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 A4 - A huge dissapointment - 1998 Audi A4
  By Audi owner-Maryland - April 15 - 10:00 am

  All I can really say is that this is the WORST car Ive ever owned. I bought the vehicle with 38,000 miles and by 48,000 it needed new rear brake pads and rotors. But that was just the beginning. At 60,000 miles, the rear struts and bearing had gone. At 65,000 the front CV joints has deteriorated to the point of failure. Now, at 68,000 miles the car is in the shop due to excessive engine noise and the fact the engine check light has gone on. Im afraid of what the shop is going to tell me. In fairness to the car, it performs fantastic and looks great. But the reliability problems that have plauged Audi in the past are well evident in the newer models as well.

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  Will Look Swanky in 2020 - 1998 Audi A4
  By A.E. Sadler - April 9 - 10:00 am

  Unlike the Passat wagon, Avant styling is sublime, its performance striking. Its in the details. VW settled on aluminum roof racks, A4 goes steel. VW goes for a painfully boring interior, Audi goes tight & classic. Avant is designed with just enough room for hauling, but it handles like a cool, little sportscar. Drawbacks: no backseat space. A4 performance at low speeds is annoyingly sluggish. It zips confidently on the highway, but the neighborhood runs is a crawl from 1st to 2nd gear. This for a V6? The red dash is cool, but tough on the eyes.

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  2004 Allroad V-8 4.2 L - 2004 Audi Allroad Quattro
  By Yong - April 3 - 3:33 am

  I bought the car for its looks and engine and having owned another Audi for 10 years. I must admit it was a fun car to drive but then it started to go down slope after I bought it. One day, my wife forgot to turn off the lights, somehow both front air- springs went after 8 hours. Thats three grands of repair. Then the windows switch went bad, and together with the transmission seal, another grand. Today took my car in for check engine light, the torque converter needs to be replaced, the cost: $3700. I wanted to keep the car but cant afforest it anymore. Granted I bought the car used, but at 75K miles the car is falling apart. Is it true that you can only lease Audi now?

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  Run, Dont Walk - 1999 Audi A4
  By al - March 29 - 4:17 pm

  RUN, dont walk away from this car. 154,000 miles over 10 years have not been easy. Started needing heavy repairs right after the extended warranty ran out, at 60K. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong, to the tune of $15,000 in repairs over the life of the car. Even the seats wore out. Audi software does not work on the computers many foreign car repair places have. Many places cant even do oil changes. All repairs are expensive and then something else crops up. Audis are NOT for anyone who needs a reliable car and doesnt know much about how they run.

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  5 years of A4 3.0 AWD - 2004 Audi A4
  By roadman - March 23 - 11:45 am

  Excellent car overall. The original tires Pirrelli 4 season are problems. Had side wall bubbles on all 4. Car has been to the garage only for maintenance and to replace the headlight washer cover which fell off twice. 85,000 miles so far. Also problem with wheels, they tend to hit the curbs when parallel parking due to the curve of the wheel they stick out from the tire. They get scrapped easily. Everything else is awesome, Id buy another.

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  No compromise car - 2002 Audi A6
  By Michel Aubé - March 17 - 4:03 pm

  Its a no compromise car, it has power, control, style, comfort and safety. Purchased it 82,000 miles, only rode 1,500 miles with it so far but I never experience anything like it. A co-workers owns two A6 with the 2.8 engine, the oldest has 200k and the other is at 150K. Since I take care of my cars I feel confident that I may keep it for a while. It give me about 24/25 MPG if I keep the speed under control which is okay for an AWD. Better than my Durango and slightly less than my Subaru H6 LL Bean. But these cars are not in the same league compare to the Audi.

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  Stunning & Solid - 2009 Audi A5
  By Drew - March 14 - 4:43 pm

  After 8 months, I am still thrilled with the car. I have never owned a car that got so much attention from so many people. It has enough power to make it fun to drive, and the Quattro all-wheel drive is fun to challenge in corners.

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  disapointing A4 - 1998 Audi A4
  By ex-audi-fan - March 13 - 5:23 am

  I love my car, but this machine has cost me plenty of headaches and thousands of dollars to keep it running. So far Ive replaced several major parts in the engine that should have lasted the lifetime of the vehicle. I expected Audi to produce more reliable machines.. this one is not.

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  multiple oil leaks - 2000 Audi A6
  By e.tuirner - March 12 - 11:25 pm

  Dont get me wrong I love driving my Audi A6 2.7. But dont let me park in your driveway. I have the valve cover gasket changed three times last year and once this year, it leaks oil out of any and every place possible! The dealer told me that there are over a thousand places that the leaks could come from. I still love driving the A6 and if I could stop those oil leaks, I would be on top of the world. And why cant someone make better gaskets for that darn Audi. And so what if my check engine is always on, it reminds me that I have an engine for now!!!!!!!

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  Best possible winter car - 1999 Audi A6
  By Nelson - March 8 - 5:38 pm

  I just purchased one of these last summer after my 1988 Jeep stopped working, and this has been a far superior Colorado winter vehicle than anything Ive ever driven in the past, including an Explorer and my Jeep. The bad news: I have spent almost $4,000 in repairs since I bought it in June. The coolant fan tends to burn out on these around 90k miles, and I purchased mine at 93k. However it is now a solid car that I should at least get another 60- 70k miles out of. Dont purchase these if you cant afford the repair bills. However, if you can, these are some of the best. Winter safety was my primary reason for making this purchase, and it easily outperforms local favorites Subaru and Volvo.