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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  Swweeeeeet - 2014 Audi Q5
  By Mike Orndorf - April 8 - 9:12 am

  So far this Q5 is awesome. Great ride, good performance and reasonable gas mileage. All round it handles like a car, has the storage for gear and groceries and the comfort of my living room.

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  Audi A4 convertible - 2007 Audi A4
  By bobt - April 8 - 9:04 am

  Have owned the car for 6 days and love it! Went with FWD and CVT due to price -- wanted a convertible and this is a 3rd car that will not do heavy duty driving or commuting. For general driving, the FWD is more than fine. Engine is great with 2.0T -- peppy and efficient at same time. Brother-in-law owns 05 1.8T Sedan - drove my 2.0T & says its much stronger from a standstill. Upgraded stereo with Bose/Sirius is fabulous. Interior fit/feel is intuitive, with lots of little features that make it a pleasure to drive. Top up/ down process is painless and takes less that 30 seconds. Overall, no regrets and the price was right, compared to a used 2006 BMW convertible.

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  Absolute Beast - 2007 Audi S8
  By Software Developer - April 7 - 7:09 pm

  Its an awesome car. Had it for about 2 months now and yet every time I turn the engine on I cant help but grin like a 12 year old in a candy store. Having had various luxury cars over the last several years, I can honestly say that Ive never seen a more complete package -- its an absolute joy to drive. Even though its relatively similar to the A8, it turns heads everywhere! I often sit in heavy traffic and let me tell you, people (especially other drivers) stare. The only problem that some people might have is that it can get quite uncomfortable when you have several pairs of eyes glued to you for extended periods of time while you wait for the lights to change.

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  A Must Drive - 2007 Audi A6
  By longdriver - April 7 - 4:02 pm

  Excellent design inside and out (understated class). At home at the market or country club. Fit and finish is incredible. The 18" wheels look the best and are surprisingly smooth on the road. Would encourage wheel insurance though as theyre easy to nick and scuff. Interior screams luxury - well appointed and roomy. MMI control is much easier to learn than critics say.Upgraded Bose audio is concert hall quality with the surround sound selection. Bluetooth works like a dream. Adaptive headlights are very bright. Good acceleration and braking. Quattro AWD gives excellent handling. Tight turning radius for a big car. Trunk is deep and the back seats fold down (!) easily holding golf bags.

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  What a Blast - 2000 Audi A6
  By gjohnson - April 7 - 10:00 am

  I just finished my 1st winter with the 2.7T. This car is a blast to drive in the snow and ice. It is balanced extreamly well. Add to that the power and a 6 speed and it is a great combination for fun winter driving. Ive had a few minor mechanical problems early on. These were solved quickly by the dealer. After owning a 5 series BMW and then the Audi, I will definalty get another Audi.

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  Great looking car - reliable? Not so much - 2010 Audi A4
  By Kathy - April 7 - 3:51 am

  I bought the car certified pre owned in 2011 with 13k miles on it. Before 20k the oil light kept coming on. Took it to the dealer who said it was "normal" to use a lot of oil cause its a turbo. Took it back to the dealer when we had to start putting a quart or more of oil in every 1000 miles. They had to go thru a 3 step process to "prove" the car had an oil consumption problem which involved 4 visits to the shop over the course of the better part of a year. They finally had to basically rebuild the top half of the engine. This was around 60k miles. Fast forward to just over 100k miles and the timing chain tensioner failed. Car was of course just out of warranty and despite technical bulletins on the issue and a class action lawsuit the Audi dealership didnt cut us any slack on the repair quote. Over $13k to rebuild the engine or $20k for a new one. We took it to a 3rd party shop and managed to get the work done for a "mere" $7k. The ignition coils have failed 3 times in the last year. Random lights keep failing. Fuel pump went bad at 112k miles. Car is now just around 120k miles and has multiple EPC faults, idles rough and randomly dies at low speeds. Its been in the shop 3 times in the last 3 months, still not fixed. This is without a doubt the worst vehicle Ive ever owned. I once drove a 1972 Ford Ltd in the 90s that was more reliable. I would never buy another Audi and the only reason Im still (attempting) to drive this one is its paid off. Except for the repair bills, those keep coming!

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  Timing belt broken at 68k miles - 2001 Audi A4
  By timing belt broken - April 5 - 9:06 pm

  Nice car. European, handsome, drives nicely, especially the manual. Feels safe. Timing belt broken at merely 68k miles. It caused engine damage and I am out $6,000 now. And I drive my car very very nicely without hurting it. The manual says change the belt at 100k+ miles!! Talk about reliability.

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  Quattro - 1998 Audi A8
  By Lambillotte - April 5 - 2:47 pm

  Well built and high roadability particularly in northern climates where the quattro really helps. Hardly any minor defects. Excellent fit and finish. Only drawback was that at 150,000 miles had several expensive repairs that were not routine maintenance including failure of the power windows, pulley bearing failures and computer controls failure.

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  Think twice before you buy - 2007 Audi A3
  By Laura - April 4 - 6:17 pm

  Since I bought my brand new car I never got more than 16 MPG, the gas cover got locked, the back of the front seat fell, it ran out of of oil more than 5 times, the 5th door froze and was impossible to open, the tires wore out - $1,000 to replace them! - the stick shift locks in the worst moments, it is so noisy inside you can not hear the radio, open the window when raining, all the water goes inside because of bad design, every time you want to open the front window, you open the rear one because of bad design. NOT WHAT YOU THINK YOU ARE BUYING - THIS IS EXPENSIVE JUNK!!

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  What a special vehicle - 2007 Audi Q7
  By JBrem - April 4 - 12:37 pm

  My first Audi and I must say I am very impressed. Now considering adding an S6 or maybe the new S5 to my stable. Driving this 4.2 S-Line makes me feel like a very lucky guy.