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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  Incessant Brake Squealing - 2014 Audi A6
  By northatlcars - February 5 - 8:09 am

  I have admired Audis light and interior design for sometime. In May of 2014, I made the move from an MB to a 14 A6 TDI Prestige. I absolutely love the look of the car especially with the LEDs and black out package. The power is great and fuel economy is nothing short of impressive. My biggest complaint is the horribly incessant brake squeal. At 9200 miles I have already had the car in 3 times for this repair. First it was brake dust and I need to slam on the ABS to clear it. Seriously on $65k "German Engineered" car? The next time it was we scored the pads and added no squeal. When I dropped it off this time I said I dont want it back until its fixed.

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  I love my Audi TT - 2001 Audi TT
  By sydthekid - January 24 - 11:05 am

  Im very surprised by most of these reviews. Ive owned mine since 2008 and it was my very first car with 93,000 miles on it. Paid 11,000 for it. Its now at 174,000. Over the course of 7 years Ive replaced the computer, water pump, all hoses, all belts, 1 ball joint and a great deal of the rear suspension. Most of these things I replaced just to do it. The water pump did fail and Ive had many issues with the rear suspension. Over all this car has ran great for me and has been very reliable over all these years. I plan on driving this car until the motor blows up.

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  Had a car for over three years love/hate - 2009 Audi Q7
  By audi_fan_777 - January 8 - 9:43 am

  When the car has no problems it runs great, performance is very good, ride control is spectacular ride conform on the rough side. Problems i had included water inside the car because of poor design for drain pipes coming from the roof lines. All of the electronics went out, had it fixed under pre-owned warranty but had to hassle to get it done. Audi was trying to convince me that it was my problem that I did not clean the drain pipes, very hard to do especially if you dont have a large garage with tons of space. Audi dealer fixed only one drain pipe the rear still collecting water in the trunk area after a car wash. Rear tailgate stopped functioning, closes by itself, super dangerous.

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  GREAT BMW ALTERNATIVE, FAIR PRICING - 2014 Audi S4
  By rudycassap - December 21 - 6:57 pm

  I do not like how soft BMW cars have become - like American muscle cars of the past with lots of power but they just cannot handle (turn) well. I sold a 2013 128i M Sport after just 9 months. I drove the 2015 M235i and M3 sedans all day long at the BMW Car Control event. I am very unimpressed with the new M3. Poor seating position, turbo lag is prevalent, and it actually has too much torque to be fun. I have had VW and Audi in the past and they all were unreliable. Decided to look at the S4 on a whim - did not really even cross my mind, but maybe thats a good thing. It looks like a "regular" A4. The 6-speed manual shift action is smooth and the clutch actually has feel - BMW is too soft.

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  No spare and no run flats. - 2014 Audi Q5
  By sdond - December 3 - 6:21 pm

  What i love:seeing the motor shut off when going down the hills-even at 70mph. Electric only until I press down too hard. Ive got two cars-- a hybrid + a regular Q5. What I dont like: No one bothered to tell me that it has no spare tire--even the sales lady missed this. In fairness--if I get a flat--Im not gonna tackle trying to fix it myself anymore at my age---but come on guys!! Dont count on any below the floor storage space. With the sports package the seats are wonderful. Gas mileage is good for a car this size.....but at the price thats not so much as issue. Almost got the BMW X3 diesel--but this thing blows the BMW away with its power-- with about the same gas mileage.

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  Best of both worlds - 2015 Audi A3
  By vegasmurano - November 9 - 12:26 pm

  Great looking, great handling, fast. Incredible build quality too. Has a great balance between luxury and sport. I got it with the 18" wheels, cold weather package and color navigation with MMI.I bought my 2015 USED with 6k miles on it and saved a good 6k+ of a new one, an incredible bargain versus the original sticker of over 38k.

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  2015 Audi A3 1.8 Premium w/ Driver Assist Package - 2015 Audi A3
  By danf7 - November 1 - 5:50 pm

  I just starting leasing the A3 in white with chocolate leather for much less per month than I was paying for my Volvo S60. The back up camera and driver assist (blind spot system) work well and are nice features. The MMI system is excellent and easy to use. The displays and controls are built well. The panoramic sunroof, xenon headlights, LED lights, rain sensor wipers and overall styling made me choose this car over BMW 2 series, Volvo S60 and Mercedes CLA 250. You get so many features in the base model compared to competitors. I would have liked stiffer steering and more power in the 1.8 engine especially in sport mode, but overall Im very pleased.

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  Agile and sporty but not a sedan - 2014 Audi Q5
  By seattle_driver - October 14 - 3:58 pm

  I have had my 2014 Q5 TDI for around 6 months now so feel comfortable writing a review. Overall its a great car: its fun to drive and it feels agile and sporty. The mileage is generally better than advertised: we took a 2,000 mile road trip this summer and with 4 people and luggage we averaged just under 37 MPG -- going through the Canadian Rockies. I liked this car better than the other smaller SUVs I test-drove (Lexus, Cadillac, BMW.) On the down side, the steering can feel remote and the center of gravity is definitely higher than my 2000 Mercedes E 320 sedan (or maybe Im just used to it) I ordered all of the options, including the tow hitch, which made the car rather expensive.

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  Fun car not disapointed - 2011 Audi A3
  By jax2 - September 11 - 3:50 pm

  Bought it used with 33K miles and have put another 12K since then. Love the ride, handling, very fun car on my painful 1 hour commute to work every day. Since its more sporty suspension is a bit stiff so not the couch comfort but thats how German cars are. It does lack some options you would think should be in an Audi auto dimming mirrors, memory seats, passenger power seats but doesnt bother me personally. Slight turbo lag in taking off but you can shift to manual mode and it picks up right away. Cant beat the mileage, 36 daily -41 highway.

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  All owners MUST have an extended warranty!! - 2011 Audi A3
  By vection - September 8 - 11:19 pm

  I was so excited to buy this car. It looks great, gets above average gas mileage and I thought it was going to be dependable...I was absolutely incorrect and it has cost me a significant amount of money! The warranty expired at 50k, which is when the major system began to fail. First it was the motor in the seat...not a huge deal, but it was expensive. Next the A/C compressor failed, an issue that Audi is aware of and has issued a service advisory about, but without a warranty, one that I had to pay for. Finally the Turbo charger failed. At this rate it will have all new parts before it hits 60k. This car is crap and Audi should be ashamed that they built it.