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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  Impressive - 2004 Audi A4
  By North East - November 14 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car, well made, fantastic finish. Definitely fun to drive. For drivers in the North East, the combination of the AWD system and the convertible are a great match. I have owned a 98 528 and a 2001 E320, and this car is on par with the fit and finsih of the BMW and light years ahead of the Mercedes. The only knock I have is it is a little slow off the line but once you are at 20 mph you are fine. Gas mileage in general is fair but when you are in the sports transmission mode or drive it hard it poor, but I am sure most people are not buying this for the gas mileage....

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  Disappointed in CT - 2001 Audi A6
  By Dgnokids - November 14 - 8:11 am

  I loved my 2006 Audi A6 for a while, but problems seem to be non stop and very expensive. I needed a replacement rediator, had a misassembled dashboard, leaking transmission and differential, all 200 miles out of warranty, (dont count on any compassion from Audi). The AWD is fabulous, the interior is just beautiful, the fold down rear seats make it a mini-ute vehicle. It was the perfect choice for me, but I am done with Audi. My replacement car will be an AWD but from a company that stands behind its cars.

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  Terrible surprise - 2004 Audi A8
  By Jmyu - November 14 - 2:41 am

  Initially loved the car, until I went for a car wash and the trunk lid opened by itself...everything got wet in the trunk. How this kind of thing can happen in a luxury car??? Then I went to the dealer and supposedly they changed the motor of the trunk lid. I also changed the tires to all season for the winter (got unfortunatedly the 19 wheels with summer tires). The dealer messed up the tires and wheels (with quite a few scraches). Also they used the car for ~ 60 miles (probably the technician took for a ride). This is unacceptable from a luxury car dealership.

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  Audis Quality is not good - 1998 Audi A6
  By pelikan - November 13 - 5:27 pm

  I bought my 1998 Audi A6 Sedan with 51,000 miles on it and had numerous probelms. I Spent over $2,000 to fix things that should not occur in a car with 52k miles, including a new axle, head light washer, water pump, leakign oil seals, electonic display, etc...

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  Audi does it again! - 2003 Audi A4
  By Jonathan Marville - November 13 - 2:00 am

  Audi really made some nice improvements in the 2002 and 2003 model. The ride is much nicer than the Lexus IS300 or the BMW 3Series. For the money, the A4 takes the cake. The looks are much more aggressive than any other car in its class.

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  Poor front seats, too much road noise - 2004 Audi A4
  By Reston - November 13 - 2:00 am

  There is much to praise about this car. Few cars at any price can match the elegance of its interior design. The 6-speed is snick-snick smooth. But this car is much better suited for short urban trips than long-distance highway cuising. Front seats are far too hard and not very supportive unless youre smaller than average. Road noise is intrusive, especially on rough road surfaces. HVAC is drafty unless regulated manually.

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  By far the best car Ive owned - 2004 Audi A4
  By A4 Fanatic - November 13 - 2:00 am

  The more I drive it, the more I love it. The 4 cylinder engine is terrific, Ive put it through so much abuse yet after 17,000 miles absolutely nothing has gone wrong. Everyone who has been inside the car has enjoyed its comfort and the ambiance created by the red dashboard lighting. Thus far I have not heard a bad comment about any of the cars features. Ride comfort at all speeds and any road is imaculate, even with the sport suspension. Audi has done a terrific job when they created this car, they had "driver friendly" & "passenger comfort" during the crafting process. I will definately be a repeat buyer

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  Must be Wealthy - 1997 Audi A4
  By Ammad - November 12 - 2:12 pm

  Bought my Audi A4 1.8T in 2000. The car was great, and it is so much fun to drive. It is a pleasure to drive in the snow. However, some how after 50,000 miles or so. I started hearing some rattling. The dealerhips have no customer service, and they are really rude. They charge you thousands of dollars for parts and labor charges that sometimes are more expensive than the super expensive parts. Then you get electrical problems that cost $1,500 each to fix. Be prepared to spend a lot of money in maintaining this car. And even then sometimes I think was it worth it? Right now going between a G35 or a new A4.

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  A Real Advance - 2009 Audi A4
  By selectfpr - November 12 - 12:20 pm

  I have owned various BMWs & Audis over the past 15 years, and this seems to be one of my favorites. I just ended an X3 lease and was considering the 328xi wagon or the A4 Avant. To my surprise, I chose the Avant with the Premium Plus Package, because they really made a lot of advancements since my 2004 Audi. Until BMW redesigns the 328, the Audi 2.0 I think is a much better car. It handles great, its feels much quicker than the 328, and the interior and exterior design (at least on the Avant) is a real winner. So far, I think its a no brainer.

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  Great car - 2002 Audi A4
  By rkonow - November 12 - 10:00 am

  I just ordered my 2003 A4 1.8T Quattro with the manual transmission. I said yes to just about all of the options, including: Bose stereo, sport package, premium package, xenons, etc. I previously owned a 99 A4 1.8T. The 20 more horsepower of the current model paired with the manual tranny makes for a much quicker car. You may want to consider getting the 17 in wheels with all season radials instead of the sport package. Still a little extra grip for performace but smoother, more competent ride in inclement weather. Highly reccomend to all.