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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  A Joy Every Time I Get In It - 2004 Audi TT
  By faucj - July 15 - 4:20 pm

  Bought it secondhand, w/ low miles. Blast to drive! At 40K, no problems, but I have a reputable independent mechanic do preventative maintenance & proactively replaced the timing belt, etc. Very sport-oriented: firm ride, short gear throws, purpose-over-comfort cockpit, all fine - I wanted a sports car - but even for this driving enthusiast more than five hours in it is a little much. Top up, poor rear visibility - backing out of a parking space, especially with so many SUVs around, you cant see. Best to park backwards. Also, top-down requires a manually installed tonneau, which you have to keep with you, limiting trunk space. Research the forums - theyre why I decided on the manual trans.

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  Dont buy, unless you have money to burn - 2005 Audi S4
  By somedaycame123 - July 11 - 4:03 pm

  This car is so much fun to drive, I love it! However, now that my car, bought new, has 75k miles on it, I would be happy to get rid of it and never buy Audi again. Since I first bought it there have been problems, but when you add them all up, they are outrageous! The original top failed during a rainstorm ,causing the car to flood. Spent $9k replacing the control panel and rewiring the car. The new top hasnt worked for a year, Audi USA is involved now but still no satisfactory resolution. The starter broke, the car fan wouldnt shut off, draining the battery until I needed a tow to get repaired, so many other!

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  Very pleased with my Q7 TDI - 2013 Audi Q7
  By lttmkd5 - July 10 - 3:58 pm

  Wanted to wait until after my first required service for a true evaluation of the Q7. Bought my Q7 TDI after driving/considering the X5D, ML350 Bluetec, Toureg TDI. Only the TDI provided me with the space I needed in cargo area and fairly useable 3rd row, even if only occasionally. I have my own soccer training business and none of the others would fit my gear without much struggle. Close 2nd were the ML, which rode wonderfully, and the X5D which felt very much like a BMW. The Audi is a great combo of all the things I needed. Very powerful, quiet, and tremendous gas mileage! Came from an 07 MDX where I struggled to get 330 miles from full tank, I now get that on a half tank!

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  Disappointed - Oil Consumption Nightmare - 2007 Audi A4
  By jbgjresq - July 9 - 4:41 am

  Purchased car just off lease at approx 52K miles. My wife is the primary driver doing a 14 mile RT work commute. Car was always maintained by dealer while on lease. Overall a great car to drive but (big but) the greatness is negated by the incredibly excessive oil consumption. Right away I noticed the oil consumption issue. Even after oil changes (always 100% synthetic) it uses approx 1 qt every ~400 miles. Doing a quantitative test now down to the mile and pint. I am so disappointed at this example of Audi german engineering. In 40 years of car ownership, I have never seen this issue with any other properly maintained domestic or imported car or truck. In a word - "disappointed"

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  Pinnacle of Technology, Luxury, Comfort and Prestige - 2013 Audi A8
  By magician2166 - July 6 - 7:38 pm

  Ladies and Gentlemen, If You are on the market for a luxury vehicle, please do yourself a huge favor. Test drive this marvel of German engineering. No words can describe the adrenaline from its powertrain, comfort of its heated, cooled and massaged seats and the luxury of its interior. I drove many luxury cars before, but I was totally stunned and amazed by every attention to even the smallest detail the designers had paid in this spaceship. This is truly the pinnacle of technology, luxury, comfort and prestige.

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  Disappointed Audi Owner - 2010 Audi A4
  By dfinlayson - July 3 - 7:28 pm

  I am so very disappointed in the performance of my 2010 Audi A4. June 13, 2013 with mileage at 111044 km I replaced both front wheel bearings and hubs at a cost of $1809.50. Then on June 24, 2013 (115240km) Pad Wear sensor had a broken wire. This required new front pads and rotors even though there was still available wear on the original pads. This problem cost $681.63. I have previously owned two Subaru Outbacks which I drove well over the 100,000 km mark. Neither required this type of extensive, expensive repair. Having to replace front wheel bearings at such low mileage doesnt seem reasonable to me. Is this something Audi A4s experience as the norm? Disappointed

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  Amazing...so glad I traded. - 2014 Audi Q5
  By platinumpixie - July 3 - 4:58 pm

  I bought the Q5 on Monday after 7 disappointing months of driving a 2013 Volvo S60. I could not be happier. I test drove a few other smallish SUVs and this blew them all away. The interior is beautiful and logically set up. I love the panoramic sunroof, the sound-system and most definitely the bigger engine. I drove the 2.0 and could tell a difference and for me it was worth the price jump. The Audi dealer gave me excellent trade value for the Volvo and the transaction was painless.

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  Luxury Sport Sedan - 2013 Audi S7
  By rxs7 - June 30 - 1:23 pm

  As a driving/car enthusiast the S7 is the best of both worlds. Refined and luxurious interior, powerful turbine like engine. Automated manual tranmission can be driven as smoothly as an automatic, or as aggressively as any high performance manual trans would allow. Test drove Porche Panamera 4S. Same performance with better fuel economy and less costly maintenance and sticker price. Power and speed are deceiving due to flat torgue curve almost throughout entire rpm range. Launch control is houligans delight. Got back into my wifes MDX and thought the parking brake was on when accelerating. Smooth powerful brakes. Car drives like a smaller and lighter vehicle than what it is.

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  Three great months and counting... - 2006 Audi A8
  By dognmonkey - June 29 - 9:59 am

  New to me 2006 A8L with 73k miles. Premium, sport and massage packages. This year is the first year with the single grill and the last year with timing belt engine. Ive had 98 A8 for 7 years - loved the car and now this one is amazing. No wonder many people moved from BMW, Mercedes to Audi. Air suspension is comfortable and very convenient to raise the car up when going to a complex that has many tall speed bumps. The car is so powerful, fast but very nimble (drives like a small car) and still get average 19MPG (26 hwy). Soft close doors are nice (the doors got sucked in if close half way). I drive people who dont know Audi on my A8L and theyre amazed at the comfort and design.

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  Welp.. - 2005 Audi A4
  By nightseeker - June 26 - 5:41 pm

  I purchase an early 05 B6 1.8 about six months ago with about 110k on it. I have put about 4K miles, $4K into it so far. As soon as I replace one thing it throws two new codes, pretty frustrating to say the least. I Love/Hate this car. Dont buy one of these unless you can afford to fix it, or fix it yourself. At this point it should be good til 200K but Im not convinced. -Brake switch -ECU- Coolant migrated through wiring into my computer and fried it. -Fan Module -Turbo - was bad, upgraded to K04& remapped software. -MAF sensor -Ignition Coils -Oil Level/Temp sensor -Thermostat -Engine speed sensor -Shift lock Solenoid is out now but will still shift out of park if you know the trick.