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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  Perfect for me. - 2015 Audi Q3
  By Don Parks - October 18 - 10:21 pm

  I have been very pleased with the Q3. It does everything I want so I have only good things to say.

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  Q5 TDI Perfect family crossover - 2015 Audi Q5
  By SMM - October 18 - 7:36 pm

  So far with 7500 miles the Q5 has been great. Plenty of power, great gas mileage, very comfortable around town and on the highway. Good value for cost of ownership. Hope to keep it in our family for a long time.

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  A 10 - 2015 Audi A8
  By Jim - October 4 - 7:50 am

  I had every top end car over the years & just got the Audi A8L 4.0 Engine this car is a beast. Everything about this car is top end from the sound system to the seats & the ride. I test drove the M/B-S & the B/M/W 750iL & went with the Audi A8L

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  Best in class - 2014 Audi A6
  By John - September 21 - 10:50 pm

  Phenomenal mid-size luxury car! All of the benefits of the old, large V8 engines that used to be in the luxury cars, without any drawbacks. Not only do I get smooth power basically anywhere in the powerband, but I get exceptional fuel economy if I am cruising on the highway. The supercharger allows for the immediacy in power, which is essential for drama-free passing on the highway, and it also allows for quiet, efficient cruising. With a light foot, I have had the car exceed 38 mpg, with normal highway cruising returning ~30 mpg. I mean seriously, it feels like a crime having both power and efficiency. Everything else is as expected: quiet, comfortable cabin with class-leading technology, layout and materials used. The screen is beautiful, with NVIDIA graphics allowing for beautiful map rendering, the Bose sound system is rich, and the MMI is fantastic once you get used to it. I am techy so it took me about 1 day to learn the system while driving around, but I feel as though almost everything makes sense in terms of layout and ergonomics. The ride is not as supple as some of ultra-luxury cars with air-suspension, but those cars are no fun to drive. This is the perfect compromise. I bought the car used with ~5k miles on the odometer, which not only took a few thousand off the price, but more importantly gave me the piece of mind of a 5 year 100,000 mile warranty! My only question is how much less power does the 2.0T have? Because for day-to-day commuting, you dont even get into the power in this car. Yes, its nice to have the power to pass 98% of cars I see on the highway, but at the same time, 90% of my driving is done with efficiency in mind.

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  2006 Audi A4 2.0 Turbo Quattro - great car - 2006 Audi A4
  By john s - September 21 - 10:18 am

  Audi got it right with this car. I have 187,000 miles on it and it runs/drives great. Paint is a little chipped from the constant driving and I hit a deer that made a dent in the drivers side door but other than that the car handles great on winding mountain roads and in the snow/rain. I change the oil every 5000 miles with full synthetic and the engine hums like new. Only complaint is changing the timing belt and water pump every 100,000 miles ($1600). I would highly recommend this car to anyone looking to pick up a used car for a teenager.

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  The best of all worlds - 2014 Audi Q5
  By Mike M - September 16 - 12:02 pm

  Acceleration is terrific at any speed, torque equivalent is a big block V8. Gas mileage is outstanding. Getting calculated 37MPG on a long trip is common. Im averaging 32.2MPG in 18,000 miles of ownership. Traction is outstanding with quattro. OEM Michelin Latitudes are ok, not great, so I think traction could be further improved with better tires. Shifting is smooth in all gears, although the shift from 1 to 2 only after the idle stop was engaged is the slightest bit rough. Interior materials are first rate, layout is very intuitive. MMI is very good, nav takes a few minutes to start up on initial startup, I really like the LACK of a touch screen nav system. Everything is controlled through the selector wheel and buttons, Hands are closer to the wheel, no stretching for the nav screen and less eyes off the road. Cargo capacity is ok, but you know that buying this vehicle - if you need a Suburban, go buy a Suburban. Audis tend to be a bit more sporty than the Mercedes, and on par with BMW. Consequently the ride is never harsh, but a bit firmer than you may be used to coming out of a Merc, or certainly a Lexus, which places a higher priority of comfort over better handling. Having said that, this is a heavy vehicle and center of gravity will be higher than any sedan you compare it to. Comparing this size SUV to any other comparably sized SUV, its hard not to like everything it offers. Price is a reflection of the technology, materials, and performance you get, which is to say, it doesnt come cheap. Comfort, room, performance, fuel efficiency, quality of materials, and build quality, Compare it to anything you like, you wont find everything this vehicle - as a TDI - delivers anywhere else.

