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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  Think Twice Before You Buy - 1997 Audi A4
  By Bridget1777 - September 18 - 2:00 am

  My car has 80k miles. It is important for the buyer to know what they are getting into. It will require repairs, but prepare to go to an Audi dealer only and pay $125 p/ hour, or more. Ex: Power locks went out shortly after I purchased the car, ($650!) Now needs a new water pump, (a $30 part,) but to have the dealer put it on would cost $550! Its ridiculous. Only an Audi dealer can change the oil light every 3k miles, so prepare to pay for that. (The servicing light is the same way!) Its a very nice car to drive, but think twice before you buy. Make sure you have the money to burn. I dont.

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  Lots of Fun for Small People - 2002 Audi TT
  By Donut - September 18 - 2:00 am

  This car is a blast to drive. Great traction in all weather conditions, nice turn ratio and great overall handling. Its a very spunky car good "get up and go."

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  BUY ME! - 1998 Audi A8
  By loser - September 17 - 2:00 am

  This must be the best car Ive ever owned...Ive owed Mbs and tons of other great cars but nothing to this...its awsom power is amazing, 80-110 quicker than 0-60 (that is a big deal) breaks strong light weight......

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  Love/Hate Relationship - 1996 Audi A4
  By Oh...AUDI - September 16 - 2:00 am

  Bought with 65K miles 18 months ago. I spend alot of time behind the wheel, felt A4 would be nice ride that I could put tons of miles on.First 2 months were torture.Check engine light went on every other week.Oxygen sensors replaced twice b4 problem resolved. Since then I have put over 50K miles on this car with no major problems.Only issues are minor electrical glitches (ie stereo, climate cont. display, moonroof).Overall: would buy another from a good dealer with a good warranty.

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  Great for mods... - 2000 Audi S4
  By S4-MTM - September 16 - 2:00 am

  Excellent car that you can tune easily. Add a chip and exhaust (2K) and you dramatically improve the car performance to 325hp. (0-60 in 5.0)

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  good - 2001 Audi TT
  By rnelbert - September 15 - 2:00 am

  i love this car, it is a great ride not to mention it looks good as well

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  this is the one - 2002 Audi S4
  By cup - September 14 - 2:00 am

  for 40k I would buy the s4, even for 60 I would still buy a s4 and keep the rest. I mean, whats better? m3, well it has little problem with the transmission and a big problem with 8k redline. If it bothers you that the s4 goes 5.5 then a chip and exhaust will do. and when you run race fuel, the s4 gain more hp then other cars gain. So, unless you just dont like the look, its a great car to own.

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  A fantastic autombile - 2002 Audi A6
  By eugbir - September 13 - 2:00 am

  A great value - far better than the outdated 5-series, both of which I test-drove.

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  Fun to drive and gets all the looks! - 2001 Audi TT
  By julie - September 13 - 2:00 am

  Had the Audi TT 225 Quattro for almost a year now and still love it! It gets more looks than most cars on the road yesterday I even got a thumbs up. The handling is the best aspect of the car and the acceleration is not far behind. Add the amazing warranty and great sales and service experience at The Auto Gallery in Woodland Hills, CA (ask for Lisa in sales and Klaus in service.) I am so pleased with almost all the aspects of this car. The only two down sides of the vehicle are the non-adjustable headrests and the very small trunk (had a blow out after hitting a huge pothole and the wheel wouldnt even fit in the trunk.)

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  One month review - 2014 Audi R8
  By DL - September 12 - 9:59 am

  Traded in older 911 4S for this. The R8 is a lovely car - the manual is buttery smooth and handling is good. Interior quality and design is excellent. The V8 is strong but not supercar fast. Downsides are limited storage (as expected), older MMI, no Bluetooth music, USB to phone dongle is poorly designed (its too short and requires an extension cord for your phone).