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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  SQ5 Great Drive But - 2015 Audi SQ5
  By William - November 11 - 4:37 pm

  The 2015 SQ5 has a great drive! But the MMI system is the pits. Too many buttons, levers, dials, etc. to search for and too many actions with them before what you want to happen does happen and too much time looking away from the road while searching for what you want. But it is fun to drive, good size, fairly comfortable, too expensive, visibility not the best, and, considering cost, behind somewhat in technology.

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  Love hate relationship - 2004 Audi A4
  By Brett Duncan - November 6 - 1:05 pm

  I love the thought of this car, it gets good gas mileage, its comfortable and looks nice with the top down and its great at high speeds. What I dont like... The maintenance! Its very expensive, in just two months I had an oil leak, coolent leak, transmission speed sensor failure, a whole new ac, the gear shifter peace spilt apart, the car starts funny, etc. This car also isnt fast enough for me. I should have got the V6 Quattro but thats probably just me. I want to keep the car but on the other hand I could lease a brand new one for the same price as the maintenance on this one.

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  Time to debunk the Audi S4! - 2005 Audi S4
  By kevin raynard - November 4 - 5:03 pm

  Time to debunk some myths about this car that previous owners seem starstruck over 1/ The engine....well yes its ok but thats it, after all 340hp in a 3700lb body is NOT going to set the world on fire! For comparison the then new C5 vette in 1997 made 345hp and weighed 3400lb. So WHY does the S4 feel so lively? Very simple, its all in the gearing! It is running the equivalent of a 4.11 final drive which as any gearhead knows will give you blinding acceleration and instant thrust through the gears at the expense of fuel economy. Which brings me to.. 2. Fuel economy...TBH I do not find it to be awful, I average 19-20mpg and given the facts on the gearing is about right. Now if we were to swap the gearing to similar to a 1997 vette came with( 2.87, 3.23 or 3.42 if memory serves) you would see a large increase in average mpg, probably 5 to 6 mpg more. But then your highly rewarding impetus would be diminshed, oh well. Please do not get me wrong, I am NOT critical of the car at all, but it is not a miracle motor some claim, just a good old fashioned combination of sound engineering and gearing. Moreover Audi are to be praised for having the corporate balls to build this the way they did although in the mid 2000,s the economic rug if you like had not been pulled out from under the vast majority of Americans. Drive and enjoy, prepare for high maintenance cost and so so fuel economy.

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  Bad investment - 2007 Audi A4
  By Allan - November 1 - 12:32 pm

  Purchase vehicle at 55000 miles, had to replace the top because back window fell out. X 58000 the first ignitor went bad, @ 60000 the second ignitor went bad @ 63000 the third one went bad and I replaced the balance. At 65000 miles the rack and pinion seals went bad leaking oil how to replace whole system for $2200. So in the past year I had to spend $1500. For a new top, $2200. For a new rack and pinion steering system, $300 for igniters and $600 for tires. The total is $4,600 which I could have put on a new car. And the bad part was even though it was under a 30 day warranty the dealership would not even help covering the cost of the top or anything else. We have since gone to the Attorney General in Massachusetts to help the next guy not getting stuck by A supposing reputable Car Dealer.

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  One of the vehicles Ive owned that I will miss. - 2010 Audi A3
  By Artie - October 17 - 11:01 am

  Solid car. Tracks great. At 72 on cruise control gets 30 mpg. Averages between 27 and 28 mpg combined.Have been very happy with it but looking for something a little bigger, but still in a sport back, or hatchback. Same thing, different terminology.

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  Needed more testing w/women drivers - 2015 Audi A3
  By Peg S - October 3 - 2:37 pm

  I just traded in my Audi A4 for an A3 this spring and am, in general, pretty happy with it. I bought the most tricked out model with driver assist, auto braking, etc/. No one -- I repeat -- no one does driver friendly technology the way Audi does. Its one of the reasons I love the brand. Every time I drive my husbands Mercedes, I cringe at having to deal with an illogical navigation system. I love the cars handling with the exception that it can be a bit trickier than my A4 on curves - perhaps because of the more narrow wheel base. The reason I say that a little more testing with women drivers would have been helpful is because the car lacks a couple of features that a woman will notice. Unlike my A4, the A3 does not have the automatic seat settings so every time I get in the car after having it valet parked, I inevitably have to move the seat back in position. But the thing that drives me absolutely nuts is that the A3 offers ONLY the options of having a drivers door open with the keyless OR all 4 doors. Gentleman - what exactly do you think a lady does with her larger size handbag? Hint: we do not hike it over the console!!!! We put it in the back seat, which means that you should have offered the setting to open only the two doors on the drivers side or allow the doors to open independently. Now, I have no choice but to use the 4-door setting, which makes me more vulnerable to things like carjacking when I get in my car in a parking garage.