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  Audacious Audi - 2015 Audi Q5
  By A. Wrobel - September 10 - 7:43 pm

  The vehicle at this point (4K miles) exceeds my expectations ! The drive is excellent and the interior technology is well crafted and fun. My take on the car is that Ive purchased an SUV, with all the advantages of cargo space, passenger room etc.,that performs like a sports car. The panoramic roof is fantastic, I love that feature. But most of all I like the power and stability of the ride on the open road. In fact my favorite moments are merely cruising along the highway and just reveling at the quiet, yet powerful nature of its ride.

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  I love my Audi, my Audi loves my wallet! - 1996 Audi A4
  By Gabe - September 10 - 3:51 pm

  Bought my 2nd Audi A4 in May, 2015 after the automatic transmission burnt out on my 1st one (2.8 non-Quattro) during the harsh Chicago 2014-2015 winter... Decided to go with a stick shift Quattro this time & I love it more than my last one! Manual transmission performs so much better than automatic & responds quicker, only issue for me is its not fast enough. My opinion, a 2.8L motor should put out at least 200HP & should have better gas mileage (mine got about 16mpg city /25highway). The car weighs A LOT (approx 2 tons) and has poor acceleration & fuel economy for that reason. Ive added a few modifications including coilovers, air intake & straight pipe exhaust system & basic weight reduction which in turn I noticed large increase in acceleration (a little more acceptable for me), increase in gas mileage (20 city/28 highway), & improved handling (car scrapes going over speed bumps & cracked oil pan once since putting on coilovers) Common issues: both of the 96 Audi A4s I bought had a lot of small issues which needed to be addressed: heated side view mirrors not heating, factory radio in safe mode, driver side window wont roll down, armrest cover broken in two pieces, leather seats ripped up, need something to prop the hood with, needed upper/lower control arms, inner/outer tie rods, front/rear struts & strut mounts, required entire tune up Automatic 96 A4 (2.8 non Quattro)@144K had extra issues: sunroof would get stuck open when opened all the way, smoking from motor (required valve cover seals replaced), bad alternator Manual 96 A4 (2.8 Quattro) has extra issues: odometer/tripometer doesnt show (all other dash lights & components work), whirring noise (required a wheel bearing), radiator leaking (required a hose replaced) Forked out a lot of cash (almost $3000 cash in repairs) for mechanics to fix my first Audi just to have the stupid automatic trans get effed up by 6 inches of snows Learned my lesson & did most of the repairs/modifications on my 2nd Audi myself... Sure I broke a nut or a bolt, or got lost / didnt know what to do at some points but I learned a lot & Have the pleasure to say that I know my Audi like the back of my hand... Now I feel safe working on any B5 & will never consider selling my 2nd Audi! Im saving up to get a 2nd car to keep my baby off the road, my first car was a Honda CRX & I want another one just for the killer gas mileage! Long story short, buy this car if you want something sweet & worthy of saying "Yup, thats my car!"

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  Love this car! - 2015 Audi Q5
  By LovemyQ5 - September 8 - 12:32 pm

  Not too big and not too small, perfect size SUV for me. Handling is great, nav tech can be improved (needs to be more intuitive but I have adapted), overall great ride. Bang and Oluf upgrade has awesome surround sound preferences. Its been 6 months, 2 long road trips with mountain driving, no flat tires or any other issues. I was worried about compact trunk space but my medium dog fits fine along with my groceries/travel baggage.

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  Best Luxury Car with great fuel economy - 2014 Audi A8
  By Bobby - September 1 - 1:38 pm

  This far best comparing S350, Jag XL, Lexus. Interior design is very luxurious with all and everything you expect luxury car should provide. Driving mileage per gallon you get is far better than Benz or any other in same class offered. I will highly recommend this car - less repairs and maintenance cost is affordable. you can decide your self after driving Benz, Lexus, Jag, that this car offers more than anything you expect. Audi made this TDI version very sleek and economical. This A8L TDI delivers good power, steering comfort and most bang for your bucks (after all you want to drive this car for feel of luxury)