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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  2012 Q5 Prem Plus + Nav 2.0T - 2012 Audi Q5
  By mrweeks - November 4 - 3:06 am

  This cross-over is an amazing vehicle to drive. It handles like you would expect an Audi to handle. The Exterior is sleek, sexy and screams confidence. The interior is well laid out and the navigation system is a must optional upgrade. The panoramic roof lets the world into the cabin as your cruise around town. The steering does seem a little artificial at low speed,but as the car picks up the tightness and Audi feel kicks in. The 2.0T engine hums and out performs the 3.2

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  Audi A3 dissapointed - 2007 Audi A3
  By mddriver1 - October 31 - 12:17 pm

  Although my Audi A3 is fun to drive and handles well, I am extremely disappointed by the frequency and cost of repairs, and cost of maintenance. My 2007 A3 has only 79k miles but I have spent about $4,000 in repairs in maintence in the past two years. That is inexcusable and not something I expected from a supposedly high end auto manufacturer. Actively looking for a new car.

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  Outstanding Performance - 2011 Audi A3
  By gyowell - October 28 - 1:50 pm

  So far, I am very satisfied with my new Audi A3 Diesel. The performance is really exceptional. It accelerates smoothly and corners very well. I am very happy with the build quality.

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  Very reliable - 2006 Audi A4
  By a4lvr - October 28 - 1:34 pm

  I purchase my A4 2.0T quattro new in 2006. Since then I have driven the car 167,588 miles. I have spent $5,800 so far in maint & repairs including tires. I have followed the maint schedule to the letter except for oil changes. I do the oil & filter every 5000 miles. The car still consistently gets 30-32 MPG. It still has the original shocks and exhaust. it will need its second timing belt at 190,000. The timing belt is a maitenance item. Handling in the snow is effortless and safe. I am curious as to why so many bad reviews. Maybe the cars were not maintained properly from the start or abused. The bi-zeon lights had been troublesome but the dealer & Audi took care of the issue.

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  Still happy after 10 months - 2003 Audi A4
  By bjblackmamba1 - October 27 - 6:30 pm

  I purchased in MI with 110k miles after my 14 yr old Mitsubishi Eclipse wasnt worth fixing anymore. With regards to comfort and luxury, this was certainly a step up, growing up with only Japanese cars. Build quality, heaviness of German engineering is evident, but not without flaws. I had to put some money into the car considering its age. Maintenance/Repair: Timing belt-$800, rear coolant flange-$200, rear window regulator-$360, battery-$190. Otherwise, its a great car. Very comfortable, nice features, and a great drive. After an APR tune on the ECU, it has 235hp vs 170hp previously, which makes it fun and adequately powerful. It hasnt had a huge effect on mileage, except for a heavy foot

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  extremely solid car - 2001 Audi A4
  By pugler - October 25 - 6:23 am

  I have owned this car for a decade and mine currently has over 200,000 km. It is without question the best car that I have owned in my 30+ years of car ownership. During the last ten years I have owned similar cars including several newer A4s and a comparable BMW but I could not part with this version of the A4 because of its overall fun and reliability in all weather conditions (the BMW is not near as capable in the snow). The AWD coupled with the sport suspension creates the best handling car that I have owned or driven. It is as solid as a German tank and I often tease that I could conquer France in this vehicle...and I anticipate putting ANOTHER 200,000 km on it. Mon Dieu!

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  after 4 months and 4100 miles - 2011 Audi A5
  By amiraqeel - October 22 - 11:48 am

  I am extremly satisfied with Audi performance, look. I went back to dealer a few times after purchase and find it as courteous and frendly as they were on purchase day.

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  Awesome car with painful seats - 2012 Audi A6
  By mooreslawcars - October 20 - 10:37 pm

  2012 A6 is a triumph of technology and if you option it you can get amazing nav, heads-up display, adaptive cruise control that works in the most stop & go of traffic. In dash display and 7 inch pop up displays are great and more in the line of sight (and hence ? safer) than typical nav systems. The night vision system is not helpful to the extent that it only seems to show pedestrians at certain midrange distances and doesnt appear to be programmed to detect anything else (deer). Shuts down at above 77 degrees F. Unfortunately design rounding the side bolsters of the seats up into the shoulder blades makes the seats painful to sit in (average ht, wt male) so will likely be selling car.

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  Best value AWD German car - 2006 Audi A4
  By sebastianz - October 20 - 4:39 pm

  I have 52k miles and my warranty expired over 2 years ago. The only issue I had was a low oil pressure light that was showing once in couple of days. Audi replaced the sensor first, and since it did not fix the problem, they did replaced the oil pump. I had the issue reported to Audi when warranty active, so even my warranty was out for 8 months, they still covered the issue.

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  Awesome, but high cost of ownership - 2000 Audi A4
  By juuls - October 13 - 11:42 pm

  This was the most luxurious and fastest car I ever owned. I previously came from a Jetta that didnt have traction control. Minnesota winters suck so I thought id try out the Audi A4 Quattro. Handled like a beast! I had to sell to pay for college, but I had hose leak which caused an annoying serpentine belt squeak. Found out from the new owner that the front axel snapped and blew out the motor mount, very unfortunate. had 137k IF youre gonna buy one, get the carfax, and make sure timing belt, water pump, suspension drag link and CV boot and all that have been inspected or replaced! the 00 was the most reliable model in my opinion.