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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  Best interior style, reliable fun - 2006 Audi A6
  By JHAUDI - July 22 - 10:30 am

  Great experience, 25,000 mi and counting. Audi replaced a faulty rear window (fog inside glass) upon delivery. Love the mtce warranty. No major repairs or issues, and NO minor ones either. Best road handler out there, summer, fall and especially winter. Love this car in winter! Cleans up real nice too, time and again.

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  Questionable Reliability - 2003 Audi A4
  By BigD - July 21 - 3:29 pm

  Poor acceleration for a 3.0 V6. Fuel economy is abysmal for the level of performance. Electrical problems and fuel pump failures continue to plague this vehicle. Remote transmitters quit after 20K miles. Once the warranty expires be prepared to sink thousands into the vehicle. Look elsewhere for an entry level luxury sedan.

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  Buyer Beware - 2003 Audi A6
  By R8R fan - July 21 - 12:01 pm

  Based on the reputation of how the German cars drive I crossed the line from Japanese and bought this car. It was the worst decision I ever made. At 70K miles everything falls apart. I have a huge oil spot on my garage floor from oil leaking, the airbag light stays on constantly because the device is defective (only $1,400 to replace it), then the transmission celanoid went out and cost me $1,800. DO NOT BUY A USED AUDI. I am sure these are great cars when they roll off the showroom floor because they are covered under warranty. I WOULD NOT BUY AN AUDI UNLESS IT IS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. These cars are fun to drive, but they are not reliable and cost a fortune to repair.

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  Lousy Audi - 2006 Audi A6
  By leblancjon - July 21 - 10:07 am

  Spent a total of 3 months at the dealer for repair of sunroof (3 times), noise in suspensions (never fixed - the dealer gave up, suggested I buy another car), blew transmission after 6300 miles. Again dealer suggested I should have bought a Quatro, instead of a CVT. Still has noises in the liner, suspension, rattles in the door and seats. Do yourself a favor, do not bay an Audi.

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  Wildly fun to drive - 2007 Audi A3
  By billy52 - July 20 - 1:53 am

  Its light, powerful, precise, well-balanced and stops well. Great mileage in Drive mode, wildly fun on mountain roads in Sport mode. Bluetooth and see-around-corners lights and seat heater work well. Very comfortable for driver. Premium comes with good electric seat - for the driver only. Passenger seat manually adjust with big wheel to tilt seat, like our 87 VW Cabriolet - this is a horrible method. Air conditioner works fine on first trip. If restarted when warm, air wants to freeze you, so it ceases to be automatic. Bose stereo is great, but CD changer is very hard to reach and ther is no iPod input! And no workaround except FM transmitter, which is not good in saturated FM market.

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  Audi: Never Follow - 1999 Audi A6
  By GuyfromMD - July 18 - 12:53 pm

  A6 was previously owned by close relatives, we took over few years ago. They were the original owners. They replaced the fuel pump and other components. We paid $700 for service. Since then the car has literally fallen apart. From 108k -117k miles, the driveshaft messed up, the transmission needs to be replaced, sparkplug wires are corroded, vacuum hoses are clogged, interior is falling apart, door handles and everything. Dealer wants $6300 for new trans. Even at discount, trans would still be worth more than the car. Car has poor resale value. I despise this car, I wish we never took over it. We took care of it, but it didnt help. Audis slogan is "Never Follow", trust me ... I wont!

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  2007 Audi S8 - 2007 Audi S8
  By Bot1 - July 16 - 9:18 pm

  I decided that maybe Audi had just created the perfect luxury car. After 3k miles I believe they have. It is perfectly silent when you want it to be. Want to be sporty? One or two down shifts and a tap of the right foot and you know you are in the right car. The electronics are well thought out too. Handling stuns. The throttle is not too sensitive. No problem (did they fix it?). Looks? Subjective, yes, but it makes a very discrete statement. I am very happy my S8. And I dont miss my 997 a bit.

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  Best luxury car for in its price - 1999 Audi A6
  By Sean - July 15 - 5:59 pm

  I really like the car. It is really nice when you are tired from work it gives you comfort and relaxation you need. I recommend it.

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  Great SUV - 2007 Audi Q7
  By Great SUV - July 15 - 12:15 pm

  I have two children ages 4 and 11 months. There is enough room for one car seat, a booster seat and still room for an adult on the same row! I owned a minivan before, and although there is a little less room in the Q7 its not by much. Love the way it drives. MMI is really easy to work. The only bad thing is it gets bad gas mileage. But, you have to remember it is an SUV.

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  Getaway car - 2007 Audi A3
  By George - July 14 - 8:25 pm

  Purchased my A3 2.0T after much research and driving the competition. I kept coming back to the A3, and so glad I did. This little vixen grows on you. The DSG, coupled with a very flat torque curve, makes acceleration so effortless that I find myself glued to the rear view mirror. I dont think "Audi made me do it" would stand up in court. Fit and finish is incredible. The sound system is very good (I wanted premium but settled for stock, and no complaints). Ive been doing the conventional break-in (vary your speed) and still averaging 27 mpg. Overall Id have to say this is the finest car Ive ever owned. If I win the lottery, Im going for an A8, but still keeping my A3!