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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  German V8 - 2007 Audi S4
  By lou m - October 27 - 2:00 am

  Just purchased the car 1 month ago. I read all the car magazines and previously owned an M5, a Corvette and a Porsche Boxer, but this car beats them all. I now understand what handling like if it were on rails means. Gorgeous exterior and interior, much nicer than BMW. Sound of V8 is absolutely addictive. I love its rumble, even at low speeds. Only downer is the awful gas mileage. At 80 on the highway you be lucky to get 20 to 21 MPG (My Vette used to get close to 30)A few cowl shakes, but then, its a convertible. I love it !

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  Fun to Driver - 2007 Audi A4
  By Denver Dubreuil - October 22 - 2:00 am

  Love my car, not entirely perfect but so much fun to drive, I had problems with the window and sunroof but took it to the dealer and fixed it with no problem. Car stops on a dime. The breaks are amazing. Slow off the line but once the turbo kicks in its a pretty quick car. Handles really good as well. Lots of room in the trunk. Not too roomy in the backseats though. Also burns through a lot of oil but it doesnt bother me to much just no your going to need a new quart every 2500 miles. All in all though I love this car

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  Acceleration lag is a SAFETY WARNING - 2007 Audi A4
  By TA Johnson - October 22 - 2:00 am

  I have LOVED this car, when going up hills. Its acceleration and cornering are beyond compare. But, when pulling out from a stop sign, or merging into traffic, it is downright dangerous! There is a lag between the time I accelerate and the actual time the car decides to move. Audi says the car adjusts to the driver and his/her habits to improve gas mileage. I cannot sacrifice safety for gas mileage. I cant count the number of times my A4 would not get up and go. Before having this Audi I had never experienced this type of problem. I cannot in good conscience recommend an Audi to anyone who wishes to remain alive.

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  Smooth Ride, great AWD - 2010 Audi A4
  By Rickallen - October 13 - 2:00 am

  I traded in my 09 Jetta TDI. It was seriously one of my favorite cars, but now AWD had gotten me stuck more times than Id like. Without an A4 TDI Quattro option, the 2.0T was the choice. The car is stunningly beautiful. Great lines, great lights, and hugely comfortable interior at least for me and my wife. Would have liked the S4 or at least the B&O sound, but the car is still very nice without them. Only gripes thus far are a vibrating steering column during reverse maneuvers, a lot of brake dust on the 18" wheels, and some funky controls. I love the lights and amenities that this car offers for a relatively low price compared to others in its class.

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  Fun to drive but MAJOR Flaws - 2005 Audi A4
  By wazzujon - October 9 - 2:00 am

  I bought the Audi with 36K miles 2 years ago. It now has 53K miles. While it was under warranty It was in the shop 3 times for semi major issues. I didnt care because it was under warranty and they gave me loaner cars. Then at 51,500 Miles the CVT TRANSMISSION went out. Yes AUDI paid for half, but they gave me 3 days to tell them to I would accept their offer. SO I had to pay $3500 out of pocket for something that would have been under warranty two months before. If you Google Audi and CVT transmissions and TCMs you will see there are hundreds of Audis complaints about this. Yes its fun to drive though.

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  Oil Consumption - 2010 Audi A4
  By A4owner - October 8 - 2:00 am

  After 10,000 miles I find myself shuttling to the dealer every 5th weekend for the last 6 months due to the low oil indicator. They have done an consumption test and they report this is within normal for this engine. They have nothing else to offer. After spending 40K I expected more. After reading on the internet, I see that this has been a common problem. I suggest staying away. Youve been forewarned.

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  Do Not Trust - 2006 Audi A4
  By Del - October 5 - 2:00 am

  Sometimes locks doors when I exit car, even w/ motor running, which should be impossible. Once refused to shift down while passing a car and refused to accelerate in any selected gear except "Drive." Revs would peak at 4k, even with accelerator planted firmly to firewall. Tried every possible position of gear selector and punched the accelerator to downshift during 50 miles of freeway driving, to no avail. After shutdown, no problem. Do not trust this car. Dealers tech indicates he never heard of such a problem. Dealer is 200 miles distant, and tech doubts problem can be diagnosed, since no warning lights were lit.

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  Disappointed - 2002 Audi A4
  By COdriver - September 24 - 2:00 am

  This thing is a money pit. Cant believe how much it costs to fix every little thing. Have had the car almost 4 years now & I cant take it any more. If you happen to be looking at one of these things, stay away.

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  Be careful with this one - 2010 Audi A4
  By Kathryn - September 24 - 2:00 am

  I absolutely loved this car until there were oil problems at 2500 miles. At usage of 1500 miles (I bought it with 1000 on it), my car indicated low oil. As it had not been leaking, my car was burning it. Audi of America and the dealer said this was in spec, that turbo engines burned it. They offered to put a quart in every time. They could not answer to the long-term ramifications however and did not want to fix it. Had I known that my car required a quart of oil per 1500 miles I would not have purchased it because something seems wrong here. ONLY the 09-10 A4s do this. Turbo engines shouldnt burn that much. It affects my fuel efficiency and has taken away the joy of owning a new car.

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  Great car let down by DSG - 2006 Audi A3
  By ic70 - September 21 - 2:00 am

  I wanted a fun-to-drive car, with a bit more luxury. The A3, being based on the GTI, should be fun-to-drive, and come with nice Audi touches, so I thought this was the car for me. The Audi comfort touches are all there, but sadly, the fun-to-drive was not. The major problem is that in Drive mode, the DSG transmission like to conserve fuel, so it keeps rpm low (1500rpm). This means that when you need power, it takes a long second or two to kick down 2-3 gears to get going, which really really kills the fun-to-drive factor. On Sport mode, its nice and aggressive (never drops below 3000 rpm), but for daily driving, its a little too "caffeinated."