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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  Nice car, but too many problems - 2003 Audi A4
  By Ken - October 29 - 6:20 pm

  This car is great when it is working. Unfortunately, its spent too much time in the shop. Its had engine failure (engine stalled in the middle of the street), air conditioning failure, the stereo kept going mono for the first three years, all brakepads had to be replaced, back windscreen cracked, drivers power window motor failure, alarm siren failed, indicator light failed, engine oil stick broke, sunroof didnt open/close properly- the list goes on, all within the first 5 years. I cant recommend Audi to anyone.

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  Huge pain, continually in the auto shop - 2001 Audi TT
  By supafunkyfx - October 17 - 3:42 pm

  This car is pretty fun to drive, but I have had to bring it to the shop a minimum of 5 times EACH year that Ive owned it. Aside from the irritation of continually having to schedule appts and be without my car, the European parts are expensive and an hour-long diagnostic is required before ANYTHING can be fixed. End result: even to replace a $20 brake light switch, there is a $90 charge for the diagnostic before anything is done for the car. Because Audi was trying to be so artistic with this car, its a pain to do even the smallest thing such as putting on the spare tire and if you have a blowout once the tires are below a certain tread depth, you have to replace all 4 tires.

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  Buy anything else! - 2005 Audi A6
  By Rhyse - September 3 - 10:18 am

  I bought an A6 CPO vehicle last May thinking that I was buying a premium vehicle and a premium dealer experience. Wrong on both accounts. In the first 6 months my car was at the dealers service department for 30 days total with not much to show except more frustration and gray hair than I would have liked. The car drives and handles like a dream, however, the cacophony of squeaks, groans, creaks and rattles from the interior is enough to drive a sane man to insanity!

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  Dont Do It - 1998 Audi A4
  By RJ - August 24 - 7:47 am

  I loved driving this car. After a while, things started going wrong. Swing arms, tie rods, wheel bearings, speed sensors... this car cost me thousands over 4 years - just to keep it on the road!! Quattro is amazing and this car is extremely fun to drive. Beware, though, because it will cost you a fortune in the long run. I will never buy Audi (or European for that matter) again. Audi has destroyed my faith in "German engineering" - or lack thereof.

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  Questionable Reliability - 2003 Audi A4
  By BigD - July 21 - 3:29 pm

  Poor acceleration for a 3.0 V6. Fuel economy is abysmal for the level of performance. Electrical problems and fuel pump failures continue to plague this vehicle. Remote transmitters quit after 20K miles. Once the warranty expires be prepared to sink thousands into the vehicle. Look elsewhere for an entry level luxury sedan.

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  Buyer Beware - 2003 Audi A6
  By R8R fan - July 21 - 12:01 pm

  Based on the reputation of how the German cars drive I crossed the line from Japanese and bought this car. It was the worst decision I ever made. At 70K miles everything falls apart. I have a huge oil spot on my garage floor from oil leaking, the airbag light stays on constantly because the device is defective (only $1,400 to replace it), then the transmission celanoid went out and cost me $1,800. DO NOT BUY A USED AUDI. I am sure these are great cars when they roll off the showroom floor because they are covered under warranty. I WOULD NOT BUY AN AUDI UNLESS IT IS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. These cars are fun to drive, but they are not reliable and cost a fortune to repair.

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  Audi: Never Follow - 1999 Audi A6
  By GuyfromMD - July 18 - 12:53 pm

  A6 was previously owned by close relatives, we took over few years ago. They were the original owners. They replaced the fuel pump and other components. We paid $700 for service. Since then the car has literally fallen apart. From 108k -117k miles, the driveshaft messed up, the transmission needs to be replaced, sparkplug wires are corroded, vacuum hoses are clogged, interior is falling apart, door handles and everything. Dealer wants $6300 for new trans. Even at discount, trans would still be worth more than the car. Car has poor resale value. I despise this car, I wish we never took over it. We took care of it, but it didnt help. Audis slogan is "Never Follow", trust me ... I wont!

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  Dont do it - 1998 Audi A4
  By pbfoot - July 8 - 9:09 pm

  I bought my baby (silver A4 quattro) 4 years ago with 70k mi on her. Put 40k on her in those 4 years and have one thing to say: she was the best car in the world, but she was extremely unreliable and expensive to maintain. Tie rods, control arms, electrical modules, wheel bearings, engine seals, ABS module, air bag sensor. You name it, it broke, all of them broke, and she was in the shop for weeks at a time. It cost a fortune to get her out of the shop every time. I babied this car and got nothing in return. Sure, she handled on rails and had a great performance V6, but there is no way Id ever consider giving Audi another shot. Too expensive and unreliable.

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  AUDI - Accelerates under demonic influen - 2002 Audi A4
  By Car-Fan - July 2 - 10:00 am

  This car is not for anyone that likes acceleration of the start. The build quality is fine and the interior build quality is fine, but if you like performance this car is not for you

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  Not what I expected... - 2007 Audi A3
  By vovak - June 30 - 11:09 am

  I bought my Audi about 9 month ago. It is an ok car overall but very poor quality. So far, Ive replaced radiator, check engine light went on twice, and constantly have to add more oil to the car because "Low Oil" light goes on. These are just major problems. It is still fun to drive (when it is not in the shop) but it doesnt perform as new anymore. Another thing to mention is fuel economy. I though it would be an economical car. The gas mileage is great on the highway ( about 29 mpg) and is horrible in the city and stop and go traffic, where I get about 15 mpg!! Considering that you have to buy premium gas, theres no savings. Also, the car is very loud and noisy.