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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  My bomber - 2004 Audi TT
  By Fred - January 7 - 6:45 pm

  Be aware of the dual clutch automatic needs regular (frequent) servicing at a dealer, the hydraulic shifting controller must be in top shape to prevent a jerky ride in traffic. On the interstate you wont notice.

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  A sows ear - 2010 Audi A5
  By sapodilla - January 7 - 12:26 pm

  Before you buy this wonderful car, please be aware that your convertible top will desintigrate in about 25,000 miles. It will cost you approximately $ 8,000 to get a new one. My dealership got it down to $ 4,000 .I am suspicious . It is not covered in the warranty. Otherwise I have enjoyed driving this car. It is a 2010 A5 with 25,000 miles up. I am hardly ever here hence the low mileage. It is parked in the garage of my building. It does not receive any bad weather and is hand washed. My only other gripe is that you cannot pop the trunk from inside the vehicle. I was going to buy another Audi . Maybe an A7 . Now I am thinking that because Audi made no attempt to explain why my convertible top had to be replaced . I can no longer trust Audi . If that happens , what else could happen? I am now looking at BMW , volvo , and Jaguar. Just beware.

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  Great drivers car - 2014 Audi A6
  By Dan - January 7 - 5:07 am

  We love to drive this car. Its a rocket, getting 40 to 42 MPG on the highway. Beautiful interor, quiet.

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  my first audi - 2015 Audi A4
  By Hector - January 6 - 9:13 pm

  the maintenance will not be cheap but i love this car so far no issues bought used with 6100 miles

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  S4 in a bigger body - 2015 Audi SQ5
  By Jeffrey - January 6 - 7:16 pm

  Very fun car to drive. Ive had 2 S4s (2012 and 2014) and now own a 2016 SQ5 and couldnt be happier. The next Q5s are going to be made in Mexico.

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  2008 Good commuter but definitely not a 3-series. - 2008 Audi A4
  By Iowa architect - January 4 - 11:45 am

  Bought 2008 Audi A4 2.0T AWD with 29K miles to replace a 2003 3-series that was starting to nickle and dime me to death the moonroof breaking and soggy floors (from the doors not moon roof) was the last straw. Bottom line is I appreciate the A4, but it lacks the getup and go of the 3-series, granted the 325xi BMW was a 3.0L-5 speed manual. I commute about 70 mi. per day mostly on the interstate, the A4 with sport suspension gives a decent ride and is extremely comfortable for a 35 minute commute with an aver. 24.7 MPG but it lags substantually off the line until you get to about 2500+ RPM, however, at hyway speeds it kicks into passing mode just fine and youll be going 90 before you know it. Ive driven it 6500 miles and havent had any maintenance issues yet however Ive broken the latch to the storage area in the armrest and broke the hook that holds the sun visor. Ive read these are common complaints I dont think Ive been overly hard on it. The A4 has been good for me by softening my somewhat agressive driving style. If your looking for a nice comfortable ride with some sportiness the A4 is right up your alley.

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  Fuel Sipper - 2015 Audi A8
  By Don Santella - January 2 - 2:23 pm

  This is a great automobile. The Lane control is excellent and the adaptive cruise works great in stop and go traffic. The technology is almost to the point where one could read a book while traveling on the interstate. I am getting over 40 mpg on the highway traveling at about 77 mph.

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  Fun to drive, but not worth it in the long run. - 2010 Audi A4
  By Brian Gardner - January 1 - 10:13 am

  I bought my A4 used at ~38k miles. Its a comfortable, fun car to drive. Great on gas, accelerates quite quickly, and with snow tires, its a champ in the Michigan winters. However, its been a maintenance nightmare. Shortly after I bought it, the water pump started leaking. Thankfully, that was replaced under warranty. Next, the blower for the front defroster went out. Then it started burning oil badly. Turns out this is a common problem, and the fix was basically rebuilding the engine and replacing all of the pistons. Again, covered under warranty. But, while doing that work, they discovered that the timing chain was in need of replacing as well, which was not covered under warranty. And now, not more than 2 weeks after having that work done, the motor controlling the locks on the drivers door stopped working so I cant lock my car. This has been my first Audi, and it will also be my last.

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  2011 Audi A5 is so so but fun - 2011 Audi A5
  By Jeff DeBiase jr - December 30 - 9:40 pm

  Overall the performance is decent. Acceleration is fun but only when the transmission is in the sport mode but the Quattro handling is on point 100% of the time. The trunk size is better than in the 3 series coupe but rear seating room is minimal and dont even try putting a rear facing car seat in if youd like to have a front passenger. The front seats are comfortable and plenty of leg room is provided. As far as the layout of the entertainment system, it could have been better thought out because it is confusing but the sound quality is great. Another HUGE negative is that you cannot play music through Bluetooth unless you get the $89 tunetoair device on Amazin. Overall the car is fun, comfortable and reliable.

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  2000 Audi A6 quattro 2.7t My green alligator - 2000 Audi A6
  By Richard Tanguay - December 27 - 7:29 pm

  Like many others have said, expensive car to buy, will go anywhere in the snow, lots of power with the twin turbos, but after about 60,000 miles lots of leaks and sensor problems. Spent about equal time driving and being in the service station. Vacuum leaks, cam shaft seal leaks, valve cover leaks, axle leaks. Just about every week, something new comes up to fix and the repair bills were about $4,000 per year. Figured I better get rid of it before the turbos, engine, or transmission need replacing because those thing would cost me more than the car was valued at. I did keep the car for about 16 years, but if I had to do it over again I wouldnt by an Audi (way overpriced), or if I did, I would sell it at about 60,000 miles. They do not hold their value well. On a positive note, one of the best things about the Audi was after 16 years, there was no rust anywhere on the vehicle. Audi did an excellent job with metal finishing and plastic protecting guards underneath the vehicle to limit corrosion on these New England salted roads. In closing, my personal experience with the A6 is that it just keeps eating away at my wallet, my green alligator. Never another Audi for me.