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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  Soooo much better than the X3 - 2011 Audi Q5
  By woodlink - December 12 - 11:04 am

  I bought a used 2010 X3, drove it for three weeks and hated it. Rode like a brick on concrete wheels (ultrastiff). Ive owned BMWs before and can say that the X3 is a complete mess. Returned it to dealer who gave me full value back - thanks Carmax. Having success years ago with an A4, I test drove the Q5 and bought it on the spot. A similarly equipped unit from Benz or BMW would be thousands more. BTW - A voluntary recall is in effect for the 2011 Q5 and it deals with a computer update that improves transmission shifting. (downshifting was a bit rough). Existing inventory on dealers lots should already be updated. The update on mine did the trick and the trans works perfectly

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  Meh - 2009 Audi A4
  By Anonymous - December 6 - 5:21 pm

  Quite frankly, its hard to be ambivalent about $40k purchase, but I have to be honest with myself, and 9 months after purchasing this car, I cant say its changed our lives. Its solidly built, but theres a fair amount of road noise. For all the self- congratulation from Audi about the increase in size, its really not all that roomy. I think my wifes old 2001 Jetta had more room in the back. The MMI might be good compared to options from other manufacturers, but its hardly intuitive. In sum, its a solid but not outstanding effort.

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  Audi D2 S8 - 2002 Audi S8
  By Anonymous - December 6 - 2:00 am

  Beautiful car, beautifully made and engineered. S8 with Alcantra/Recaro interior. Some of the best seats I have ever sat in. Leather is amazing, very nice solid feel to every bit of the interior. The engine looks/sounds/feels teriffic. Brakes, suspension, and handling are all very sharp and precise for a car this size. Fuel economy is nothing spectacular, but the car is geared very short compared to its A8 counterpart and is very hard to stay off of the go pedal. The car does need to be maintained properly. A coil pack and some disconnected vacuum lines have happened. Also an unknown problem with the catylitic conversion system. Overall a great work of engineering by Audi

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  Great car with unfortunate design flaws - 2007 Audi Q7
  By Leaking Audi - December 5 - 2:00 am

  All cars have + & - from a high end luxury SUV you expect mostly +. Thats the case. My problem was leaking draining tubes resulting in water in the front passenger well and in the back, invisibly in the area with the unprotected amplifier, MMI, GPS units. Result: all failed + battery drained. Cost:$3,500 (not covered by warranty). Thats the most disturbing part to me: this car has been maintained by Audi as recommended but I still end up with a problem I could not avoid. This is not compatible with the premium price you pay for a Q7, you expect peace of mind. Moreover it is a known problem since Audi/VW lost a class action suit on this problem. Details at LeakingAudi website and Twitter.

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  Find me a few tires - 2007 Audi A4
  By Joseph Thompson - December 3 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car brand new after trading in my 325i. I love the Quattro, but I cant keep tires on it. Discount tire tells me that the alignment is always out. No matter where I take it, I still have problems. Pep Boys blames the tires and Discount blames Pep Boys. Its really frustrating. The car does have some Turbo lag but not all the time. It usally happens when you catch a stop light turning from red to green and you stomp on it. It doesnt happen all the time and I dont believe its dangerous like a few reviews state. The car is zippy and loves the highway. I cruise at 100 mph no problem through Arizona. I will sometimes put extra oil in it between changes, no reason to complain.

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  Looking forward to the lease to end - 2008 Audi A4
  By Jon - November 29 - 2:00 am

  I lease my cars for 3 years for multiple reasons. The most important reason is because I want a dependable car thats not going to break down and is under warranty. Ive been towed twice since I got this car new in April of 2008. The first time was when a fuel sensor failed. I was stranded at a stop sign. Audis roadside assistance was so bad that I had to join AAA to have my car towed. I was told me there was a recall going out on the fuel sensor. With 30m miles on the car the car stopped moving forward or backward at an intersection. I couldnt put the car in any gear other the gear it was in. To Audis praise Audis roadside assistance was great. Repair: a bolt had fallen off.

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  2010 A6 3.0T Premimum Plus - 2010 Audi A6
  By pashkus - November 26 - 2:00 am

  This is my 2nd A6, and 3rd Audi. Overall an excellent car. Shopped it against BMW 535xi, but found it to be more responsive, particularly at low speeds, and much more attractive (aesthetically), especially the interior. Audi did make the car more powerful with the new 3.0T engine, and managed to keep the price down, but it did fall short to some cost savings: The stereo is no longer a Bose unit, hidden cubbyholes under the front seats are gone, the side mirrors no longer fold automatically, and the standard tires are now 97H (even the Q7 gets 109H). The only reliability issue I experienced was a coolant leak due to a faulty water pump, which was replaced under a recall notice.

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  Great Styling but defective brakes - 2006 Audi A6
  By Gary - November 19 - 2:00 am

  Nice car for the money. Beautiful interior and solid performance. Canyon red color is eye catching and unusual. Brakes are annoying and 3 dealers could not fix the grab and squeal. Mileage with OEM tires was excellent. I replaced them at 30,000 miles with Bridgestone all season but poor roll resistance yields full 15% poorer mileage. Stick with OEM Continental tires.

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  German Engineering - 2003 Audi A6
  By Juniormc123 - November 15 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this car for one year now and here is the list of issues that I have encounter so far. Coil packs were replaced due to a recall at 58k, Timing belts was done as a precaution at 60k, oil pan leak at 60k, cam seals were leaking at 62k, secondary water pump died at 63k, serpentine belt seized at 68k, front and rear break and rotor were replaced at 70k. And the upper bolt joint is on my to do list. So if you decide to purchase an Audi make sure that this has been done or you will be on a world of trouble. Don’t get me wrong these are fun cars to drive. It’s just to complicate to work on it, so labor can get really expense. Make sure that you find a good mechanic.

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  A lot to like - 2010 Audi A3
  By paul - November 15 - 2:00 am

  I love the car. It does very well at providing both exceptional fuel economy, and the visceral experience of driving a performance car. While not a rocket, the car is fit for the fast lane and is really fun to drive.