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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  Not worth the $$$$$ - 2004 Audi A4
  By Acura Man - January 4 - 8:06 pm

  I was looking at the "new VW Jetta" at the time, and to get all the things that I wanted cost more that the Audi. Common sense told me to get the Audi instead. I had my car for 7 months with no problems. I was at a stop light when it happened. The light turned green and I stepped on the gas, and the car would not move. The check engine light was one, the car was running, but it wouldnt move. After countless trips to the dealer and being told that the car was fixed (and it wasnt) I had to get rid of it. I hated doing it too. I loved the design of the car, the bose xm radio, tiptronic, and the pure fun to drive feeling. When the car works its great, but when it didnt...

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  My second TT - 2002 Audi TT
  By fjp_tt - January 4 - 11:34 am

  I had an early 2000 TT with the 180hp engine, and loved it, but yearned for a bit more engine. Two years later and a really good lease deal and my yearning is satisfied. My green 225hp is a perfect blend of great performance, fabulous looks and even excellent fuel economy! My only mistake was the lease which means Ill have to find a replacement - possibly my third TT if Audi doesnt mess with it too much in the coming model year.

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  Even Used Its Great ! - 2003 Audi TT
  By Fischstix - January 3 - 1:46 pm

  I purchased a certified, brilliant red roadster 180 FWD automatic just for fun. What a great little vehicle. Love to cruise around as I dont see many other TTs in South Dakota ! People ask about it all the time ... red color really helps.

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  A8L is the best! - 2006 Audi A8
  By Sal - January 2 - 6:47 am

  The 2006 A8L is an awesome car, its my first Audi and will by no means be my last! I drove the MB S500, and was turned off by the BMW 7 series awful exterior and interior styling, so I went to Audi and fell in love with the A8L, great engine, the interior is exquisite and huge, and the exterior is refined but at the same time aggressive on the front end, a perfect design by Audi, its the best looking car on the road in my opinion. In the 3 months I have had the car Ive had only one problem with the car, the MMI computer system went out suddenly one day and it took 3 days to get a new computer installed by the dealer, they say that this is a VERY rare occurance and Im not concerned by it

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  Audi allroad - perfect driving machine - 2005 Audi Allroad Quattro
  By A Land - January 1 - 9:40 pm

  Never had a nicer, more dependable car. Fun to drive, never get stuck in snow and very comfortable.

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  Wolf in Sheeps Clothing - 2005 Audi A4
  By Bill - January 1 - 1:11 pm

  I am a 6-month owner of the 2005.5 A4 2.0T, and this car is a wolf in sheeps clothing. The only complaint about this car is the low level of torque under 2K RPMs ... after that, watch out!! The ride is like silk at 80MPH. The paint job is one of the best I have ever seen. The attention to building detail makes my former Volvo look embarassing. You notice the small things on detail over time (like the hangers in the trunk for groceries packed in plastic bags and the A4 manual compartment under the steering wheel, to keep you glove box empty and ready for anything you want. Finally, I just began to really use the triptonic manual shift and it is a hoot! You are in complete control of the car!

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  cool - 2003 Audi A4
  By johnb339 - January 1 - 10:00 am

  the best car ever

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  Audi Fun - 2003 Audi A4
  By Blong - January 1 - 10:00 am

  This is the funest car I have ever drove . I have owned BMW,s and Other American Sports cars but really enjoy this car. The handling of the car is simply amazing.

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  Audi A4 1.8T CVT - 2002 Audi A4
  By J. Amador - December 31 - 3:09 pm

  This is my second Audi (4000CS) and am very pleased with the performance and reliability of the car. We purchased the car used (3k) and had it shipped to Europe where it was driven till 05. The vehicle worked flawless!!! Had it up to 130MPH many times between Naples and Rome and always hugged the road. The CVT trans is great on gas as well as the 1.8T driving around town. Overall Id own another Audi. Glad I didnt get the 3.0 as it has more pickup power at the start but about the same as the 1.8T once you get going.

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  No spare tire! - 2017 Audi Q7
  By FC - December 30 - 11:48 pm

  We enjoyed the test drive and were thinking serious about this SUV. Good looking and good finishes made this attractive in comparison to the X5 and GLE 350. Drove great. We found the technology a little cumbersome but that could be expected as it was new to us but not as difficult as other test drives. The navigation voice commands could not recognize very much. The salesman indicated that it would get used to our voices. Right. I checked this out with a current owner. He confirmed that voice commands are limited to his contact list. The kicker for me was there was no spare tire! The salesman went looking for it and could not find it! It was sorta funny but it wasnt. Their defense was it was equipped was run-flat tires with a 50 mile range. That may work for city slickers but we go to remote locations and that wont hunt. The X5 also has no spare. I understand that this is becoming more common but its not for me.