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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  Audi not what I thought it would be - 2005 Audi A6
  By Thew - August 20 - 9:17 pm

  Bought the 3.2 A6 a year ago and have been relatively pleased. Gas mileage and drive comfort have been good, and the car looks beautiful. Now the down side: I had a squeak in the rear passenger door that took the dealer 1 year to fix. No kidding. Odd issues with the electrical system have lead me to ask if I really bought an Audi. I always expected them to be top notch on fit and finish and they just missed the mark on this specific car. Wish others the best of luck.

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  Topless Audi is the Tops - 2005 Audi A4
  By ALLISON - August 20 - 4:20 pm

  I just purchased my Audi A4 Cabriolet after comparison shopping all of its competitorss convertibles. This car is much roomier than the BMW 3-Series and has more interior charm as well. In comparison to the SAAB, there is none. The handling is superb and the solidity of the car is astounding! It is extremely quiet, with no wind noise even at higher speeds. The options are easy to choose, but most models do have premium accomodations. I highly recommend taking one out for a test drive...You wont be sorry, youll be sold!

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  well worth it! - 2006 Audi A4
  By Ed Goodman - August 19 - 9:20 pm

  I love this car! its a great combination of luxury and performance. With the seven speed auto transmission when you drive in the standard "D" position you can barely feel the car shift gears its so smooth. Or you can put the shift into "S" mode and the transmission will hold the rpms much longer, depending on how much you smash the excelorator, sometimes as high as 6,800 rpms. You can really feel the turbo then. Great acceleration. The car has a great stereo, standard with 10 speakers. Very nice interior with great instrument displays. Exterior styling is just unusual enough to get strangers to regularly comment on how they like the car. It has a slight hesitation from dead stop.

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  Fun to drive but glad I leased it - 2006 Audi A3
  By SteveK - August 19 - 1:52 pm

  Ive had this car 9 months and have put over 10k miles on. A lot of fun to drive, and good looking, too. But Im glad I didnt buy it. Its chock full of little annoyances. Sticky turn signal, huge gap between 4th and 3rd gears on downshift, sunroof with a mind of its own, bits and pieces constantly loosening or falling off, too easy to knock gear shift out of manual when upshifting, to name a few. And its a rattle-trap. Very good mileage considering the turbo engine, though.

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  Very happy with my purchase - 2006 Audi A6
  By Michael Maddox - August 19 - 7:01 am

  My wife traded her A4 on an A6. I liked driving hers so well, I traded in my IS 250 for one too!

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  Born to drive - 1998 Audi A4
  By audimanS4 - August 19 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 98 A4 2.8Q in august of 2001. It had 70k miles on it. Since, I have put 22k miles on the car and have not had 1 single problem with anything mechanical or electrical. The build quality of this car is superb. With almost 100k miles the car doesn creak or moan anywhere, it is solid as can be. Very impressive for almost 100k miles, but that is why it is an Audi.

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  Wait... Thinking of Getting a Bimmer??? - 2002 Audi A4
  By JC Boston - August 19 - 2:00 am

  Thinking about getting a bimmer? Well, forget about it and instead test drive the Audi A4 - quattro. This is a great sports/luxury sedan all rolled up into one. Driving around town, you feel a sense of security and passion. The only other car that I enjoyed test driving was an Infiniti G35. However, it costs $4K to $6K more and did not offer an all wheel drive capability. Anyway, I am very happy with my choice and would recommend it to others that are seriously considering a Bimmer as your next vehicle (oh and one more thing. Did you know that Bimmer sells over 100,000 3-series a year - how exclusive is that?)

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  A4 Avant - 2003 Audi A4
  By KLz - August 19 - 2:00 am

  More hp would be great, waiting list too long...

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  A fun and smart car to drive! - 2006 Audi A4
  By Jacquie O - August 18 - 7:14 pm

  Its sleek and strong, fitting my personality to a tee! Excellent handling and zooming in and out of traffic is a breeze in the sport gear. Also gets great gas mileage for such a sporty vehicle.

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  2017 Audi A4 prestige quattro - 2017 Audi A4
  By AIG - August 18 - 5:46 am

  I bought the prestige over the premium because i wanted the driver assist option. i compared to Bmw 3 and 4 series and Mercedes c class. Audi was my preferred choice for overall driving experience and amenities. The driver assistance program is very good if you have to do a lot of driving in congested traffic - takes a bit of getting used to but very helpful