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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  Awesome - 2010 Audi S5
  By kipn - December 10 - 7:40 am

  I just purchased this car and absolutely love it. Everything is what you would expect and more from a premuim performance coupe. The major defining factor in choosing this car was when I heard the engine start knew at this point that I had to have it. It is understated and over performing, but people cant take their eyes off of it. Another very nice feature is that you dont see many on the road. 3600 sold in the entire country last year. If you are considering one, their is no reason to hold back!

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  Great Suv - 2009 Audi Q7
  By ryanj1178 - November 29 - 10:17 pm

  Drives smooth plenty of pick up despite posts stating otherwise. Quattro awd system is great in bad weather and with the correct tires almost unstoppable in snow. Seats are very comfortable and there is plenty of room for the whole family. 20,000 miles and the brakes and tires are fine. I have seen posts stating otherwise but it has to do with how the car is driven. The tires will be good until 50,000 miles. Also fuel economy is not great but if you can afford the car then you can afford the gas otherwise buy a Yaris.

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  2.0T Q5 - 2011 Audi Q5
  By 330zhp - November 28 - 6:22 pm

  Quiet, comfortable daily driver. Averaging about 24mpg. Love the steering (easy to turn in parking lots and slow turns). No effort to drive. Would not like this in a sports car, but works well in this application.

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  Fantastic after 112k miles - 2007 Audi A4
  By ketchup77 - November 16 - 11:02 pm

  I bought my A4 new in July 2007 and I have NEVER had an issue with it after 112k miles. Sure it burns oil a bit, but keep a quart in the trunk and your good to go. This is a car that is fun to drive and built solid. The only complaint I have is the glove box hing broke and they wanted hundreds to replace the whole thing...not me...I went and bought a 2 dollar hinge at Ace Hardware and screwed it in and it works great. I hope to keep my A4 for many years to come.

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  S-4 - 2011 Audi S4
  By jpk112 - November 14 - 5:15 pm

  2011 S-4 Quartz Grey/Black Interior 6sp Manual Prestige Package Sports Differential Here is my 12 month review. Purchased the car in October 2010, have so far put 10,0000 trouble free miles on it. The car has lived up to my expectations both for performance and comfort. The shear speed of it is impressive, yet when I am just concerned with having a peaceful drive home the car delivers. Very happy to be in this car.

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  Awesome SUV - 2012 Audi Q5
  By bh2011 - November 12 - 9:27 pm

  This is a super car to own and drive. Have it for 3 months now and have about 3500 miles on it. As reported in many other reviews, this SUV rides nice and tight, feels fast, drives fast and is a lot of fun. Extremely quiet interior and the sunroof is huge.

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  2012 Q5 Prem Plus + Nav 2.0T - 2012 Audi Q5
  By mrweeks - November 4 - 3:06 am

  This cross-over is an amazing vehicle to drive. It handles like you would expect an Audi to handle. The Exterior is sleek, sexy and screams confidence. The interior is well laid out and the navigation system is a must optional upgrade. The panoramic roof lets the world into the cabin as your cruise around town. The steering does seem a little artificial at low speed,but as the car picks up the tightness and Audi feel kicks in. The 2.0T engine hums and out performs the 3.2

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  Very reliable - 2006 Audi A4
  By a4lvr - October 28 - 1:34 pm

  I purchase my A4 2.0T quattro new in 2006. Since then I have driven the car 167,588 miles. I have spent $5,800 so far in maint & repairs including tires. I have followed the maint schedule to the letter except for oil changes. I do the oil & filter every 5000 miles. The car still consistently gets 30-32 MPG. It still has the original shocks and exhaust. it will need its second timing belt at 190,000. The timing belt is a maitenance item. Handling in the snow is effortless and safe. I am curious as to why so many bad reviews. Maybe the cars were not maintained properly from the start or abused. The bi-zeon lights had been troublesome but the dealer & Audi took care of the issue.

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  after 4 months and 4100 miles - 2011 Audi A5
  By amiraqeel - October 22 - 11:48 am

  I am extremly satisfied with Audi performance, look. I went back to dealer a few times after purchase and find it as courteous and frendly as they were on purchase day.

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  Best value AWD German car - 2006 Audi A4
  By sebastianz - October 20 - 4:39 pm

  I have 52k miles and my warranty expired over 2 years ago. The only issue I had was a low oil pressure light that was showing once in couple of days. Audi replaced the sensor first, and since it did not fix the problem, they did replaced the oil pump. I had the issue reported to Audi when warranty active, so even my warranty was out for 8 months, they still covered the issue.