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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  After a year - 2005 Audi S4
  By ravenn - September 24 - 3:43 pm

  Im coming up on the one year anniversary with my 2005 S4 B6 Sedan QM and dont regret it one bit. I drove a 2004 Audi A4 1.8TQM previously and the few minor complaints I had with it are gone in the S4. The power is awesome, handling is crisp, loves the mountain roads and the freeways equally. Its a little soft for the racetrack, but the recaro seats grip wonderfully. The Bose sound package is nice, except for the auto volume control-had some annoying issues with that. Im also glad I got in before they change the body style-cant say that Im a fan of the fishmouth grill. So, a year later, I still love the car. I have a smile on my face everytime I go to drive it. Well built and safe.

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  Great Car - 2004 Audi A4
  By Audi Lover - September 24 - 3:27 pm

  This is the first car I have really enjoyed driving. It is responsive, amazing when the turbo kicks in, and I get positive comments from people on the street all the time which has never happened to me before. However, I have had to have the transmission replaced at 12000 miles, it just didnt go into gear one day and had to be towed. The dealer was great about replacing it but it did take 4 weeks until I got the car back.

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  My 4th Audi is the absolute best ever! - 2006 Audi A8
  By Dr. Richard Levin - September 23 - 9:45 pm

  While the Audi A6 almost fits the bill, the A8 is quieter, tighter, and more fun to drive especially in Dynamic Suspension Mode. The A6 almost has things working while in the A8 all systems are flawless. Bluetooth, Voice command, MMI, steering wheel all work so well and are integrated perfectly- This will be my dream care in my daily life now and for years to come

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  Wish I kept my base model 2011 Maxima - 2017 Audi Q3
  By Christina - September 23 - 6:10 pm

  I have never had a car payment until I purchased this car and I was more than happy to pay the large monthly payment when I considered all the "upgrades" and the luxury of driving an Audi. I have had nothing much tech/mechanical issues since the day I bought the car. Overall it is a very nice car. Its stylish, its okay on pick up (but nothing like the Maxima) the interior styling is very nice and the trunk/folding down rear seats are why I mostly wanted to upgrade to an SUV. However, the minor down sides eventually became so irritating I traded it in for a BMW Gran Turismo. The windows constantly needed the "pinch sensor" reset. which means my windows would roll up and then immediately roll back down. This happened 4x. I would need to call and either talk through it with a tech over the phone or drop it off for reset. My BLUEtooth never worked properly. Heaven forbid I answer a call while my 3rd party player was streaming music.... after the call ended I would have to reset the bluetooth system and again maybe play 2 songs before it randomly disconnected. My AC stopped working 7 months into owning the car. ( that was the last straw) The car is very nice, but it didnt wow me. Even aside from the minor issues....the tech package is bland at best. Certainly nothing I wouldnt expect in any other brand, luxury or not. Just did not live up to the luxury I expected from an Audi.

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  Experience with my Audi TT 03 - 2003 Audi TT
  By JoseMiami - September 23 - 1:08 am

  I purchased my TT on 06/03. A month later, I added a 6-CD changer for $350. It took over a month for the changer to arrive at the dealer, and it was incorrectly installed (lid kept popping). The tiptronic tranmission chip had to be replaced at about 10000 miles, the handle of the glove compartment broke when pulled with average strength, the battery died at 12000 miles and had to be replaced, an indicator cover (on the side front of the car) was loose and had to be replaced, the lamps on the trunk, etc...

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  Far better and exclusive - 2006 Audi A8
  By R Tarab - September 23 - 1:04 am

  The A8L is head and shoulders above the other cars I considered. The Mercedes dealer let me take an S500 for the weekend, the BMW dealer gave me a new 750iL. Both of them were much more common on the road than the A8. To match the A8s list of features, you have to add thousands of dollars of options to both the MB and the BMW. And you still dont get a car that looks as good or feels as good as the Audi.

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  fun to drive - 2005 Audi S4
  By rad97 - September 21 - 7:47 pm

  I was trying to decide which car to lease, so I test drove BMW 330, Lexus GS430, Infiniti M45 and FX45. They were all good cars, but for the money and performance the Audi S4 sedan was the best. For 49K you get the fastest and best handling car with all wheel drive to boot. Only complaint is small fuel tank and having to switch to snow tires for the winter.

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  Dont get burned!!! - 1999 Audi A4
  By JCC - September 21 - 5:34 pm

  I recently sold my 1999 A4 AWD 2.8 65K miles. I owned it for exactly 1 year. After 1 year, the transmission needed to be replaced. The estimate was $5000- $7000. I said fix it good enough to drive across town to the Nissan dealer. In addition, it was due for its 60K mile service >$650. The service person made an excellent point in saying, "If you cant afford the routine maintenence, then you cant afford the vehicle. I got caught up in being a pretentious fool. You shouldnt. Buy something else!

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  Just Plain Fun - 2007 Audi A4
  By Steve - September 20 - 3:26 am

  I have only logged 400 miles but I am sold on the A4. The car is a pleasure to drive and much sportier than expected. I shopped the 3 series as well and dollar for dollar the A4 just felt like the better package. It is hard to explain but just feels good to drive this car. It has multiple personalities based on the way you shift the automatic but all are enjoyable. I like to use the manual mode to get to speed quickly and then shift to D. The car really rewards you when you hit the back roads it feels stuck to the road but rides very comfortably. As far as the interior goes it is nearly perfect from an ergonomic stand point and I love the bluetooth with my Blackberry 8700.

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  very nice! - 2004 Audi A4
  By jmell - September 20 - 2:00 am

  I have had this car for 3 months now and am very pleased. It is my first convertable and has been more than what I expected. Stylish, easy to drive, and lots of fun.