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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  Strong and very Reliable car - 2008 Audi A6
  By papo1975 - December 5 - 4:11 pm

  Second A6, got it CPO with 35k back in jan/2011 , now 105k with no mayor repairs. I do regular oil change(Castrol synthetic) and all recommended maintenance..For my brakes ,fluids, filters and battery only use OEM parts Only repairs I came across are light bulb change and throttle body clean up . Yes repairs and maintenance can be expensive but it is a $50000.00 car with a great look and performance. My cost to own very low until now ,and planning to keep it for years to come.

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  No spare and no run flats. - 2014 Audi Q5
  By sdond - December 3 - 6:21 pm

  What i love:seeing the motor shut off when going down the hills-even at 70mph. Electric only until I press down too hard. Ive got two cars-- a hybrid + a regular Q5. What I dont like: No one bothered to tell me that it has no spare tire--even the sales lady missed this. In fairness--if I get a flat--Im not gonna tackle trying to fix it myself anymore at my age---but come on guys!! Dont count on any below the floor storage space. With the sports package the seats are wonderful. Gas mileage is good for a car this size.....but at the price thats not so much as issue. Almost got the BMW X3 diesel--but this thing blows the BMW away with its power-- with about the same gas mileage.

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  Former Bimmer fan - 2014 Audi A4
  By ksaman - November 21 - 6:32 pm

  Previous to this A4, I have owned 3 BMW 3 series vehicles. I loved Bimmers and thought that I would drive them for life. My wife needed a new car and we test drove the 3 series, but they seemed to have lost so much feel. They just arent what they used to be. Then we drove the quattro. Man, what a ride. It blows the Bimmer out of the water. It may not be as fast 0-60, but feels better in every other regard. It corners better, it has a slightly stiffer suspension, and hugs the road like a bear. If you are thinking about a Bimmer, do yourself a favor and test drive a quattro. P.S. If you go A4, go quattro or go home.

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  Best of both worlds - 2015 Audi A3
  By vegasmurano - November 9 - 12:26 pm

  Great looking, great handling, fast. Incredible build quality too. Has a great balance between luxury and sport. I got it with the 18" wheels, cold weather package and color navigation with MMI.I bought my 2015 USED with 6k miles on it and saved a good 6k+ of a new one, an incredible bargain versus the original sticker of over 38k.

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  Original Owner 2006 A4- 118K miles and still going - 2006 Audi A4
  By audix4 - November 7 - 3:26 pm

  Original owner of our Audi A4 2006. Have done all suggested maintenance at the Audi dealership. Usually runs an average of $2000 per year. Other than that, absolutely no trouble whatsoever.

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  2015 Audi A3 1.8 Premium w/ Driver Assist Package - 2015 Audi A3
  By danf7 - November 1 - 5:50 pm

  I just starting leasing the A3 in white with chocolate leather for much less per month than I was paying for my Volvo S60. The back up camera and driver assist (blind spot system) work well and are nice features. The MMI system is excellent and easy to use. The displays and controls are built well. The panoramic sunroof, xenon headlights, LED lights, rain sensor wipers and overall styling made me choose this car over BMW 2 series, Volvo S60 and Mercedes CLA 250. You get so many features in the base model compared to competitors. I would have liked stiffer steering and more power in the 1.8 engine especially in sport mode, but overall Im very pleased.

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  Holy Cow what a POS - 2015 Audi A3
  By italianstalli - October 27 - 6:53 am

  Had the car for four months, dealership had it for half that time. Power window issues that couldnt be fixed (charged me each time as if warranty didnt exist). Shaking at certain speeds (40mph and then again at 60mph), dealership told me I had to buy four new wheels...and that didnt fix it. Nav didnt work for days on end for some reason and then randomly started working again. One of the worst cars Ive ever owned. Dont be fooled with how great this car looks because it is an overpriced piece of junk. I ended up trading it in to be rid of it because it was leeching my time, money, and sanity.

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  Agile and sporty but not a sedan - 2014 Audi Q5
  By seattle_driver - October 14 - 3:58 pm

  I have had my 2014 Q5 TDI for around 6 months now so feel comfortable writing a review. Overall its a great car: its fun to drive and it feels agile and sporty. The mileage is generally better than advertised: we took a 2,000 mile road trip this summer and with 4 people and luggage we averaged just under 37 MPG -- going through the Canadian Rockies. I liked this car better than the other smaller SUVs I test-drove (Lexus, Cadillac, BMW.) On the down side, the steering can feel remote and the center of gravity is definitely higher than my 2000 Mercedes E 320 sedan (or maybe Im just used to it) I ordered all of the options, including the tow hitch, which made the car rather expensive.

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  Q5 Quality Has Gone Down Significantly - 2014 Audi Q5
  By audi4me2 - October 4 - 12:48 pm

  Bought my 1st Q5 in 2010 (3.2, in Canada), and had to sell when we went overseas. Came back to US and leased a Q5 again since 1st time it was so great. But things have just gone downhill for Q5 quality: - Check engine light came at 3000 miles - Multiple trips to dealer to fix it - Rear tire starting showing low pressure - Again, multiple trips to fix it - Other rear tire BURST...yes just BURST on the highway at high speed....lucky to be not hurt - Stayed for 30 mins on hold before Audi roadside assistance could finally help - Got home and dealer basically not even responding to have the tire replaced ! No am not talking free....but a fully paid one from me? wtf !

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  1997 A6 Quattro - 1997 Audi A6
  By gmm2 - October 4 - 12:06 pm

  Great car, I bought it used 6 years ago as the "kids car" but use it as mine now that they are out of the house (I drive back and forth to the commuter rail station), its great in snow and I have a very steep & difficult New England driveway and the Audi always gets up there, its really comfortable, this is the second A6 version Ive owned (the first was the first kids car was the wagon version, but I had to get rid of it at 200K miles) this one only has 100K so I hope to keep it a long while, its really durable and looks almost new for a 18 year old car, I miss having a wagon though…it doesnt move all that fast, but neither do i.