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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  S4 Civilized Power - 2004 Audi S4
  By wtoak001 - August 23 - 2:00 am

  If youre part of the WRX-STI or EVO crowd, the S4 is not for you!! The S4 comes with power to spare, but it comes in an elegant and well behaved package. It is gutsy, yet balanced and predictable. While handling is not quite M3 like, you will rarely miss it. Its throaty roar pleases when your alone, but you can also take the family for a Sunday drive. Overall, it is the finest automobile I have ever owned.

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  granoleys TT - 2002 Audi TT
  By granoley - August 23 - 2:00 am

  This has been a great, and fun car and would recomend it highly. The smiles and looks you get are also quite nice.

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  02 Audi A4 3.0 - 2002 Audi A4
  By jylatham - August 23 - 2:00 am

  What a fun car to drive, with the manumatic shifter! The fun of a standard, but also the ease and convenience of an automatic transmission. My only complaint about this car is the relatively small amount of storage - pockets in the doors and on back of the front seats, but hardly any room for CDs or sunglasses.

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  Poor visability and Arrogant Audi - 1998 Audi A8
  By norwind - August 22 - 2:00 am

  Safety issues are my main complaints. An accident when I was run off the road into a 4deep drainage ditch. $30,000s worth of damage and the passengers airbag fired with no passenger in the vehicle or anything on the passengers seat. Audi claims this is "normal" I do not think so a smart interlocked air bag is not a maybe situation. The external vision has far too many blind spots from tiny mirrors, large A and C pillers. In addition the rear seat head bolsters occupy about 30% of the usable visability when looking to the rear while backing up. The most important part of the rear window is the mid point down.

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  GREAT CAR BUT PROBLEMS - 2005 Audi A8
  By zoombie99 - August 21 - 2:00 am

  Car is great but the NAV & the radio keeps on shorting out. Audi claims that they know of the problem and they are working on a fix. There is no fix as of this date. I understand that only a few mid year models have this problems. We also bought the AUDi phone. It is a waste of money and the sound quality is poor.

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  This car is great - 2003 Audi A4
  By patrick123 - August 20 - 2:00 am

  I have 42,000 miles in less than 2 years and not a single problem. It still handles and rides as well when it was new. It handles very well in bad weather conditions. The dealer has done all maintainence. I have a long commute everyday to work, but this car makes that commute easily. The interior and exterior design still impresses.I plan on keeping this car for as long as I can. Recently I had to drive a friends Lexus IS300 and that doesnt even compare.

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  Amazing - 2005 Audi S4
  By ToothDoc - August 19 - 2:00 am

  Ive had the S4 for just over a month now, and it has far exceeded my expectations. Great engine sound, power. Build quality and interior fit & finish are top notch.

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  Fun to drive - 2002 Audi A4
  By thehiggman - August 18 - 10:00 am

  For the price a great car. Wish the cd changer was more random but that is the only thing I would improve

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  Best car Ive ever had. - 2016 Audi A6
  By Sean - August 18 - 6:51 am

  Best car Ive ever had.

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  Would buy another - 2004 Audi TT
  By LUVMYTT - August 18 - 2:00 am

  I have owned an A4 and thought that was terrific. Wow, to my surprise this is even better. When my warranty is up I will get another right away. This car is so much fun to drive!!!