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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  One great car - 2006 Audi A3
  By ksven - March 18 - 8:14 am

  After a one-year search for a car that could make me happy without spending 50K the Audi A3 has achieved that feat. I love the design and hatchback flexibility, and solid interior ergonomics (the seats are awesome). The drive is pure bliss: Great acceleration, fun manual shifter and pretty low interior noise. Steering is precise, low body-roll. As mentioned below, some improvements can be done, of which the most important ones are the handbrake and climate control issues. If you are looking for a hatchback at an entry-luxury level, there is nothing better out there than the A3 (BMW 1 series and Mercedes A class need not apply).

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  Great Performance and Value - 2006 Audi A3
  By a3fan - March 16 - 8:23 pm

  After owning three BMWs I thought it was time for a change. The press reviews of the A3 2.0T lulled me into an Audi dealership and within an hour it became a no-brainer: BMW-like performance and quality for under 30k. Im in. Go easy on the options (I went for the Premium Package, standard, no sun roof) and enjoy the ride. Its not quite the "riding on rails" handling of my 2000 323ci, but its faster. Really! And 10k cheaper.

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  Fantastic Sports Sedan 20 Valve Audi S6 - 1995 Audi S6
  By Ronald F Farina - March 16 - 5:04 pm

  This is my fourth 20 valve s car over a 9 year period and by far the best of the bunch. It is a 95 1/2 or essentially the 96 they never imported. Its performance is stunning, and its reliablility and build quality are unmatched. After over 10 years this pearl white/ecru S6 looks new inside and out. Its too bad they stopped building the 20 valve cars. The newer V6 is apparently a higher maintenance vehicle, and the V8s lost the soul of where they came from...the 2.2 liter world rallye champion 20 valve Sport Quattro.

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  Fun2Drive - 2006 Audi A3
  By Robert - March 16 - 11:56 am

  The first thing I noticed about this car was its solidity. Closing the trunk yields a solid thump. The entire chassis feels like it was carved from one piece of metal. The second thing I noticed was the steering. Much lighter than the 3 series, but still providing a lot of road feel and sporty playfullness. This steering really begs the driver to toss the car around. Ditto for the engine, though I havent fully pushed it yet-still breaking in. One thing I love is the low-end torque. You can really thrash the car around and keep it under 3000 rpm. The interior is beautiful-love the amber lighting, but I have one gripe-the stereo (both bose and std) sounds muffled-get new speakers/amp.

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  Look forward to driving again - 2006 Audi A6
  By marc - March 16 - 9:10 am

  I typically prefer Japanese upscale cars for reliability but was wowed by the interior and exterior design. Wife had an A6 many years ago that had its compliment of electrical and oil burning problems which kept me away until now. Have been extremely pleased with the cars performance, handling and comfort over the past 4 months.

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  Gets expensive after 70,000 miles - 2002 Audi A6
  By BW - March 15 - 8:03 pm

  I bought my 2002 pre-owned Audi in 2005. This is truly an awesome car inside and out. The features and performance cant be beat in the same price range. However, you may be able to afford to buy an Audi, but you may not be able to afford to drive one. The transmission started slipping at 60K miles. Electrical problems (interior lights cutting on and off) were an issue, little noises and rattles (drive me nuts), the engine went to 300 degrees on normal summer days and finding someone to service the car was a task. Unless you live in a metropolitan area or down the street from the dealership, Id suggest looking elsewhere. I traded it in after 12 months.

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  A sports car without the pain - 2006 Audi A3
  By nmdriver - March 15 - 12:58 am

  Manual, Premium package (much better seats), xenon lights, Bose sound (big improvement), Sirius, Bluetooth etc. Replaced the crap stock P6’s with much better tires. This car grows on you. The longer you own it, the more you realize how good it is: great steering and handling, big broad power band, beautifully built, so smooth, surprisingly quiet. 5K miles so far: NOTHING has gone wrong -- not a rattle, not a screw loose. We have been very surprised at how good a high speed (85 mph) long distance cruiser it is. Amazing stability. Immune to gusty winds. Very comfortable. Surprising amount of room and trunk space. We prefer it to our previous larger, more expensive cars.

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  Best car Ive ever bought! - 2016 Audi A6
  By Danny - March 14 - 12:46 am

  Hands down this is the finest vehicle Ive ever purchased. An absolute joy to drive in town or road trips.

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  A3 DSG premium sound sat. - 2006 Audi A3
  By Scott - March 13 - 4:35 pm

  I have had the car 3 weeks. So much fun to drive. Shifting the car with the paddles rocks, normally I just up shift and let it down shift for me. It works great. Great car highly recommended.

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  Audi A4 - 2002 Audi A4
  By BROE - March 13 - 2:00 am

  Fast, fun to drive vehicle that impeccably finished.