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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  Side mirror/ hatch back dr/ Cruise contr - 2009 Audi Q5
  By Dragonfly - May 6 - 8:49 pm

  I enjoy my car and it is awesome looking but the side mirrors are too big to be point that I even had an accident because of them.1st time in 37 years and the hatch back door needs to be automatic in all models. Cruise control is terrible as it is an instant when you try to change the set speed. Other than that, all else is great. Dragonfly

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  Noisy, Noisy, Noisy! - 2007 Audi A4
  By Bob C - May 6 - 6:48 pm

  Bought cabrio for my wife. Handsome car! As owner of Lexus ES, this car is a lot of fun to drive. Quattro makes this car a real "gripper" on the road. Low end torque a yawner. At higher speeds - a gem! My biggest disappointment - engine noise. Sounds like a cheap Chevy Cobalt at idle. I have owned convertible Saab and Volvo with essentially same HP that had meaty exhaust w/little or no sewing machine engine noise.

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  Buy with warranty or be ready to spend - 2004 Audi S4
  By AC_SOCAL - May 5 - 5:41 pm

  Pros : Performance is awesome, one of the best looking sport sedans , interior is spacious, sound system is great, fully loaded with options, very nice seats. Cons: 1) very poor reliability! So far : bearings, engine cover gaskets, coils, light sensors, seat warmers wiring, clutch!, control arm. I was not expecting that many issues with a car that I take good care of and I hardly overdrive it! Good thing all were covered by extended warranty. 2) MPG : 14 to 15 3) Front heavy due to engine weight I am reluctant to buy another Audi, although the S5 is hard to resist. I owned 328i BWM for 5 yrs I did not have any problems until around 100K miles,I started having problems with S4 at 30K mi

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  Noisy engine - 2008 Audi Q7
  By Cubano - May 1 - 1:25 pm

  The reliability has been poor, the worst of any vehicle a have owned. Had to tow it to the dealer in my first week of ownership, the engine just stopped running. Front bearing gone at 25,000 KM. Driver door keeps dropping, it has been fixed 3 times. Other problems, way too many. Frustrating. I find the V6 quite noise even below 2000 RPM makes more noise than my brother in law Ford Escape. Dealer service could be better

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  gas pedal stuck in high speed 1 time - 1992 Audi 100
  By herb - April 27 - 4:36 pm

  Dependable car miles wise - but one incidence of having the gas pedal stuck in a very high speed while putting it in park, slamming on the breaks and finally turning off the engine was the only way to stop the fast acceleration that this car went into- It happened in a parking lot and luckily only hitting the car in front with minor damage- So frightening to go through everyone looked at me while it was happening and I got out of the car and said it was the car not me! My car repair man said it was a cross between the cruse control wires but not really sure. I only drove the car 1 time after- didnt trust it again.

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  First 1,000 miles - 2010 Audi A6
  By DaveW - April 23 - 4:20 pm

  Purchased after driving BMW 535 and 2011 Infiniti M37. The Audi is the best of both worlds. I just would give the BMW the edge for handling and the engine, but its interior does not come close to the quality of the Audi. The Infiniti has upped the ante with their 2011 M37 interior, and I have to say it is better than even Audis, however the engine and handling where no where near as sorted out as the Germans. Audi combines the best of each. I have the 19" Sport Package, which makes the ride a little stiff, but not uncomfortable. At freeway speeds the car is in its element. The 3G MMI is great - although I am still learning its quirks. Loving it through 1,000 miles!

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  Buyer beware of water pump issues - 2009 Audi Q5
  By Mark - April 23 - 2:32 pm

  I have been very happy with my Audi Q5 until today. Had car towed into dealership after the coolant burst in the engine compartment. I pretty much lost all coolant - luckily i was about to park it in the garage. Found out today that the water pump failed at 7,800 miles. It is covered under warranty but warranty or not this is a major issue. I have so far seen a mass of posts with the same issue. Fortunately for me the engine never had the opportunity to overheat. Audi needs to address the issue with their current owners immediately.

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  nice driving poor reliability - 2010 Audi Q5
  By cemi - April 23 - 1:56 pm

  When I bought mi Q5 prestige, I was very happy but all the problems started.A/C broke down twice, dealership had to replace to parts on both headlights,leak on the transmission etc etc.Nice looking car, fun to drive POOR RELIABILITY. TRADED IN FOR A LEXUS.

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  Fun car - lots of problems! - 2001 Audi TT
  By Airspeed - April 20 - 12:15 pm

  Bought it new, had it services on schedule every time. Once off warranty, started servicing myself, delving into the car. Problems in build and engine design quality too many to mention, and expensive to repair. Once you fix something, something else fails. Those of you having bought it used wondering if the problem was the "previous owner" - nope, we bought it new, meticulously had it maintained under warranty, and it started going to hell in a hand basket nonetheless. Audis real motto is "Vorsprung durch SCHLECHTE Technik! (Advancement through BAD technology!)" Total miles: 36,000 (Im not kidding!)

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  Audi Q5 front LED light broken 3 times - 2010 Audi Q5
  By Christine Yao - April 19 - 4:58 pm

  I am reporting review AUDI Q5 (year of 2010) because the front daylight headlight running sets problems, I purchased an AUDI Q5 in 9/23/2009, it happened 3 times of front headlight daylight running sets broken in 5 months, my cars current mileage is only 5700 mile, which is apparently not the LED headlight quality problem, which is highly possible on the electrical problems, now I am waiting for AUDIs response to see they will treat it as a lemon car case or not.