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:

• 

  Not for long commutes - 2002 Audi A4
  By AO - September 6 - 11:11 am

  This car is cute and fun. But dont drive it too much. By 2007, with all the repairs weve already done and those still coming up, this car has depreciated like a rock and were left holding the bag, wondering when our next $2,000 repair bill will come up. The overcomplicated German design leaves even the smallest repairs costing more than they should, and the benefit - our cute car - has been blackened by our repair bills.

• 

  Total Disaster - 2005 Audi A8
  By Russell Bobo - September 4 - 11:15 am

  We had 2 Audi A6s prior to this new A8L. The A6s were great, so we thought the new A8L would be fabulous. Boy were we wrong. The car has been in the shop 19 times in the last 22 months. It spent the whole month of December 2006 in the shop with the MMI system. It seems to have an electrical gremlin that appears every 2000 miles or 6 weeks, whichever comes first. It has been towed to the dealship twice because it would not crank at all. Audi A8 customer care has not been a big help either. Without a doubt the worst car experience we have ever had.

• 

  Never again - 2001 Audi A4
  By Konrad - September 3 - 11:50 am

  I bought this car when it was 3 year old and had 51000 miles on it. After 6 months it started to break: ABS module, power window mechanism in 3 doors, leaking oil in engine (repair costs over $1000) oxygen sensor (another $1200, big problem to find right sensor), rear tail light, glovebox shaking all the time, even the horn didnt work, engine light was on all the time. Car is very nice, handling and performance is great, but buy it on your own risk.

• 

  2006 Audi A6 Wagon - 2006 Audi A6
  By Frank_R - September 1 - 11:01 pm

  I drive 120 miles daily to Santa Cruz CA, up over the mountains (dreadful highway 17). For this the car is great! When it rains the road becomes treacherous and the car holds the road and stops better than everyone else. A real plus! The car is comfortable, quiet and makes the commute quite bearable.

• 

  You Get What You Pay For - 2007 Audi A4
  By KP - August 30 - 8:06 am

  I shopped all the brands in this price point, thought the BMW was too small and cramped, thought the Lexus was just too boring, and the MB a little too old. I like the ride, handling, mpg, price and stereo in this car. The price came in under all the competition and the complementary maintenance was very nice. However, I have not been able to enjoy it since out of the first 39 days of ownership, its been in the shop for 23 days. I dont know if I got a lemon, or this is indicative of Audi quality. Either way, I do not recommend this car and I wont be buying from Audi again for a long long time.

• 

  Probably the best car I have owned - 2004 Audi A4
  By Bill - August 26 - 9:14 am

  Over the 3 and 1/2 years I have owned this car, it has been nearly flawless. One repair under warrantee to replace the catalytic converter. The 1.8 has sufficient power and delivers excellent gas mileage for an AWD vehicle. The AWD really delivers in heavy rain and is adequate in snow providing you drive sanely.

• 

  I bought it not knowing what it needed... - 2005 Audi S4
  By Finn Quinlan - August 24 - 8:11 pm

  Let me start this review by saying wow. This car is literally awesome and every ounce of performance and style is there. Im 66" and with the seat all the way back lol i have great leg and head room in my avant. I think the design is honestly pretty poor on the interior side because when i have my seat back all the way and the passenger is getting comfortable with the seat but not all the way back. The back seats literally have no leg room. I think if they had given just 4 inches of the back seats and moved them back about 4" it would be fine. The trunk is still huge anyway. I bought it as my first car at 17 years old, i know now that Ive bought a gem and i love the car extremely. I bought it with minor cosmetic problems but i knew that when i bought it for a steal. So far since Ive had it, Ive driven it for 6 fun-filled and gas guzzled days and then it broke. It was leaking anti freeze and had almost no oil in it, had in known that before i made the purchase, id own a sedan s4. Even with that, i love the avant and would never trade it for a sedan ever. Never ever. Im already rebuilding the entire engine so hopefully after this the car is in mint condition which it should be and ill drive it till the wheels fall off.

• 

  Tempest In A Tea Cup - 2007 Audi A4
  By Sean - August 22 - 3:30 am

  Being a previous owner of a Passat, I was not particularly excited about taking delivery of this car. I was a BMW zealot (and still have a late model bimmer parked next to the Audi) but got excited, very excited about driving this car! The Quattro is a godsend - much better than X-drive. The fit and finish is superb. The creature comforts well matched. This car is a winner. Its dichotomous nature is aptly suited to both the executive who thinks he could drive in a rally and to the retiree who likes a sport tuned suspension with the confidence of knowing they have all-wheel ability. One will not be disappointed with this car. Enjoy and cheers.

• 

  Really Disapointed - 2004 Audi TT
  By Chris G - August 14 - 10:40 pm

  I must have just gotten the odd lemon based on the other reviews. After 75,000 miles in 3 years, I have spent over $10,000 in repairs and maintenance. This includes $5400 for a timing belt at just over 50,000 miles. The car is got a lot of pick up after the brief hesitation waiting for the turbo to kick in. It corners well and the stereo system is great, but thats about it. I have no desire to own another Audi. I have spent more repairs on this car than on my last 3 Toyotas combined and this car was far less reliable than my last two Volvos.

• 

  Money pit - 2001 Audi A4
  By fleetfoot - August 14 - 2:27 pm

  Bought the car new off the showroom floor at end of 01 model year. Overall, the car handles beautifully (steering is drum tight!) and the cabin is well laid out and extremely comfortable for the driver and front passenger - which is particularly nice on long trips. Back seat is cramped, but wagon has been very useful. But beware... stuff will go wrong with this car. Every other month something else is going - and many items went just days beyond expiration of the warranty coverage! Major oil leak @ 52k. Another leak @ 65k. Seat frames. Steering rack. Front tie rods. Bose speaker. Headlamp washer. You get the idea. Great driving experience, but be ready to pay and pay and pay!