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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  2006 Audi A 3 - 2006 Audi A3
  By Haledon 101 - April 15 - 10:30 am

  Have mine for 6K miles. So far its great. Tight ride, quick, the skylight opens the whole car up. The DSG trans is AWESOME. This coming from someone who hasnt owned an automatic for 20 years. Slight turbo lag in low (1st) gear but no problem in Sport or Manual mode. I dont see many on the road... this is a good thing.

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  Very nice sportwagon - 2006 Audi A3
  By bruintoo - April 14 - 12:32 pm

  The engine/drivetrain combination on the A3 is amazingly wonderful. 200 hp on tap with superfast and supersmooth DSG. The style is subtle and sublime. The interior is impeccably Audiesque.

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  Great Vehicle But expensive - 2017 Audi Q7
  By Srinivasan KR - April 13 - 11:50 am

  Great Vehicle But expensive. They could have added extra features for the cost. Value for money thumbs down. Vehicle quality and driving experience great

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  2004 Audi Allroad - Super Car 2.7 V6 Biturbo - 2004 Audi Allroad Quattro
  By stevoid123 - April 13 - 7:16 am

  Bought this car used from a dealer in Rockland Ontario. Its a 2004 Allroad 2.7 V6 5-spd automatc. I was able to find the Audi dealer in Montreal who serviced the car and obtained all the service records from Audi. There was a 50$ service charge but well worth it. The previous owners name was blacked out but all details were there indicating full professional service and verifying the mileage. After a few weeks I had to replace 2 front upper control arms and fix a transmission oil leak. After 18 months I decided to upgrade the air suspension.

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  The best of two worlds - 2006 Audi A3
  By Tom - April 12 - 11:57 am

  I traded in a 2004 TT (3.2, quattro with DSG) for the A3 3.2 quattro in order to get a back seat. I thought Id miss the TT but I dont. The A3 combines the performance of the TT (same engine same DSG) with the comfort of a five (well, really four) passenger car. Its lightening fast and the DSG offers even smoother shifts than on the TT. The styling outside and in is great, with elements of the TT and the A4. The new grill looks great on this model. Equipped with the bi-xenon headlights, navigation system (an MMI interface that becomes the command center for radio, CDs, telephone, navigation, etc.), open sky system and Bluetooth, it has it all.

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  Nice step up from A4 - 2006 Audi A6
  By rmcrowe - April 11 - 12:19 am

  Having owned the A4 previously, I prefered the sportiness of a smaller car. But the need for more room was overpowering. This is a good trade-off. It is not as nimble as the A4, but it is responsive and for a car this size gets around quite well.

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  The best car ever in my opinion - 2005 Audi S4
  By Russ - April 10 - 11:03 pm

  I have owned Jensen Healey, x2 Jaquars, x3 BMW incl a 2003 M3 roadster, x3Mercedes, a Volvo and a couple domestics. This is the best of the bunch for fun, comfort, driving ease @ all speeds and slick in all respects. And a bargain price for all that. I was on the list for a BMW M5 and luckily took this out for a test drive!!

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  No Regrets - 2006 Audi A3
  By Raymond - April 10 - 8:58 am

  Pros: Excellent entry level luxury car. Lots of options available. The build quality is excellent inside and out (except for the sunshade - see below) and the car feels very solid and stable on the road. Plenty of power in the 2.0T model. Cons: Power driver seat only available on cars with Premium package (most dealerships carry the Sport package). No power passenger seat available. The latch on the sunshade for the Open Sky system broke within a week (Audi is supposedly releasing a kit to their service centers to fix this flimsy part).

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  Under rated at "best in class" - 2001 Audi A6
  By R - April 9 - 7:19 pm

  From the solid feel of the door handle to the unreal hold on snowy winding Connecticut roads, this is the all-around benchmark for mid-luxury. Before falling for the A6 4.2, I drove (among others) the 540, G35 and both Lexuses. Each excel in one area, but not one adds it all in one package like the Audi. And at a better price. The only thing missing for me is that its not an RS6. But that additional money is tied up in my weekend convertable.

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  Shocking good - 1999 Audi A6
  By geo - April 9 - 7:19 pm

  Bought this 7 year old car on ebay 3 weeks ago. I did a lot of research including reading many of the reviews right here and I can tell you that so far, after just 3 weeks and just a completed 2000 mile trip, I am thrilled with this car. Bought in Philly and immediately drove up to mid coast Maine, almost 500 miles, this car drove effortlessly and was tight. The car had 106,000K on it and now has over 108 in just 3 weeks. The car was a one-owner and serviced at audi regularly, I checked, including the timing belt/water pump change ($1800 approx) at 95K. I was hoping that service had been performed but did not find out until after i purchased the car. So far so good, I am very happpy