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  Performance and Class - 2015 Audi A7
  By John - September 18 - 5:01 pm

  Test drove nearly a dozen cars prior to selecting our new Audi A7. Wife wanted luxury and reliability and I wanted performance and fun. It wasnt until we looked at the A7 that we found the right combination. I know you may be thinking "but you bought the diesel". Well test drive the TDI and tell me it doesnt put a grin on you face with all the torque on tap and we just got 39 MPG on a 800 mile trip. I would classify the car as a GT and in this regard it excels. It comfortably seats 4 and can still put a smile on your face on a twisty canyon road. Is it going to hang with a 911......No, but you cant put all your luggage, the dog and 4 people in the 911 either. The TDI has a slight diesel rumble at idle when cold that is barely noticeable (if you have everything in the car turned off....heater, stereo, etc..) Once in gear and rolling, the car is very quiet and amazingly the TDI has an un-diesel like growl to it when you drop the hammer. The transmission is super smooth and seems to always be in the right gear for what you want the car to do. The interior and technology of the car is as cutting edge as your wallet will allow (options) but even the base model is nicely equipped and very functional. The headlights and interior lighting make nighttime driving less stressful for those that may not see as well at night as they use too. The A7 has real usable storage space, every person I have shown the lift back to has been amazed at how much storage there is (notice I didnt use the word trunk space as no trunk can compare, it closer to an SUV than a car). In conclusion, after testing every reasonable car in the midsize luxury GT class I am happy with my purchase and would recommend the vehicle to others.

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  Its all fun n games, until catastrophe happens.. - 2008 Audi A4
  By Arbeitspferd - September 2 - 6:11 pm

  I have an 08 A4 Quattro 6MT Special Edition S-line. I bought it as a CPO car in 2011 with 36k miles. The car is absolutely sublime to drive in every way, even with the firm suspension. The first year I owned it, I put over 25k miles commuting 100mi each way for work, across a mountain range. The traction control and AWD have literally saved my life twice hitting black ice on a bend in the highway. Very little issues with the car cruise control module went out, covered under warranty ignition switch died last year out of warranty, $160 total (cheap). Then one day, accelerating onto the interstate, the engine shut down leaving me just enough momentum to coast over to the shoulder (on a massive bridge, no less). After having it inspected and diagnosed at the dealer, it turns out a high pressure fuel pump exploded, literally. It blew metal shrapnel into the engine destroying the block and fuel system. A piece(s) of shrapnel severed the intake cam chain, seizing the cam and destroying most of the remainder of the engine. The engine is damaged beyond repair and has to be replaced, to the tune of over $7500! Audi has generously offered to cover 25% up front, but I am currently working with Audi of America to see if they can extend that courtesy a bit more. At this point, I havent decide if Im going to keep the car after all this or just dump it. Either way, Im out as much as $6k on a car only worth $11k... If you want a car that is nearly perfect to drive, this is the one. Specifically the 2008 owing to its having the new AWD system (which is MUCH better than the old Haldex system). That said, Id have some kind of extended warranty, service agreement, and/or a whopping fistful of expendable greenbacks.

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  great car - 2015 Audi Q7
  By bob - August 18 - 4:25 pm

  great suv but had some issue 1 time gas tank lid did not open even with emergency opener did not open glad I have enough gas to drive to dealership road side assistant dont send anyone to fix this minor issue

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  Ride is great, MMI is TERRIBLE!!! - 2015 Audi Q5
  By Betsey Hurwitz-Schwab - August 10 - 3:07 pm

  Im coming up on a year with the Q5. I love the ride, it sits well, and handles well in the snow. Unfortunately, the MMI system that controls the navigation and entertainment is TERRIBLE!!!!! It is not intuitive, it is both on the steering wheel (IF you can figure out which dial to roll) and has a small joystick on the console. It is way too confusing, too distracting, there is no touch screen and overtime I try to use it I get frustrated. The book doesnt help at all because a lot of things arent in there or arent explained clearly. The system is so bad that it colors my entire feelings about the car.