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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  Brake failure - 2014 Audi S4
  By stevef13 - July 30 - 11:55 am

  I bought the S4 because it is advertised as a track car by Audi at their Sports Car Experience at Infineon Raceway. After a warm up session, then 15 minutes on the track I had fade and then failure from my brakes. At the dealership the rotors were determined to be bad. I have owned so many cars, 10 Audis, and NEVER has this happened. According to the dealership Audi USA will not cover the brakes they put in my car. How is it the S4s they have you track at their raceway last but mine cannot? This car is not for tracking since the manufacturer does not back up its product and treats loyal owners poorly. Truth in engineering= failure to support customers.

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  HORRIBLE CAR MECHANICALLY - 2009 Audi A4
  By tc124 - May 20 - 3:12 pm

  I just bought this car 4 months ago and it has 60,000 miles on it. It is burning oil like you wouldnt believe. I took it in to the Audi service department and they said the first step is to replace the crankcase pressure regulatory valve and put the Audi software update on it, which cost $109 for that. Overall, the cost is $600. If this doesnt fix the problem, the engine pistons need to be replaced, so basically a new engine for $5,000. Audi needs to recall the 2.0 liter engines. Why would you charge 40,000 for a car and the engine goes out at 60,000 miles. Obviously, this is a faulty engine!

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  Look somewhere else - 2013 Audi A7
  By spaquelet - May 13 - 7:38 pm

  "Brand new with 95 miles on it and it broke less than 24 hours after driving it off of the lot. O2 sensor was bad and an actuator (whatever that is) needed to be moved. Start-stop is very inconsistent. Plastic modeling near side mirror had to be replaced and whole car started to shake from defrost on 4/9. Cruise control is very poor (jumpy, not smooth). Climate control also acts like Jeckel and Hyde. Overall the car is worth about $40,000. The only thing going for it is that it looks great. Needs an economy mode as the computer often chooses a gear to low for economy. Audi has offered little help!

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  Buyer Beware - 2006 Audi A4
  By ashly_la - May 7 - 11:54 am

  For all of you that said that if you dont take care of your car then of course you can expect problems, seriously, you should just be sooooo lucky that you go one of the few NON-LEMONS. I have kept my car in mint condition and I have had the ignition coils replaced 5 times! The altenator, crankshaft, Electronic Control Module, Purge Valve, and the transmission is failing. It is now at audi with an estimated repair of 4,500. I bought the car in 2009 and almost instantly had mechanical problems and I bought it as a certified pre-owned. The thing that makes me the most mad is that they are known recalls but will only cover them the first go around. Be ready to fix them over and over.

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  Disappointed Beyond Belief - 2011 Audi Q5
  By unhappywill - April 13 - 1:27 pm

  After purchasing 4 Audis from the same dealership I am at a loss for words. We bought an extended warranty to 100,000 miles. We had ongoing issues with oil and at 82,000 miles the pistons were replaced. At 103,000 they now tell us, after all services were performed at the dealership,there is a problem with the engine compression. They say it is our problem. Wow, I spent over $42,000 on a car that now will require a new engine and is over the warranty by 3,000 miles. I thought Audi was a premium brand that stood behind its product and appreciated a loyal customer. I guess 4 car purchases does not count for much these days. I dont think Ill be buying nor recommending Audi ever again

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  Audi buyers beware!!! - 2009 Audi A4
  By kenneth39 - March 8 - 6:17 pm

  I have owned the Audi A4 for over eight months three days after driving the car from the dealership the oil low alarm came on. I called the dealership that sold me the car they said that having to add one quart of oil after driving 800 miles was acceptable?????? "Acceptable" really, I called Audi USA and asked why were they selling cars that used oil off the show room floor, I was told that in the eyes of Audi this was an acceptable level of normal oil consumption. Fast forward from 2009 till present in total the car has spent more time in the repair shop than on the road, we have replaced the motor and turbo and the oil consumption increased to a quart of oil with every fill up of gas.

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  Car burns oil - 2013 Audi A4
  By eric141 - December 2 - 7:35 am

  My 2013 Audi A4 2.0T burns about 1 quart of oil every 2000 miles. I had read about this issue with older A4, but the dealer had sworn that the problem had been resolved. Apparently not!

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  Audi A4 burns oil - 2010 Audi A4
  By eric141 - October 21 - 7:34 pm

  I bought an Audi A4 in 2010. The car burns a quart of oil every 2,500 miles. I took it to the Danbury dealer, who told me the oil usage was normal because it was a highly efficient engine and the gas savings more than justified the hassle of replacing oil. I wished thes sales person would have told me that while I was shopping for a car. I would have bought another car.

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  The fm radio of my S4 broke down in 3 month - 2012 Audi S4
  By ssdy - March 4 - 12:17 am

  I bought my Audi S4 brand new November 2011. In December 2011,the radiator broke down, after a argument , the dealer agreed to replace the coolant with no charge. Today,march 3, the FM radio broke. There is nothing display on the screen and there is no sound. Yesterday, the screen went blank for about 20 minutes. Then after we turned off the engine, about 1 hour later, when we turned on the engine back, the FM came back to normal. Today we try the same thing but it doesnt work. I am really start to hate this car. I will keep posting everything that will go wrong with my car.

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  MISTAKE - 1999 Audi A4
  By mnels - February 20 - 9:09 pm

  This is a terrible car. Do not do it. I sold my Lincoln hoping the AWD would help me out in the winter and I sold the car within 2 months of having it. My clutch was bad, the back axles were screechy (500 fix), wiring for blinker was bad (200 fix), the CD player didnt work right, the tape player ate tapes, the cigerrete lighter wouldnt open(I couldnt charge my phone or gps) one of the rear windows wouldnt roll up or down, the display screen was broken, the bumper began to fall off after 2 weeks, the buttons were coming off on the key fob.. AWFUL