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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  Oil Oil Oil and it beeps too much - 2011 Audi A4
  By paul_p_2011_a4 - April 1 - 9:47 am

  If you want a car that needs lots of oil, like a Qt once a month and that beeps a lot, (why) this is it/ Looks awesome, drives great and good in the snow (with snow tires) but it drinks oil and Audi of America will not fix the cars. Any Audi/VW with the 2.0T will consume oil. Up to 1 Qt every 1000 mi. Do the math, then but a Japanese or American car. I have had Audis for 20 years and this is it, Done.... Oh, If you open the door there is a loud beep/ warning that door open lights on, seatbelt, Gets old quick. Also controls for heat/radio/phone are too complicated with several clicks to get where you want. no "one touch" options.

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  2.0 Quattro plenty of power. - 2014 Audi A6
  By gltrans1 - March 29 - 8:07 pm

  This is my 3rd A6. I had a 2008 3.2 and then a 2011 3.0. This time I had to decide whether to spend the extra money to stay with the 3.0 engine or drop down to the 2.0. After test driving the 2.0 on local roads and the interstate highway I determined that it had plenty of power for my driving style. My commute to work is only 10 minutes each day and my highway driving is pretty much limited to visiting my kids at college. Power accelerating onto the highway was great and going up hills locally was fine. Transmission shifts very smoothly. I saved a lot of money dropping down to the 2.0 while maintaining all the other great Audi features that I had in my prior two A6s.

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  Art of Wheels - 2014 Audi Q5
  By jcollum68 - March 29 - 5:01 pm

  We looked at a RX350, RDX, X3, SRX. This is the runaway winner. Great timeless design, wonderful interior design and material quality, great step in height and the list goes on. Bought this after owning a 2012 ML350. My wife is 5 foot and ML350 step in height too high. She loves this vehicle, great for a shorter person, perfect size. Have all options on ours except 19 inch wheels. Wish it had power tilt/telescoping wheel, probably only missing options. Very thoughtfully designed, seems overpriced but the devil is in the details. It was worth $8000 more than the RDX after sitting in both back to back. Have had it for a months and we love it, still like my BMW 550 more though!

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  Updated review of my 2005 S4 - 2005 Audi S4
  By jnicho1 - March 28 - 9:26 pm

  I previously wrote a review on my car at about 70k miles and she was still an awesome car (I bought her used in 2007 with 28k miles). I say still because at about 84k miles my timing tensioners started to fail and my timing chain had the infamous rattle at start up. At first, not a big deal, but the check engine light came on and the rattle became worse and worse. I knew the repairs would cost thousands, so I had to get rid of her. It was bitter sweet because I got a new S4, but I miss the V8. The suspension isnt meant for bad roads, so beware of suspension work if you live in a city of anywhere the roads arent great. That was several thousand $$$ too.

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  Audi Q5 TDI - Better mileage than advertised - 2014 Audi Q5
  By darioa - March 24 - 11:42 pm

  My new Audi Q5 TDI has a little over 1700 miles. Ive been very careful during the break-in period, which happened during extreme cold temperatures and much snow and ice on the roads for a few weeks in February. The car would start flawlessly every time even at temperatures of -20 F in the mountains of Colorado. Ive averaged 25.5 mpg in the city during cold weather and snowy roads. On a 180 mile round trip from Winter Park to Steamboat Springs, where you start at 8800 ft, go down to 7000, then up to almost 11,000 ft and then down to 6,800 ft I averaged 35 mpg with 5 people in the car, skis on the roof and a fully loaded trunk. From Boulder to Colorado Springs and back I averaged 41.5 MPG.

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  Excellent car - 2012 Audi A4
  By astropup - March 13 - 9:48 am

  Ive had my 2012 Avant for 2 years and 27,000 miles and Ive experienced no problems so far (knock on wood). Its comfortable on long hauls and I dont get the back aches that I used to. This is odd, because I dont feel like the seats are as comfortable when you first sit in them, but yet, somehow they work well even after 4+ hour drives. Its fairly sporty and has punch when you need it. Very well planted in the rain, lending confidence in adverse conditions. Buttery smooth transmission 97% of the time, but it doesnt like slow stop and go traffic. Putting it in sport for those times stops the lurching.

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  2011 Audi A4 have faulty rings and burn oil - 2011 Audi A4
  By zmanr - March 3 - 2:57 pm

  This is a known issue - just goggle Audi A4 oil consumption problems and you will see. Audi has refused a recall and the fix - new rings and pistons - costs between $6000 - $7000. Its really disappointing that Audi has not stepped up to address this on a broader scale.

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  great larger vehicle, large maintenance expenses - 2007 Audi Q7
  By cosicoop5 - March 1 - 9:13 am

  I have had my Q7 for 7 years and have loved it. For a family of 5 it has been a great traveling car and very comfortable and convenient for every day carpooling and use. No major problems popped up along the way, just the usual...squeaking breaks, break replacement a few times, tire replacement 3 times and cracking in the drivers seat base (3 inches long). Check-ups and other service visits seem to be over $500 a piece, but overall the car has been wonderful to have, reliable and comfortable. I would like another Q7, but dont want to spend the money. May consider a smaller Audi model but not convinced I want to pay the hefty service fees with kids going to college. Overall very happy.

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  Fantastic Car - 2006 Audi A4
  By antonioa4 - February 22 - 12:59 pm

  Ive had my 2006 A4 for about a year now and it runs like a champ. Had 85k on the odometer and since Ive put another 15k this year. The car is great in every way. It looks great, classy, good performance for a sedan, and very comfy. Also the car its self is very reliable BUT I feel that many previous owners will not take good care of the car. These cars are very picky and need premium fuel, synthetic oil changes, etc. Before you buy make sure the previous owner took care of the car because maintenance and repair costs do add up. This year alone Ive spent about $1500 in maintenance including, transmission fluid, tune up, brakes, fuel cleaning, new turbo etc. But all in all great car!

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  A car you can Drive all year round - 2012 Audi A5
  By roadrunner42 - February 21 - 9:45 am

  There are cars you ride in and cars you drive. This is a driver. Skip the FWD car with the CVT transmission. You want the quattro version with the magnificent ZF 8HP transmission. Car feels solid like a block of granite, with little wind noise. Over MPH in winter time is around 22-25 on premium fuel. Turbo motor feels like a v6 or larger car, with no turbo lag. Interior is nice and heated seats are a must in cold climates, as is the back up camera, as the only thing you see out the back is the sky. B&O stereo is very nice but dont pass on the standard Audi stereo as that too sounds good