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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  Love the ride - hate cost of ownership - 1999 Audi A6
  By love cars - October 28 - 1:11 am

  Bought this car with 30K miles now have 88K. The Quattro is wonderful in slick stuff (snow/ice/rain). The seats are good (inc long trips), the car is roomy and has a decent Bose sound system (CD changer is in trunk). Trunk is huge. Rear seat offers plenty room for family of 4. Maintenance is expensive ($$$$) and I cant do any of it myself - always need specialty tools that are very costly. Seems verything is $500- $1500 per visit. Vehicle Info System fades, bumper rips off if you hit curb- stop, oil-transmission and differential fluids all leak. Brakes dont last, air pump fails, expensive suspension components. Mediocre mileage (I average 22 mpg), tires dont last. Still like ride!

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  Just Awesome - 2002 Audi S6
  By racekarl - October 27 - 5:30 pm

  Picked up my S6 as a CPO car after lusting after one for years. I previously owned a 2000 A6 sedan, and the S6 is everything I wish that car had been. This is simply the best wagon ever: gorgeous, fast, luxurious, and incredibly useful. The fuel mileage is abysmal, but I was fully awared of that going in, so its not really a negative point for me.

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  Fast but unreliable - 2000 Audi A6
  By medved - October 27 - 3:48 pm

  This is a beautiful car but very expensive to maintain. Frequently has major mechanical and electrical problems that cost not hundreds but thousands of dollars to fix.

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  Traded the 2.7 for the 4.2 - 2004 Audi Allroad Quattro
  By mer2 - October 27 - 10:00 am

  I love this 4.2. 2.7 fun but a bit problematic...turbo lag, engine warning light never resolved. It was 2001 though, but mostly loved the car. So, this 4.2 is fantastic, the best features of the 2.7 but better. Full body color is beautiful, engine is a blast, interior is gorgeous and beautifully constructed, if you dont count cupholders. Cant praise this car enough.

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  1st Ultra Sport in the country - 2004 Audi A4
  By roccoman82 - October 27 - 10:00 am

  I got my car on the 1st of nov. and have been loving it ever since! the ultra sport option is great! the wheels, interior, bodywork, all totally worth it! my previous car was a 1.8T jetta, and I dont miss the extra 10hp, as the quattro is well worth it. the handling is better than all the others that I drove 325/330, c230K, G35,and9/3 saab. plus it has the best interior design, and the quality far superior to the rest! BMWhat? I wont ever buy anything else.

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  Beautiful Vehicle! - 1994 Audi 100
  By KF - October 27 - 3:58 am

  This car is amazing. I bought the car with 120K and drove it until 140K and was still performing great. It was my 16th birthday present and I loved everything about the car. The ride is great and I got many envious looks from other drivers. Very upscale and still after 11 years makes you feel like your driving an expensive vehicle.

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  Audis are the best ! - 1996 Audi A4
  By Mehdi - October 27 - 3:52 am

  I had my A4 for 5 years, got 100k miles on it. And still runs smooth. You will never have engine problems if you maintain the car well. After switching to an Audi, I couldnt drive Japanese anymore. This car is just a mixture of sport and luxury if you will. Especially the 5 speed manual Quattro. You feel that the car sticks to the ground in sharp turns and the engine is ready to run for another 100k miles (as long as you take care of it). I love the interior design, especially the wood trim. There is little space in the back seats, but the driving comfort is perfect. I also love the smoothness of the manual transmission. I like the shape of this car better than the new 05 model.

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  Most practical in its class - 2006 Audi S4
  By jelinbra - October 27 - 12:01 am

  Similiar to the M3 and CTS-V except it offers all wheel drive, which is huge in areas where you get poor road conditions. Highly recommended.

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  Best Company Car Yet - 2006 Audi A4
  By Justin - October 26 - 9:46 pm

  Just got the 06 A4 2.0 T and I am very impressed. The engine is smooth and responsive and with the 6 speed auto it is the perfect blend of fun and comfort. I am in North Dakota and we just got our first snow and it handles the snow very well with the all season tires, but the throttle takes some getting used to as it really picks up speed after about 2K RPM and it can cause the wheels to spin, but it effortlessly overtakes other vehicles on the snowy roads without any discomfort. The fit and finish is excellent and the stereo is great. Only complaint so far is the speaker grill in the driver door. The door closed on my leg and it broke the grill. Seems pretty weak.

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  Two weeks review - Still in the honeymoon - 2017 Audi Q7
  By RP - October 25 - 4:31 pm

  Car is super easy to drive. Super quiet too. Any size concerns related to parking go away with the visual package and the 360 view. As I am breaking in the engine I have not pushed any pedal to the limit but I can sense the power that this engine can provide and I am confident that I will be as impressed as I was with the demo car. Materials and ergonomics are top notch. I recommend to get the visual package because you get the LED lights, the extra cameras and the virtual cockpit which I have found very useful. I also got the Bose 3D sound system. If you are thinking on buying this car, you must listen to the standard sound system and compare. For me it was money well spent. On the negatives, I do not think that you will be able to get more mileage than what they advertised, I have been very reasonable as I am breaking in the engine and I am not getting more than 20mpg combined. The other thing is that sometimes I have to reestablish the Bluetooth connection in the phone to make it work. I have not found the pattern that causes that yet, hopefully the Audi guys tell me if I am doing something wrong next time I go there. Overall, a great experience so far. It is not cheap but you may not have a better option if you want to have a luxury 3-row SUV that performs and looks good for a family guy.