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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  Audi A6 - Hits it out of the park! - 2012 Audi A6
  By audia6rocks - May 13 - 7:32 am

  Just purchashed the new A6 and absolutely love it. The looks, the comments this car is a stud! It drives in all modes, you pick! How awesome can that be! This car is so intuitive, it is before its time! I test drove all of the competition BMW, Mercedes-Benz, even the new Lexus and there is no comparison.

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  Really impressed....Love my Q7 - 2012 Audi Q7
  By audifan2011 - May 5 - 7:23 pm

  I thought Id wait until I hit around 1 year before I left a review. Its been about 1 year since I bought my Q7 TDI and I thought Id share my thoughts on it. Ive been very happy with the Q7. Originally I wasnt planning on going with the TDI but the dealership happened to have one in stock on their showroom floor and it had all the features that I wanted. It would have taken about 2 months to custom order one so I decided to go with the TDI even though it was more expensive.

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  My First Car - 1999 Audi A6
  By blueeyedaisy3 - May 4 - 2:40 pm

  My Audi A6 was a great first car. Its a smooth, quiet ride. I got it used at 169,000 miles and it smoked sometimes after reaching its destination. Also the car had problems with leaking oil. Mechanics commented that it looks like a tsunami down there! Both problems did not seem to effect the car from getting around. The oil problems do seem to be a common issue with the A6 though because after this audi was beat up by a deer, I looked into another audi A6 but its oil problems were even worse than the first.

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  58k miles and still GREAT - 2008 Audi A6
  By docwoods - April 27 - 4:36 pm

  This is an update to an earlier review. I now have 58k miles in this car and it is still one of the best cars that I have owned. To date I have had minor failures (tail light, head light) but nothing worse! I still get about 27-28 mpg highway at 75 cruise. It is quiet, solid as a bank vault and drives like new. This car is not about cutting edge performance and handling. It is about quality of construction and easy highway driving. I still look forward to driving it each time. I would highly recommend this car to anyone.

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  Audi A6 w/20" Sport Package classes them all - 2012 Audi A6
  By houstonowner - April 25 - 10:25 pm

  Ive had my Audi A6 for 3 months now and there are no real disappointments. I love the rock solid feel of the car. The acceleration is impressive for such a large car. While the technology is impressive, Audi has a little ways to go with the AudiConnect feed - the Online services such as news, sports, etc. are too limited. I love the WiFi connectivity. The next generation should add much more content. The interior is extremely spacious and comfortable.

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  A GTI in a suit - 2009 Audi A3
  By since59 - April 22 - 1:50 am

  I needed to replace my 11 year old TT roadster with a larger car. I was looking at 2-3 year old A4 Avants but they were too expensive. Last week I bought an A3 used with 30k on the odometer. I just finished a 1000 mile road trip in 100+ degree heat at an average speed of 85 mph without a single problem. Great power from the 2.0 turbo that emits a wonderful snarl when you floor it and the dual clutch transmission is an able dance partner in the twisties. The dual zone AC kept the cabin of my black on black skyroof equipped A3 cool and comfortable while we cruised through the Mojave desert and the engine temp needle never budged past the middle of the dial. Great little car!

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  Audi a5 3.2L Burns a lot of OIL - 2009 Audi A5
  By seamus666 - April 19 - 5:54 pm

  I have an Audi A5 and it was great until i hit about 35K miles and it started to burn a quarte of oil every 1,000 miles and sometimes i even get 1,400 miles. I am extremly suprised since i drive mostly freeway and do nto drive it very hard. My local dealer agreed with me that this was B.S. but Audi USA refuses to fix it so beware of thsi when lookinng to purchase this car and it is my understadnign that the 2.0Liter needs oil every 850 miles.

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  This Car Picked Me! - 2012 Audi A6
  By mlrh100 - April 18 - 8:20 pm

  As many drivers of mid-sized luxury sport sedans, I too considered the usual suspects: 535Xi, 3-class, Lex-GS, and a few others. This Audi combines style with power and great handling. Its for driving and after checking the competition, this car rose above them and "picked me". My best car decision!

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  Innovative, fast, unusually competent - 2012 Audi A6
  By boston02115 - April 17 - 10:30 pm

  I have owned Audis in years past, and my 2012 A6 (Prestige 3.0 Supercharged V6) shows how intensely the brand intends to play against global competitors. The car has a very modern exterior view, embodied most in the LED headlights and aggressive front. The interior has a tight, modern aesthetic that feels very comfortable to occupy. I deleted sport options on my ordered vehicle, and the ride on the 18" wheels is palatial on rougher New England roads while still being tight and making a fairly heavy car feel very nimble and spry. Excellent MPG for the effortless, continuous power available. Whisper quiet at 85MPH. BOSE stereo is clean but could use more punch. Flawless snow performance.

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  What the sales people dont tell you. - 2011 Audi Q5
  By geffroy - April 16 - 7:47 pm

  My Audi Q5 burns about 1 quart every 4K miles and weve owned it for about 1 1/2 years and has 22,000 miles. Audi says that as long as its not more than 1 quart per 1,000 miles its ok and in the mean time they wont do anything. Moreover, in the owners manual (page 273) it states the following under the oil consumption section: "Depending on the way the vehicle is driven and the operating conditions, oil consumption can be up to ½ quart per 600 miles. Consumption may be higher within the first 3,000 miles." I expect more from a $50,000 car and Audi is washing their hands off on this issue. If we had know, we would have bought another car.