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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  Great Car Nothing to change - 1998 Audi A4
  By A4 Drive - October 10 - 2:00 am

  Just have to say that this car was the best purchase that I made. It has and does every thing it is ment to do.

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  I love this car! - 2003 Audi Allroad Quattro
  By jonfin - October 10 - 2:00 am

  We were looking for a car to take the place of our Merecedes wagon -- one with more creature comforts (cupholders, a decent air conditioner etc.), yet being able to handle as well as a Mercedes. The allroad fit our needs perfectly. It is fast: 250 hp, twin turbo. It is slightly higher than a tradional car, so the visibility is better. It is luxurious inside, its very responsive and its a kick to drive. What more could you ask for?

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  Perfect 10 - 2003 Audi A4
  By RGunner - October 5 - 10:00 am

  Perfect 10.. you need to drive this car in wet / snow to really drop your jaw

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  Great Drivers Car - 2006 Audi A3
  By jonesport - October 5 - 8:23 am

  I needed a high mileage/comfort car to supplement the Truck I drive 200 miles daily. The A3 is the perfect complement. Great mileage Great performance and a tight focused drivers expirence. Interior is understated but sharp. Nav/Sound System is easy to use and produces tremendous sound. All in all a great purchase.

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  Audi A6 2.0T Premium Plus - 2016 Audi A6
  By Jeff - October 3 - 10:33 am

  Love It, Totally! Ive had this car for 8 months now and could not love it more! 1 year in - I love it even more!

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  Houston we have a problem - 2017 Audi Q7
  By Edward - October 1 - 4:11 am

  This car looks like a spaceship inside, which is pretty cool. We got the grey color with the optics package. Its a pretty awesome car....... So it appears. However, on day 2 of ownership and approximately 100 miles we are already having reliability issues. Today we got a "safety system error" yellow light on the dash indicating that the airbag is malfunctioning. In addition, on 3 occasions the car has literally turned itself off by itself when we place it in park. This happened one at the aim and twice when switching drivers in front of the house. Im not talking about the engine turning off to save fuel, Im talking about completely off to the point we have to hit start again for the car to reboot. Active lane assist is also nonoperative for some reason. At 70k we could have purchased 2 more reliable Kias.

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  Love it! - 2003 Audi A4
  By sammey - September 28 - 10:00 am

  So beautiful and so much fun to drive! Great steering, great braking. Hesitates out of the gate, but makes up for it once youre sailing along.

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  Better than a BMW? - 2002 Audi A4
  By pipedaddytx - September 25 - 9:23 pm

  The A4 is a great car. Looks great, drives great has probably the best interior of any car that starts under 30K and with options like Quattro you can understand why Audi has been so successful with this car. Probably the best feature of this car is the relative sparsity of them compared to the BMW 3 series. I see at least 10 black 3 series cars every day on my way to work. So if youre looking for something a little special, the A4 is a great choice.

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  Awesome Car - 2006 Audi A3
  By Dan - September 24 - 12:23 pm

  We were looking for a car that would be both practical and fun - and we found it. None of the competitors came close to the combination of fuel economy, great handling, fast acceleration, good looks, practical storage space, and overall fun in the upper 20s price range. All I can say is that we love this car - its all about fahrvegnuggen!

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  Great but could use a few convenience items - 2017 Audi A4
  By Jimbo - September 23 - 11:39 pm

  First off, the car is great. I have put on a couple thousand miles and have been pretty happy so far. I do have a few gripes. Im coming from a 2008 RAV4 so this is my baseline. Glove box is very small. Yes there is a CD player in there but still...its kind of worthless for storage. That said, storage is pretty much non-existent. The RAV4 has a bunch of compartments for all my stuff. The A4 has nothing other than the glove box. No sunglasses holder. I cant put a large Gatorade bottle in the cup holder unless I put it upside down. My RAV has a removable rubber cup holder insert so I can put the bigger bottle in it. Side pockets are small as well. The interior is otherwise well done. Gas mileage is great. Performance is excellent. Stock tires are quiet but do not seem very grippy when pushing it. Overall very happy with my purchase, albeit with a couple of complaints.