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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  Audi Q7 SUV Vehicle - 2007 Audi Q7
  By Maurice - September 4 - 9:29 pm

  I love to drive my Audi Q7. It handles like a dream on the highway. The Quattro AWD is the best I have driven for the size of vehicle the handling is nimble.

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  Total Disaster - 2005 Audi A8
  By Russell Bobo - September 4 - 11:15 am

  We had 2 Audi A6s prior to this new A8L. The A6s were great, so we thought the new A8L would be fabulous. Boy were we wrong. The car has been in the shop 19 times in the last 22 months. It spent the whole month of December 2006 in the shop with the MMI system. It seems to have an electrical gremlin that appears every 2000 miles or 6 weeks, whichever comes first. It has been towed to the dealship twice because it would not crank at all. Audi A8 customer care has not been a big help either. Without a doubt the worst car experience we have ever had.

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  Never again - 2001 Audi A4
  By Konrad - September 3 - 11:50 am

  I bought this car when it was 3 year old and had 51000 miles on it. After 6 months it started to break: ABS module, power window mechanism in 3 doors, leaking oil in engine (repair costs over $1000) oxygen sensor (another $1200, big problem to find right sensor), rear tail light, glovebox shaking all the time, even the horn didnt work, engine light was on all the time. Car is very nice, handling and performance is great, but buy it on your own risk.

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  Buy anything else! - 2005 Audi A6
  By Rhyse - September 3 - 10:18 am

  I bought an A6 CPO vehicle last May thinking that I was buying a premium vehicle and a premium dealer experience. Wrong on both accounts. In the first 6 months my car was at the dealers service department for 30 days total with not much to show except more frustration and gray hair than I would have liked. The car drives and handles like a dream, however, the cacophony of squeaks, groans, creaks and rattles from the interior is enough to drive a sane man to insanity!

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  2006 Audi A6 Wagon - 2006 Audi A6
  By Frank_R - September 1 - 11:01 pm

  I drive 120 miles daily to Santa Cruz CA, up over the mountains (dreadful highway 17). For this the car is great! When it rains the road becomes treacherous and the car holds the road and stops better than everyone else. A real plus! The car is comfortable, quiet and makes the commute quite bearable.

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  You Get What You Pay For - 2007 Audi A4
  By KP - August 30 - 8:06 am

  I shopped all the brands in this price point, thought the BMW was too small and cramped, thought the Lexus was just too boring, and the MB a little too old. I like the ride, handling, mpg, price and stereo in this car. The price came in under all the competition and the complementary maintenance was very nice. However, I have not been able to enjoy it since out of the first 39 days of ownership, its been in the shop for 23 days. I dont know if I got a lemon, or this is indicative of Audi quality. Either way, I do not recommend this car and I wont be buying from Audi again for a long long time.

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  My New Audi 2007 A4 2.0T Review - 2007 Audi A4
  By Brad - August 28 - 10:30 pm

  I really have a hard time describing to non-Audi Quattro drivers, the experience of Audi Quattro. In the wet, snow and ice this all wheel drive saves you in so many situations, and this system does this in a manner in which the driver has no clue - it just works. This is not four wheel drive, as I have often heard the neophyte describe controlled power to four wheels. On dry pavement, this is total smart control - Quattro is an all wheel computer controlled drive, perfected over 25 years and banned on many race circuits because of its dominant superiority. With seamless traction, like a Cheetah coupled with an engine that is FSI turbocharged and inter-cooled race bred in an everyday spo

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  Audi A6 2.7T S-Line - 2004 Audi A6
  By daller - August 28 - 12:39 am

  I was looking for an all-wheel drive car and after taking the A6 for a test drive I liked it much better than the G35X Infiniti, the ride and interior were way better. The S-Line has the Bose, XM radio, heated front and rear seat, and handles great, and has great passing power. Gas mileage has been in about 25 mpg on highway.

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  The Manufacturer to Follow! - 2008 Audi A6
  By Little League Umpire - August 26 - 10:35 am

  We researched, watched and waited for just the right sedan to come to market. I compared features, performance, comfort and reliability for all sedans in the A6 category and there is no other car that would rank higher than 8.5 now or in the next years model. The steering capability with the S-Line sports suspension is what makes driving this car so much fun yet comfortable. I love the unique color (Daytona Grey) in a time when almost everything on the road is the same. The ability to power hard into your corners smoothly will never make you feel like you purchased something second rate. The MMI is fabulous and intuitive. My wife went from the A4 to this and just loves it immensely.

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  Probably the best car I have owned - 2004 Audi A4
  By Bill - August 26 - 9:14 am

  Over the 3 and 1/2 years I have owned this car, it has been nearly flawless. One repair under warrantee to replace the catalytic converter. The 1.8 has sufficient power and delivers excellent gas mileage for an AWD vehicle. The AWD really delivers in heavy rain and is adequate in snow providing you drive sanely.