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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  Handles poorly in Town/City traffic - 2009 Audi Q5
  By voltrader66 - June 20 - 9:18 pm

  Car has a serious issue with the gearbox. In start/stop traffic, the gear is either too low or too high. Unable to shift correctly. Jerky harsh ride in town driving. Fuel economy is much poorer than the stated.

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  After all these years... still fun - 2004 Audi A4
  By Rod - June 14 - 7:46 pm

  OK. Had this car 5 years now and wanted to add some perspective to all these reviews. First, car is great and works very well. No major issues while under warranty. A few little things here and there -- warm up when cold is rough and car rattles a bit, cup holder finally bit the dust in dash and will never come out again. (Partly its own fault and partly my anger out of its complete uselessness). Low water light for window washer comes on for no reason. Out of warranty had to have some vacuum hose work done for $700. Overall the car is still great but with all the little nits and nags you would expect with any car after 5 years and 70k miles. Roof great and no leaks!

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  Great car but... - 2000 Audi A6
  By Alex Y - June 1 - 9:04 pm

  My Audi is a great car, but... dont get me wrong, this car shows power when needed and is able to handle almost anything. I am 18 and I drive hard. The best thing about this car is its turbo. Nothing is better than hitting the turbo redlining the engine and passing all of those slow drivers on the highway. The car also handles very well. Taking sharp turns at 30-40 mph gives you such a rush. However, because it performs so well it is easy to forget the cars limits.

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  My Thoughts - 2009 Audi S5
  By Tom - May 31 - 1:10 pm

  S5 is indeed a beautiful car. I just got it, but I must say it is not that great of a car. I own an M5 2007 so there is a big difference in performance. When driving you must step on the gas more due to the quattro system. When you release you will feel a slight deceleration which makes people think you are braking but you are not. The handling is not as nice due to the really light wheel. I do not get any feedback like when I drive rear wheel cars. You will notice it the most when you drive on twisty roads. I do understeer on turns since the line of entry is a little different with this car. Great car for everyday drive but for performance the 335i can boogie against this car.

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  not bad, not great - 1998 Audi A4
  By joezaza - May 28 - 10:00 am

  I also dreamed about an A4 for years before getting my 98 A4Q Tiptronic. The quattro is awesome in the snow. But the entire transmission was replaced at 22k mi (under warranty fortunately) and dealer could not explain why. Plus few other misc repairs. Now its out of warranty, I think Ill get something more reliable. This is a great looking, fun car to drive with a lively engine. But its not as reliable as my old Audi 90.

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  Wont do it again - 2002 Audi A6
  By dano1000 - May 27 - 12:42 pm

  This car is supposed to go 200,000 miles. European luxury and engineering. Less than 100,000 in I have had a plethora of minor problems (windows, trim, latches and brackets broken) and major issues (radiator rot/leak, trans slip, tie rod(s) failure). Most disappointing is that Audi doesnt seem to care -- happy to have a piece of junk riding the highways with their name on it. To set the standard, Honda replaced my transmission at 145,000 miles due to known problem. Ill stick with the Japanese.

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  Big Hat, No Cattle... - 2002 Audi Allroad Quattro
  By markbetsy - May 24 - 10:00 am

  When I first saw this car, i thought WOW!! thats one cool car. Audis have usually delivered "the goods" with regard to performance, but, alas this car is somewhat disappointing. turbo lag is very evident (automatic transmission); so far so that a group of disgruntled owners are petitioning audi of america to fix the "problem" as they call it a safety hazard. other HUGE performance problem is with the brake rotors. my allroad has 32,000 miles and im on my fourth set...that is completely unacceptable. driver door rattled from the first day, but always intermittently, so the repair guys thought i was an idiot...

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  Power Window Controls and Other Stuff - 2007 Audi A4
  By lilicece - May 19 - 9:35 am

  Im constantly having to fool with power window controls. So sensitive it either goes all the way down or all the way up hard to get it right where you want it. Arm rest design is poor and blocks access to cup holders and hand break. Eats oil like there is no tomorrow. Performance is great. Nearest dealer 1 hour away which is a drag.

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  Balanced Comfort - 2007 Audi A4
  By RascalD - May 18 - 9:26 pm

  This is my first Audi. I always had an impression of Audi being a “softer” BMW, and all in all I think I was correct. After having owned many performance cars I was looking for something more comfortable for my long drives so I decided to check out Audi. This is definitely a comfortable car. You get a fair amount of luxury, good performance, great gas mileage, and a beautiful car inside and out for the money; all without the unwanted “image” the BMW provides, which frankly I got tired of. If you want a more performance oriented car the 3-series is cream of the crop; however, if you want a more compliant German made car the A4 is a great car for less money.

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  Outstanding Vehicle! - 2007 Audi S8
  By Mark - May 18 - 8:24 pm

  This is the most outstanding car Ive ever driven. I also own a Mercedes SL600 (with a Kleemann power upgrade) and in the morning, I find myself reaching for the S8 keys. This car is a very fast sedan, but what I really love about it (besides the all wheel drive for Wisconsin winters) is that it is so comfortable to drive and that the dash layout is so simple and intuitive. This is the first sedan that I have ever found to be exciting to drive. The paddle shifters are way cool.