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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  Best A4 Yet - 2006 Audi A4
  By Paul - August 10 - 12:23 pm

  Ive had several A4s and this is the best on yet. The others were manual shift and I was concerned that there would be a performance loss with this car, but thats not the case. Like all Audis this one is solid, designed well, and fun to drive. The tiptronic is simply amazing with three different shift options - sport mode does a great job of keeping the revs up, downshifting correctly - all in all, feeling just like a manual without the hassle of shifing. Everyone I know loves this car. I test drove a new 330i, and while the BMW does have a great motor, Im not a fan of its design - too overwrought and incongruent - hard to look at, inside and out.

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  My 6th Audi - they keep getting better - 2003 Audi Allroad Quattro
  By wwbeagle - August 10 - 10:00 am

  Why would anyone get an SUV? Beats me.

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  Great Car - 2003 Audi A4
  By Love that Audi - August 10 - 10:00 am

  The quattro system allows you to do what others can not. The handling is phenomenal and all in a luxurious environment.

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  Great car - 2005 Audi A4
  By JC1980 - August 8 - 12:15 pm

  Just bought this car used with 24,000 miles. So far it was exceeded my expectations. This is the first German car that I have owned, having owned a Jeep and Chevys previously. The maintenance package seems great, they found a coolant leak and fixed it along with replacing worn brake pads for free. Oil changes and most other basic services are included as well. My warranty does expire in Decemeber 08, and I have heard its wise to purchase an extended warranty. Being a single guy in Chicago, I rarely use the backseat, but if you have a family you may want to consider the A6 , due to lack of backseat and trunk space in this model.

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  Fun to Drive but Problems - 2005 Audi A4
  By kgkdh - August 8 - 9:53 am

  My 2005 Audi A4 1.8T quattro is really fast and fun to drive. The exterior looks great. The audio system is awesome. Its interior design could be better though, the cup holders are in weird places and dont work well. You can easily spill coffee because they dont hold the cups. All cars come with ashtrays, which we could do without. Our biggest issue is that after only two months of owning the car, the airbag light is on. My Audi dealerships customer service was rude on the phone. She said she was doing us a "favor" by letting us bring the car in today, and wed have to WAIT for the car, no loaner. Give me a break! This is an expensive car and it is only two months old. That was a big disappointment because we really like the car.

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  Better Than Even the Best Reviews - 2017 Audi Q7
  By HonestJohn - August 8 - 4:24 am

  If you are interested in this vehicle you likely have read the many terrific reviews from Motorweek, Car and Driver, and even Consumer Reports. I certainly did. I was able to get the vehicle at a small discount which was lucky as some dealers are now asking above sticker or loading on even more packs. The car is a joy to drive and while some have compared the "Virtual Cockpit" to a video game, I find it helpful and very effective at communicating information, which is what a dash should do. The placement of controls is excellent, and they are well organized by function. The volume control for all uses (voice, phone, audio) is delightfully located on the console where ones hand naturally falls. The shifter takes a while to get used to, but Audi seems to have anticipated a learning curve. When I first owned it I tried to put it in reverse without stepping on the brake pedal. The dash lit up to inform me I needed to do so. There are a few issues. First, interior storage for the driver is simply unavailable. The console holds virtually nothing and there is not even a sunglass holder. The absences of cubbies is a disappointment, but certainly not a deal breaker. I have had two minor problems. First, one day the alarm system went off every time I tried to lock the vehicle. The dealer (only a mile away, happily) was able to remedy this in less than an hour. Second, the steering wheel is no longer centered after only 2,500 miles. That, too, will be corrected by the dealer. Overall, its a terrific vehicle as far as I am concerned, despite minor issues.

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  wow A6 - 2005 Audi A6
  By didy Adansi - August 7 - 7:26 pm

  What an amazing improvement over from the older model. This machine is like none other, I have allso driven around in the new M5 and to my wonder this is a more dynamic car. It is unlike anything else that I have had the pleasure of driving. Great job Audi.

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  Audi Delight - 1994 Audi Cabriolet
  By James Speer - August 7 - 5:25 pm

  As third owner with 108k this vehicle has really impressed me. Vvery soild and responsive handling. Had it up to 150 kilometers an hour. No vibrations and quiet with top down. Vehicle was painted last year and every nec part was taken off, no rust anywhere. Replaced back window, would be great if it were glass. Original top is excellent. Will park this baby for the winter.

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  Luck of the Draw - 2001 Audi A4
  By Scott - August 7 - 12:39 pm

  Bought "used certified" with 30K miles which may explain why its been farily reliable (86K now), though we did bring it back a few times while under warranty. If youre looking for a truly long term reliable car, skip this one. However, I dont regret (yet) the purchase because the value was great. We bought this car for less than a new Mazda3. And driving a sport luxury car rather than an econo-box was a choice I can live with every day.

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  High tech sedan - 2002 Audi A6
  By High performance sed - August 6 - 10:20 pm

  I use mainly for highway. I replaced air filter with K&N and new irridium plugs. I now get 26 to 28 mpg depending on whether I go 80 or 60 mph. I have had no problems and this car is built by the same people that make Porsche so everything is high performance, even the brake fluid. Thus more maintainance. It costs to go fast. I recently test drove a Mercedes S430 and as soon as I got back in my A6 4.2 it was far superior in road feel and handling. This is a double overhead cam V8 with 5 valves per cylinder. Ferrari is the only other car company with this sofistication. So if you want a mundane sedan this is not for you. This car is a race bred sedan down to the low profile tires.