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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  Great Overall Small CUV/SUV - 2011 Audi Q5
  By dbalsam - January 19 - 10:02 am

  Have owned my 2.0T Premium Plus for 5 months now. Waited until honeymoon phase was over to write review. Coming from an 08 Infiniti G35xS to this, so big change. Wife drives an Infiniti XQ56 so I dont need anything larger. Grew tired of "G"cramped interior, lack of cargo/storage, road noise, no fold-down seats and gas mileage. Looked strictly for smaller CUV that was fun to drive, AWD, handled well, had good power, some decent cargo while maintaining the mpgs. Cross-shopped FX35, SRX, Touareg and X3. Love Q5!! For 2011 model year you had choice between 2.0T of 3.2. The 3.2 sucks more gas, lacks low-end torque and add over 200lbs. to car. ZERO issues with oil consumption.

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  1999 A6 quattro - 1999 Audi A6
  By iamrph68 - January 18 - 6:01 pm

  Very good vehicle, but the repairs are expensive as the miles add up. IÂ’ve had my A6 quattro for a little over 8 years & 150.000 miles. I bought the car with 47,000 miles & no problems until 98,000, then the serpentine belt tensioner broke. I went ahead a serviced the timing belt, water pump, etc. Later bought shocks from Germanautoparts.com & they are vastly superior to stock. The vehicle feels rock solid on the road and tracks straight with minimal input from the driver. Find yourself an Indie mechanic. I go to my local VW dealer for oil changes & some labor. VW parts are cheaper than Audi parts (SAME PARTS). Also, labor charge at Audi dealership is twice what VW dealer chargesÂ…Go figure.

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  Not Reliable...Never Again! - 2009 Audi A3
  By futureman001 - January 14 - 10:26 am

  Just after warranty, the manifold went bad. The injectors went bad. After five years of ownership the main engine seal and the oil separator went bad ($2,000) and the fuse housing under the hood melted ($675). I have been driving for 32 years and I have gotten bad gasoline with this car twice. Never before in 32 years has that occurred. The car is over engineered and too temperamental. VWs Ive owned were also unreliable. If you have plenty of money and time to spend at the shop, you may consider this a fun car.

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  Purchased Used with 62k miles - 2004 Audi A6
  By charbojr - January 8 - 11:56 am

  Bought this off the lot with 62k miles on it. This will be my daily driver. Purchased for its all weather capability and european refinement. For a 10 year old car this one is in fairly good shape. Some gremlins do plague the car, phantom sunroof, power steering pump went in the first 20 days and driver side rear window does not work. But this is part and parcel for a 10 year old car. It is also a heavy drinker. 18 around town and 22-24 highway on premium gas. Beyond these nuances the car is capable, comfortable, solid on the road and for the money drives better than most newer cars and has more cargo space than most SUVs.

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  2014 S4 *Great Car* - 2014 Audi S4
  By huntm2000 - January 6 - 2:43 pm

  I have owned my 2014 Audi S4 for about 6 months now. Overall its a great car for daily driving, but has the ability to turn to super car on demand when you want a fun ride home! I am getting 25MPG for blended driving. Even with summer tires its gets around great on icy and snow covered roads. Fit and finish are top notch.

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  Disapointed with Audi TT - 2004 Audi TT
  By hirams - January 5 - 7:50 pm

  I bought this car 5 years ago in 2008 with only 28K miles and even though its fun to drive the repairs has been ridiculous. The factory warranty expires at 48K/4years. The car was 4yrs and 5 months when I bought it. At 32k the instrument cluster needed replacement at a cost of 1,250. At 40K the water pump needed to be replaced 1,850. At 45k the transmission needed to be replaced 5,200. At 56k the alternator, belt and tensor were replaced 1,650. At 72k the alternator was replaced again for 595. Audi shouldve replaced the the instrument cluster and the transmission because both failed before 50k but they washed their hands. After this experience Ill stay with BMW,never buy an Audi again.

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  Quater Million Miles and still going strong! - 1999 Audi A4
  By djdan75 - January 5 - 5:42 pm

  I got a great deal on the car in 2006 and planned on driving it for a year and then selling it to make some profit. I was blown away after the first winter driving this car in Northeast Ohio. After 245k the paint still looks new theres no rust the engine runs great the transmission shifts perfectly.. my only complaint is that I have been through 6 wheel bearings and 8 control arms.. I was told by my mechanic get used to the oil leak that is just the Audi way of marking its territory.. there is nothing on this car that is cheap to repair. even though I paid cash for my car I still consider the repairs to be a monthly car payment. But still my favorite car

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  One of my best purchases! - 2006 Audi A4
  By ambermg - January 2 - 6:11 pm

  Im the 4th owner, and purchased this car after a GREAT deal of researching for 2 weeks. I bought this car in 2011 (it was 5 model years old then) with 54k miles on the clock, and have been pleasantly surprised by its reliability. In the 2 years and 3 months Ive owned my Audi, Ive only spent $300 on service that wasnt routine maintenance. At 72k miles I had to replace the turbo recirculation valve. At the local Audi dealership they replaced several parts that werent even on a recall and despite the fact that my car was WAY out of warranty...all at no charge, and topped it off with a complimentary car wash and synthetic oil change.

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  S7 Engine Malfunction Fault - 2014 Audi S7
  By s7george - December 28 - 12:10 pm

  Engine Malfunction Light came on after 60km. 4 months later and 8350km and 3 more times of the fault light coming on Audi can only say that it is a set of circumstances in the fuel system that causes low pressure and the engine malfunction light to come on. Audi has changed the pressure switch and the fuel pump numerous times now but with NO success. Has anyone else had this problem? Very discouraged with reliability and Audi not being able to isolate problem and fix it.

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  Want a dipstick? - 2013 Audi A4
  By rkelsey - December 26 - 12:07 pm

  Drove 75 miles to get car we wanted. Replaced wifes 2006 Saab 9-3 Sportcombi would have bought another Saab 9-3 if company hadnt gone belly up. Premium Plus is a well damped firm/rough ride over potmarked New England backroads highway ride is excellent. Not a big fan of the electronic steering at highway speeds poor feedback through steering wheel. Wife drives the car and gets 23-24 mpg I drive and get 28-29 mpg. On the all highway drive home from dealership, trip computer showed 31.7 mpg with cruise at 75 mph mpg ranges above are using miles driven/gallons to fill tank calculation. If we could afford a Q5 TDI, would get that for the wife, and take the A4 for myself.