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:

• 

  Overrated - 2006 Audi A8
  By Stevet - July 29 - 1:06 am

  Ive had a series of Mercedes S- Classes and a Lexus LS430. This car gets good press for great ergonomics. In my opinion it is ergonomically below average. The MMI is terrible. Cup holder is shallow and when the cups interfere with the MMI controls. Nav system is a piece of junk. Cant see out the rear window unless you have the dealer remove the rear headrests. Ride is brittle on concrete roads. Seat controls are confusing. Engine is noisy. The user interface on the Lexus is a 9.5, and a 5.0 on the Audi. Fit and finish are very good, seats are comfortable.

• 

  Thumbs down on the A 4 3.2 Sedan - 2007 Audi A4
  By Amy Oroshnik - July 28 - 12:00 am

  I have been real disappointed with the A4 3.2 CVT. I had 3.0 Quattro before and there is no companison. Quattros are what Audi is all about. The CVT transmission is jerky in the 3.2. It is a boring ride. I once tried to accelerate and had a delayed response. It is fast and comfortable but I plan to get rid of it and go back to a Quattro.

• 

  Run Far, Far, Far Away - 2003 Audi A4
  By JT - July 25 - 8:26 am

  Its a great car when everything is working. Unfortunately, that is rare. Problems Ive encountered in the approximately 35K miles Ive owned the car: rear driver side power window fail - $400 rear pass. side power window fail - $400 (I live in mortal fear of operating the power windows now - Im sure its only a matter of time before the front ones go) CV joint - $1200 bottomed out and punched a hole in oil pan (ok partly my fault) $800 check engine light - faulty "crankshaft assistor" $1250 bulbs are difficult to replace. Do not buy this car if not under warranty. You will regret it every day you own it

• 

  I dont know why I like Audis, I just do - 2001 Audi A4
  By Mostafa - July 24 - 6:45 pm

  I bought my 2001 Audi 2.8 almost 1 year ago. It has been a great car. I took it in today because the check engine light came on (becuase the gas cap wasnt screwed back on correctly) Ahhh! Oil changes are about $85 which is a lot, but its good for 6k miles. Everyone thinks Im crazy for paying that much for an oil change, but thats how it is. I love having a powerful car. Brakes work great! Almost too well. All my friends love driving my car, its fun!

• 

  Good all around package - 2000 Audi A6
  By Tom Howe - July 16 - 10:29 pm

  Was looking to buy a Subaru Outback, but when I saw the Audi on a local car lot, I stopped in and gave it a drive. Was impressed by its styling. Very atttractive, but not pretentous. Transmission very smooth, as is engine, which has decent power, and gets good gas mileage for a V-6 AWD, about 25 MPG on highway. Fantastic on slick/wet roads. Nice leather interior that doesnt have any rips or discoloration after 130,000 miles. If you fold the rear seat down, there is a ton of room in the back. Great on long trips. Very reliable except for front driving light bulbs dont last very long. Well built, doesnt have any rattles

• 

  Dont buy a TT - 2002 Audi TT
  By C dub - July 14 - 5:50 pm

  I bought my dream car used 2 years ago. Since then it has had one problem after another. The timing belt breaks prematurely with these cars and Audi USA knows this and does nothing about it. Instrument cluster fails, fuel cell broken 3x, automatic window motor goes out. If you get a flat tire you have to buy a whole set of new tires because they have to have the same tread wear as it is AWD. And even the most minor thing to fix is very expensive I had a blast driving it when it wasnt broken, but it seems to be breaking more and more and the car is only 6 yrs old. Dont buy this car no matter how "pretty" it is.

• 

  Supercar in a sedan! - 2004 Audi S4
  By jpez - July 14 - 2:40 pm

  I just bought this car as a certified pre-owned. So far I love the car! It is so fast and comfortable to drive! All the luxury I can ever need and fast enough to keep up with most of the sports cars on the road. All with all wheel drive and 4 doors! I can take my daughter to school in it, go through bad weather or run it at the track. This car was made for a family guy like myself who doesnt want to let go of the kid in them!

• 

  Dissapointed - 2007 Audi S6
  By matt - July 13 - 6:23 pm

  Car drove and performed well. Service and reliability were a nightmare. At one point I was told they needed to remove my engine to replace a sensor. Many occasions where my car was never even looked at or serviced after having been left all day. Bottom line had to get rid of the car because of sevice and reliability will never buy an Audi again

• 

  Perfect Q7? - 2013 Audi Q7
  By David Porter - July 10 - 1:51 pm

  If performance is critical, you really need to verify you are getting the 333hp engine. Very confusing and I missed it. I think that you are limited to the Prestige package.?

• 

  Wifey LovesHer Ragtop - 2015 Audi A3
  By Andy J - June 30 - 5:11 pm

  Looked for a convertible for her for over a year -- Mustang, Camaro, BMW Z4, Lexus, etc and none of them seemed to fit the bill of what we wanted -- namely, high build quality, decent onroad performance and technology, a usable backseat, for under $40,000. We found it in a leftover 2015 model A3 2.0 Quattro Cabriolet. I have driven it some, quite impressed with its (front seat) legroom, smooth ride & handling, and giddy-up, esp. when you drop it into Sport mode. Gets lots of positive comments from onlookers. Note: Dont expect to get 33 MPG, its too much fun to get into the gas, were seeing about 25 MPG overall but who cares. Also there is a learning curve on the MMI but once you figure it out its cool.