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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  Fun to drive - 2000 Audi TT
  By triumpher - May 3 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle is just fun to drive. It feels and is very fast and quick, and the quadro makes it feel like running on rails. We had a Corvette befor that , but this one is more fun.

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  Audi VS Detroit - 1998 Audi A4
  By Bill Anthony - May 3 - 2:00 am

  Past owner of Corvettes and just traded in a 1994 Z-28 that I loved with 140,000 miles on it. This Audi handles corners like it is on rails. The power is less than my Z-28 but very usable with the 5 speed automatic slap shift option. Loves the highway. Great car !

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  A4 3.0 Cabriolet - 2003 Audi A4
  By Kyu - May 2 - 10:00 am

  After driving 7K in this new car It is more fun to drive than my previous A4 which was a 1.8TQ. I would recommend getting the sport package as when I test drove the cab w/o the sports package it did feel a bit spongee.

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  Not perfect but pretty good - 2003 Audi A4
  By jth - May 2 - 10:00 am

  After about 1500 mi of mixed driving I find that I am still getting acclimated to this car. I special ordered to avoid the sunroof and had to wait 4 months for the car. Fit and finish are first rate, handling is excellent, gas mileage is about what I expected, which is to say mediocre so far. My two significant complaints center on the radio which has absolutely horrible AM reception, and the back end which doesnt fit my golf clubs(my bad for not checking).

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  Good styling, Terrible power. - 2003 Audi A4
  By dirk - May 2 - 10:00 am

  You have to give props to Audi for their styling of the A4, but talk about lack of power and torque, it is very sluggish and the front wheel drive is not a characteristic of a true sports car. Other than that the quality and build are good.

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  Great Car! - 2003 Audi A4
  By crypto - May 2 - 10:00 am

  A smooth ride, even with the sport suspension. Effortless operation (one touch) of the convertible top.

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  I love this car - 2016 Audi A5
  By Tom M - May 2 - 6:10 am

  Not a lot of backseat room. Leave the kids at home.

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  The best sportscar wagon! - 1999 Audi A6
  By JWA6 - May 2 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle has offered nothing but pleasure and lots of dependability. It is a great design that will age gracefully.

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  The New 8... - 2004 Audi A8
  By sixmonthowner - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Beautiful car that is so good that its faults stand out more than they otherwise would. I love a big ride, but this one is so large that Parktronic should be standard... almost impossible to park in tight quarters without it (or without playing bumper cars). DO NOT BUY WITHOUT IT, despite its over-sensativity or your assumption that you can park a car without a computer (thats me!)

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  almost love it - 2004 Audi A8
  By jhouseman - May 2 - 2:00 am

  It drives beautifully. I have had mercedes, lexus and BMW, and this car drives better than all of them. However, the attention to simple conveniences is not there. For example, Good luck finding a water bottle that will not fall over in the front cup holders. Also there is only a 6 CD changer. No additional single CD changer (as in the BMW) nor a tape deck. This means that you cannot switch between sources without losing your place. So while the car is a pleasure to drive, it does not take care of some of the simple things that you should never notice.