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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  Best Sedan for the money - 2003 Audi A4
  By ToddC - April 24 - 10:00 am

  After years of admiring Audi products, I finally decided it was time to get my own. The car far exceeds my expectations in many areas especially build quality. Traction is simply unparalleled. It is very easy to drive this car all the way up to its very limit without professional training.

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  2000 Audi A8 4.2 litre Quattro - 2000 Audi A8
  By James Bufkin - April 24 - 2:00 am

  This car is like driving a Vault. The all Aluminum frame makes the car very strong and light. The car is faster than it looks, easily doing 0-60 in the mid 6 second range. The 4.2 liter 40 Valve V8 cranks out 310 horses with more than adequate torque to keep passengers heads planted firmly in the headrests. I cant believe the Editors reviews on performance, with Quattro and this much power, its easily the best performing luxury sedan currently on the market. Its just one/tenth slower from 0-60 than a comparable Mercedes Benz, and faster than the BMW 740il. But the Audi is Quattro, so in bad weather, its the king of luxury sedans. High performance after market tires are a must.

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  Awesome A4! - 2009 Audi A4
  By Frank - April 22 - 7:13 pm

  Of course my car is new and Im so happy and exited about my choice; but I did test all AWD cars in that segment, then chose A4 for the style, size (bmw too small), quality of the interior, ultimate sound system. Handling, fun to drive is great! Performance is more than enough for me, but lack brute force of G35x or BMW335xi. This is the only item for which the A4 is not getting perfect score across the board. B&O sound system is a marvel! Way superior than previous Bose option. And with the SD card support, I even dont need to use CD (6 disk changer, MP3 support). It comes with ipod integration, Im expecting the ipod cable delivery soon and will provide feedback on it.

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  Extended warantee? - 1998 Audi Cabriolet
  By dbalch - April 22 - 2:00 am

  Fun car when the top will go down (all the way) & when it isnt in the shop.

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  A8 Rules!!! - 1997 Audi A8
  By JC-Atlanta - April 22 - 2:00 am

  This car is the best-kept secret of the automotive industry. It handles FAR better than ANY BMW, and only the S55 Benz can outclass it in performance. You cannot spin the wheels, no matter what the conditions. A8 Roadside assistance is the best. Super luxe interior, and well-thought-out German engineering in all departments. A+++++

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  fun fun to drive - 2002 Audi TT
  By Ahikam Eisenberg - April 22 - 2:00 am

  i have so much fun driving it for the last 2 years,(i think i was the first one in th e metro ny )and yes i can tell you many stories...................

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  Audi at its Finest - 2017 Audi Q7
  By T Wigglesworth - April 20 - 5:06 am

  This is the first Audi weve owed and love it! We’ve been loyal fans of Mercedes and Range Rovers over the past few years and were looking for a 7 passenger vehicle as our kids are in various sporting activities. We are only a month in and really impressed with the gas mileage. Spacious vehicle, comfortable ride and handles the road well. I will admit I do like the body style of the older versions as I like to sit up a little higher similar to an SUV, but so far, no other complaints.

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  Great Car - 1993 Audi 90
  By Gvouffo - April 19 - 2:00 am

  This is a Great Car

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  Car is just alright. - 2017 Audi Q7
  By Roger - April 18 - 4:18 pm

  Ive switched from Mercedes. Handling is nicer, not as nice as BMW though. Cabin is very quiet. First impression is amazing. Nicely designed and finished. As soon as you start driving it you realize run flat tires destroy the comfort you may like from Mercedes. Head up display, as Paul already mentioned, produces ugly glares on a windscreen, right in front of you, distracting and destroying the whole experience of having a head up display technology. The best you can do when the glare comes up is to use a paper towel or something else to cover it up. Turning it off doesnt help as glare is a reflection from the HUD optics, not an image from the projector. Driver assistance package seems like an interesting enhancement but the car doesnt fully stop itself as advertised. You better read about all the limitations etc. The last one and a very annoying issue it the air-conditioning. The level of the noise the funs produce on a sunny days is hard to bear. If I had the money in my pocket again I would seriously consider other vehicles like GLS or XC90. Perhaps this is what Im going to do. Wait for the new GLS and trade it in. Good luck.

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  Our first new car ever. - 2003 Audi A4
  By Frameguy - April 18 - 10:00 am

  Ive read reviews complaining about soft initial acceleration. Go buy a motorcycle. You can buy a motorcycle for the price difference of a 3.0L. My advice? Buy a 1.8T, and right at the apex of a nice sweeping county road, and stand on it. Breathtaking. Dont get this car for stoplight drag racing. And dont drink coffee while driving the quattro- the car sticks like glue. Spilled coffee sticks like glue too. (I use sugar.) I never thought wed buy a new car. But Ill happily throw down thirty large for this kind of performance. Yes, performance. I also drive a sport bike. No car comes close, so pipe down about the acceleration you!