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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  smooth as glass - 2003 Audi A6
  By jhwool - March 3 - 2:00 am

  This is our second A6. Our first was dead reliable but was sluggish. The more powerful engine with the CVT transmision is a vast improvement over the Tiptronic in our old A6. Gas mileage is much improved too. The car has wonderful build quality, is roomy for passengers and luggage, fun to drive and is significanly cheaper than comparible BMWs and Mercedess

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  Tons of Fun - 2006 Audi A3
  By Tom - March 2 - 1:20 pm

  After owning an IS300 that I didnt want to part with, I discovered this diamond in the rough. No doubt the best car for the money if you care about a great engine, trans, fuel economy and creature comforts. The vehicle feels/drives much heavier than it really is. Excellent!

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  Awesome Car!!!! - 1992 Audi S4
  By TurboAudiS4 - March 2 - 2:00 am

  The original S4 is an awesome car, especially the 92. it has a rear sway bar, which every other year lacked, it also was the only year to offer the boost gauge and wood interior. It has great potential to be a realy fast car (400 hp+). the only downside is that the parts are hard to find due to the very limited production run of the S4/S6 (aprox. 5,000 made it to the US and Canada)but they are a great all around car, definatly the best of its day, and still a great car by todays standards.

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  4.2 Power for any situation - 2000 Audi A6
  By 4duece - March 2 - 2:00 am

  Car has been rock solid since date of purchase. This is my 3rd new Audi. The Quattro system it is unmatched by any other design period. Chassis design is flawless for high speed cruising. Mileage 18/15... Bright spots Engine/Interior design/Radio/Seats/Brakes are great... Low points Ride Quality w 17” wheels/255/40 are rougher. Steering in a little light (however the Europeans actually comment they love the steering lighter)?, Driver side mirror could be larger, Overall better than the 540i I replaced.. Practically in the snow and service reliability ... Stealth is the word…..

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  Unreliable - 2000 Audi A6
  By Bud&Sue - March 2 - 2:00 am

  Leased this car new in 2000, cant wait to turn it back in. If we had owned it, it would have been gone long ago. After almost 3 years of complaints the dealer finally solved a cold start problem (towed in 5 times) but after the fix it developed a cooling leak that took 3 visits to cure. Broken power windows, fuel tank recalls (2) etc, etc etc.

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  What a RocketShip - 2001 Audi S8
  By Lens S8 - March 1 - 2:00 am

  This understated rocketship lets those in the know see that I want and know the best! It blows away the competition in confort and performance!

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  My 2002 4.2 - 2002 Audi A6
  By John Hill - February 28 - 2:00 am

  Previously owned 2000 2.7 T. Crashed it into a tree and bought the 2002 4.2 new at the begi9nning of 2003. Smooth power, excellent handling. Interior first class. Tiptronic on steering wheel is nice little gimmick.MPG seems to be about 18.0, but wife driving mostly in town. In a word, the car is solid, solid, solid.

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  love it - 2001 Audi A4
  By Brian12345 - February 28 - 2:00 am

  The car has been very reliable, and I have had no major problems. It handles great it is fun to drive on twisty roads, and is good in snow as well. Power is very good considering actual displacement of engine, but it isnt as torquey as say a Volkswagen VR6 or a BMW inline 6. Mileage is good -- I get 28 mpg on the highway going 80 mph. Very nice looking inside and out.

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  Know what youre buying - 2002 Audi TT
  By colodriver - February 28 - 2:00 am

  Purchased a 225 ALMS edition in Sept 02. Pros: fast, great design, ALMS red and 18" wheels, TT look is a head turner Gearbox is smooth Trunk storage adequate in back for golf clubs or Costco runs Complaints: significant turbo lag in 1st gear (much more than the 180hp), some rattles at 3K miles (!!). Annoying support frame (for center console) makes it a little uncomfortable for tall drivers.The TT is a gocart - fast and nimble and a pleasure to drive. Great handling at high speeds on mountain roads. After 6 months no problems. TT puts it all into one package - nimble, fast, fun and a head turner to boot.

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  Beautiful, with a few hiccups - 2002 Audi A4
  By WA Avant - February 28 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car for my wife, who LOVES it. I love the styling, superb interior quality, versatility of the wagon. Problems include the well-known coilpack failure which completely disabled the car requiring flatbed towing to the dealership after 7,000 miles. Not what I would expect in a car of this caliber. Now we are hesitant to take this practically brand new car on extended road trips because we are worried about breaking down. Because of short supply, the dealership will not replace all of the coilpacks under warranty, only if they fail (and leave you stranded!) Rims have been a headache (see Suggested Improvements, below)