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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  2001 A4 1.8T FWD - 2001 Audi A4
  By asb149 - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Great car...only wish I had held out for the new body style in 2002. The only problem I have had in the 3 years since I bought it new (knock on wood) was a reoccurring blown front door- speaker. I do not regret not buying the quattro as I do not live in snow- country.

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  Understated and Overlooked - 2000 Audi A8
  By Jrock - May 1 - 2:00 am

  Great car (bought used with 33,000 miles). Dealer was fantastic. Only item I will be changing are the tires which (Goodyear Eagles) are noisy. Car is very classy but yet understated.

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  s4 review - 2004 Audi S4
  By TRISTAN - May 1 - 2:00 am

  Car is the ultimate in luxury and performance..

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  Better than I could have imagined - 2003 Audi A4
  By AudiConvert - May 1 - 2:00 am

  After looking at MB c240, BMW 330ci and the Audi 1.8t I finally bought a 2003 3.0, Quattro, 6 spd and can I just tell everyone, its probably the best car I have ever driven. I mean, the BMW was nice... but not worth the extra cash (plus the interior of the Bimmer is bland). The c240 was solid, but wasnt much fun to drive. Moreover, the interior looked like someone just started sticking stuff on the dash (very poor layout) My suggestion is to take the plunge, get the Audi, you wont be disappointed (but an Assured car might be a good idea... just in case).

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  Awesome Wagon! - 2006 Audi A4
  By Wahine - April 30 - 5:56 pm

  I love this car! We were ready to downsize from an SUV, but still wanted an expanded cargo area. This fits our needs perfectly. We looked at the Subarus, but they didnt compare to the Audi. The 6 speed manual transmission shifts smoothly and is fun to drive.

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  Its the whole package--sort of. - 2000 Audi A4
  By lunsofsteel - April 30 - 2:00 am

  No other car combines great AWD, excellent gas mileage, fair price, and good looks (Subaru gets 3 of 4!). Great winter car. Reliablity is good-- its never broken down, although it has had more than a few OOW repairs. Should a cam seal leak at 70k miles? Only real minus is very small back seat--if youre over 55" forget it.

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  Great Value - 2003 Audi A4
  By 03Avant1.8T - April 30 - 2:00 am

  This is an excellent vehicle for the price. I went from a SUV to the Avant and dont regret it one bit. Especially when I fill tank. Just buy some racks and put all the toys on top. The trunk is also just a littl to small to fit golf clubs in the back. So I just fold down one of seats. Although I am a bit concern now since after 18000 miles a oil leak on the cam seal was discovered. I just hope this is not an on-going issue. Other than that a very reliable car.

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  MY 2013 w/110,xxx Mile Review - 2013 Audi S4
  By Charles - April 27 - 5:01 pm

  This is my 1st Audi and unfortunately my last, not because my experience with my s4 was poor but because Audi s4s will no longer be offered with a manual transmission. I am very impressed with my s4, thus far 1 unscheduled visit to the dealer to repair a leaking water pump (covered under warranty @46k miles). I now have over 110k miles. I went with a "Stage 1" software upgrade from Revo when the car hit 50k miles....best bang for the buck upgrade Ive ever done. 333hp in stock form to 410hp and torque from 325 ft/lbs to 390 ft/lbs, not only did I get a lot more torque (which is noticeable when overtaking) but my mpg improved as well! No other issues to report. I am due to replace my OE clutch. The ride is stiffer than in the past, I think the shocks are on their way out. The interior has worn well, no tears on the seats and minimal stretch marks on the leather seats. The navigation is a tad on the slow side (as others have mentioned). The car is heavy though and I can definitely feel the heft when I track it. Because of its heft, the brakes get worked thoroughly....on the street, you wont notice any brake fade (just on the track). Tire wear is even, perhaps due to the AWD system, you really dont need performance tires. The s4 has impressive lateral grip. Fuel economy has dramatically improved from 23.1mpg when new to now Im consistently getting almost 27mpg (mostly highway driving). In the 110k history with my s4, Im on my 4th set of tires (OE Continentals & 3 sets of Pilot Sports), on my 3rd pair of brakes (front), 2nd pair brakes (rear), and 1 headlight bulb replaced (right). Everything else, just fluid changes. Hope this helps any future owners......

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  Sams Review - 2004 Audi TT
  By Samman19 - April 27 - 2:00 am

  I like it a lot because yeah my dad got it for me and I just love it thanks guys for building this fine! machine

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  Competition Yellow Audi - 2001 Audi A4
  By grahamj3 - April 26 - 5:36 pm

  I have the most beautiful Audi ever made. The A4 has beautiful outer styling that molds to its shell like skin. I have the screaming yellow color that catches attention everywhere I go. I was so impressed with my Audi A6 2.7T Quattro that the dealer got me into another Audi which is the A4 2.8 Quattro. I have never stopped smiling.