  Love it! - 2009 Audi A4
  By JC - February 27 - 6:30 pm

  I like almost everything about my new Audi A4. The one negative thing is that the rims get dirty every time I drive it, even if its around the corner. Someone mentioned that it might be the brakes.

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  Sporty Luxury - 2008 Audi A6
  By Corey - February 27 - 3:44 am

  From the outside to the inside, the A6 has beautiful features. The interior is plush and comfortable. The seat positions take you from a sports car feel to an executive luxury car. The MMI & sound system is fantastic, but Im disappointed that the iPod integration is not on voice activation. Took a few days to master, but once understood, the MMI is easy to operate.

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  best car Ive had - 2004 Audi Allroad Quattro
  By jbengfort - February 27 - 2:00 am

  Fuel economy and mild drive-by-wire acceleration/transmission lag are the only drawbacks to this vehicle.

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  a creature of comfort - 2003 Audi A4
  By kb - February 27 - 2:00 am

  The 03 Audi A4 has been a blast to drive. One word-QUATTRO! I do not think I will buy another car without AWD. Audi design is impressive. Very nice interiors. Excellent paint finishes. The 3.0 has hussle, but may be less impressive at low torque. Cons: Brakes squeek, interior wind noise at higher speeds 70-80mph. Overall awesome! Wish I had the S4!