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:

• 

  Rough Ride - 2007 Audi A4
  By disappointed - March 27 - 5:27 pm

  Great engine, handling, and transmission. Unfortunately, the suspension is so hard it transmits every bump and crevice from the road right to the steering wheel and cabin. Makes for a "nervous" ride. Truly unfortunate. I feel like I need to see the chiropractor after every drive.

• 

  S5 - 2008 Audi S5
  By SSG - March 23 - 11:25 pm

  The bluetooth may bring some connection headaches...but its a hell of a machine. Key functions may also not be as well connected. Nonetheless, very comfortable and extremely smooth in gear shifting. It has an awesome shape and look to it. The base is low so parking and going thru dips may scratch the front bottom bumper

• 

  Electronics can be a hassle - 2006 Audi A6
  By zzdaf38 - March 23 - 10:11 pm

  Car drives very well, fantastic road holding. Engine is strong but unrefined and loud. Electronics are a major hassle, battery often goes out and cant hold charge because the electronics drain it. Warning lights constantly on for some computer malfunction. You cant switch the varous sensors and warning off so be prepared to make the dealer your second home. Always an issue with something electronic. Car barely drives a day without some kind of electronic kink.

• 

  Good car, but not worth the price - 2007 Audi A4
  By Kevin - March 21 - 7:49 pm

  After owning a 2007 A4 for just over 1 year, I can firmly say that it is a really nice car, but definitely not worth the sticker price of 37K. I have a couple of issues (car stalls for 2-3 seconds while cruising) that the dealership cant fix. I have a couple of rattles that really shouldnt exist in this caliber vehicle. I got a great lease deal 400 a month / 15k a year / 24 months with nearly nothing down. It is fun to drive. Its fairly fast for the base engine. The mileage is good, but varies alot between city and highway.

• 

  Quality control needs improvement - 2002 Audi A4
  By rdl - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Replaced a 99.5 2.8 fwd a4 with the 2002 3.0 quattro. In all respects, from an engineering and driving standpoint, a better, more fun to drive car. But at delivery, and in the first few weeks, a number of quality control problems appeared, e.g. gritty paint, heated mirrors dont work, quirky climate control, sunroof rattle, defective key fob, faulty back seat latch, etc. Does not seem the car was properly checked before being shipped.

• 

  Fun, disappointing reliability - 2001 Audi TT
  By Airspeed - March 19 - 4:38 pm

  Fun to drive, handles nicely. But problems problem problems. Too cost conscious in engineering - will never buy Audi again. Stuff that should not happen at below 35,000 miles, and dont happen to my Benz with 120,000 miles! Too many problems to list - bearings, turbo, brake disks, joint boots, instrument panel, rain leaks frying electronics, O2 sensor, all at less than 35k miles! And Im told by one of my mechanics its one of the less troublesome recent Audis!

• 

  A stupid car - but in a fun way - 2008 Audi S5
  By VKG - March 17 - 10:07 pm

  I live in the Chicago area so my initial concerns were: a) what do I do if it snows and b) the gas mileage aint pretty. As for the snow - of which we saw a near record amount this year - the S5 drives exceptionally well. I dumped the summer performance tires within hours of picking up the car replacing them with high performance all seasons. The cars power is so easy that driving slow in rough conditions is easy. The gas mileage is terrible.

• 

  Amazing and Costly - 1999 Audi A4
  By KScrib - March 16 - 5:35 pm

  The 1999 Audi A4 2.8 Quattro sedan is a great great car. Ive never owned a car that is so much fun to drive. It is everything anyone would want. Its comfortable, fast, sporty, luxury, and capable. Its an all around great car and I will always own an Audi. The two draw backs are poor fuel economy and premium fuel only. This is a huge expense and maintenance is really expensive. It is well worth the price. The car is now 8 year old with 110,000 miles and shows no rust, no signs of getting old, and runs like a champ. I tell my friends its a 99 and they say it looks brand new. Great car. A++

• 

  Silence is Golden ? - 2007 Audi Q7
  By rreich - March 10 - 1:54 pm

  My Audi Q7 has been the nicest drive for handling, comfort and acceleration! but the electronics have failed since about 3 weeks after I brought it home. When it doesnt work, it doesnt work... no GPS, phone,radio, CD, iPod, nothing. And this was at the same time the steering column got stuck in the down position. While setting my preferred settings I lowered it, it stayed there for a month or so, the service dept fixed it but the rest is a on going mystery!

• 

  Love the car... few issues - 2007 Audi Q7
  By schwartzps - March 10 - 10:54 am

  I absolutely love my Q7. I will warn you though of a major design flaw. If any of you ever drink a liquid while driving, beware. I spilled the smallest amount of coffee and it shorted out part of my electrical system.This little spill will cost you close to $1000. If you notice, the buttons are directly in front of the cupholders. What was Audi thinking? Now when I have my coffee or water, I put a cloth over the control panel!