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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  Coolness for a wagon - 2006 Audi A4
  By PJ - February 20 - 11:15 pm

  Wife wanted to downsize from SUV to a wagon. After test driving Subaru and Saab, I convinced her to ignore the price of the Audi A4 Avant 2.0T and test drive it. She loved it. While not much of a wagon fan, I have found I really like driving this semi-sporty little car. I love the sport shift, cornering ability (with 17 inch wheels/tires), and excellent suspension. The little 4 cyl has decent accel power - more than I anticipated. This is our first Audi and we really like it. Interior represents genius design.

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  allroads lead to Q7s - 2007 Audi Q7
  By Gadget Doc - February 20 - 2:07 pm

  I had a loaded 2.7 twin turbo allroad for four years. I started tracking the Pikes Peak concept with great anticipation. I ordered my 4.2 Premium S-line with all the options. Loved the allroad, but the Q7 tops it on all accounts. Exhaust note is powerful when revving it up, yet quiet when featherfooting it. MMI is not as difficult as people think it is. The voice driven system works great and is very accurate. The adaptive suspension goes from low and sporty up to tall and beefy. The sound system is impressive and easily fine tuned. Gotta love a sun roof. Especially one that is over 5 feet long and 39 inches wide. When the motorized screen retracts oohs and aahs are common

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  Audi A4 - 2006 Audi A4
  By Brenda Cline - February 20 - 12:27 pm

  Repairs can be expensive but that comes with the Audi brand and technology. I love my Audi A 4 the driving experience is excellent! It is a reliable car as long as you keep up the maintenance .

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  Simply a Blast! - 2002 Audi S4
  By S4driver - February 19 - 5:38 pm

  Great vehicle! First Audi Ive owned. Comfortable, fast and not too flashy. Was looking for an A8 at the time. Came across the S4 and drove it home. So far, the most fun vehicle Ive owned and seems to be as reliable as a Benz. The only qualm is the cost of service is as expensive as Jags. Fortunately its never in shop though but for the scheduled intervals (every 10000 miles... awesome!). Ive come to the conclusion that the next vehicle upgrade will be for another S4!

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  Just a great car - 2004 Audi A8
  By A Beauty - February 18 - 5:59 pm

  A dream car. Excellent pick up, great MMI, really simple to use, very few steps to do anything important (i.e. radio, heated seats etc.). Spacious like you wouldnt believe. Great handling, fun to drive. Highly recommended, but you do have to expect issues when you buy German.

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  Good but not exactly solid - 2002 Audi A6
  By Lucio - February 17 - 5:05 pm

  Ok, I love my car... but is possible that the interior parts are so fragile? This is not what i would expect from a car at this pricepoint: The cigarette lighter doesnt work anymore, the buttons on the climate control and the wheel on the light panel has lost the paint after a little bit of use, and the worst is the cup holders - broken them twice simply using them with soda cans! The last thing broken is the central unit (the one that is between the driver seat and the passenger seat), since the cover on the top is broken, so I cant open and close, not even replace since I should replace the entire central unit.

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  Impractical 3rd row - 2007 Audi Q7
  By FB - February 17 - 11:07 am

  When you are spending in the range of $55,000 to $65,000 you deserve comfort. I am quite disappointed with the 3rd row. First the 2nd row glide rail is not flush mounted, 2nd getting in to 3rd row is nearly impossible since seat does not retract fully, 3rd there is no room for even feet between two rows. Also no DVD player option.

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  Who needs an SUV - 2002 Audi Allroad Quattro
  By chris sutliff - February 17 - 10:00 am

  Great car. Front end shake at 65-70mph I understand is a common complaint these days. Design flaw in wheels. Snow gets packed in them and causes the whole car to go out of balance and shake. Other than these relatively minor flaws, fast, fun, comfortable and the looks you get..Great Car.

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  S6 Avant eye opener - 2002 Audi S6
  By Webg - February 13 - 7:28 pm

  The biggest sleeper on the road. no one knows what they are dealing with until after the S6 taillights disappear from view. Take this wagon seriously.

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  Audi state-of-the-art technology - 1998 Audi A4
  By dan the audi man - February 13 - 10:00 am

  This is my first Audi, which has totally impressed me with its technology and quality. Especially, its state-of-the-art AWD System {i.e. Quattro}. The Car handels extremely well under all road conditions and is most definitely a solid car. The Tiptronic Transmission is another piece of technology that distinguishes the Car from other upscale sports sedans, with its ability to shift either manually or use the automatic feature. The Car is most definitely a quality automobile, but does have its share of electrical reliability problems that are typical in most cars that offer a wide variety of power options.