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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  Meh - 2009 Audi A4
  By Anonymous - December 6 - 5:21 pm

  Quite frankly, its hard to be ambivalent about $40k purchase, but I have to be honest with myself, and 9 months after purchasing this car, I cant say its changed our lives. Its solidly built, but theres a fair amount of road noise. For all the self- congratulation from Audi about the increase in size, its really not all that roomy. I think my wifes old 2001 Jetta had more room in the back. The MMI might be good compared to options from other manufacturers, but its hardly intuitive. In sum, its a solid but not outstanding effort.

• 

  Noisy Brakes! - 2009 Audi A4
  By Anonymous - December 6 - 4:52 pm

  I love my new Audi A 4 Avant Wagon but very concerned about the noise the brakes make. It sounds like a loud creaking noise each time I apply the brakes regardless of whether the brakes are cold or warm. There is an abnormal amount of brake dust,as well. The Audi dealership tells me that this noise is "normal" and to help quiet the noise, I should slam on the brakes (in an empty parking lot) to "reset" them. I actually did this to no avail. This seems silly and hard to accept for a new 42K car. Also the GPS is extremely difficult to use - very complicated. Seats are not very comfortable after the first 2 hours. Other than these few issues the vehicle performs and drives very nicely.

• 

  Audi 90 quattro * V6 2.8L* - 1993 Audi 90
  By Anonymous - December 6 - 2:00 am

  Perfect car. Mine have 350,000 km and still runs like a new one!

• 

  Audi A8 - 1997 Audi A8
  By Anonymous - December 6 - 2:00 am

  Very well engineered car. Interior is awesome. Leather is still soft, no rattles, everything works, very solid car. Engine is teriffic. Smooth, quiet, with enough power to get you where you are going. Suspension is a little loose for my tastes, but very smooth over bumps. Steering is feather light and very nice. Transmission had failed at 170k. Not unexpectedly with the D2 A8. Tranny shifts are slow and tall gearing can make the car feel slow when not in the correct gear. Fuel mileage is great for a car this big at about 25 mpg average when using cruise most of the time. Ive had to replace a couple of things here and there but nothing out of the ordinary.

• 

  Audi D2 S8 - 2002 Audi S8
  By Anonymous - December 6 - 2:00 am

  Beautiful car, beautifully made and engineered. S8 with Alcantra/Recaro interior. Some of the best seats I have ever sat in. Leather is amazing, very nice solid feel to every bit of the interior. The engine looks/sounds/feels teriffic. Brakes, suspension, and handling are all very sharp and precise for a car this size. Fuel economy is nothing spectacular, but the car is geared very short compared to its A8 counterpart and is very hard to stay off of the go pedal. The car does need to be maintained properly. A coil pack and some disconnected vacuum lines have happened. Also an unknown problem with the catylitic conversion system. Overall a great work of engineering by Audi

• 

  Fun to drive, but expensive - 2001 Audi A6
  By Eric - December 5 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car in 04 as a CPOd car for my wife. Love the 2.7T engine, a blast of a car to drive. Comfortable ride. The downside, expensive to repair, seems every year that weve had it, and especially since the warranties ran out, weve had a $1,500 + repair bill for the year. Recently found that the trans needs work, hopefully this will be the last major item to repair for a long time. We bought the car with only 33,000 on it, weve put maybe 36,000 more miles in 6 yrs.

• 

  fast and refined - 2011 Audi S5
  By jungh - December 5 - 2:00 am

  Had considered an M3. After I drove the S5 Cab there was no turning back. The interior blows you away compared to the BMW. My dealer suggested an ECU upgrade pushing the car to 410 HP with 370 lb-ft of tqe. The car is as you can imagine super fast. Zero to 60 4.3 seconds. Right there with the M. Big difference is the quatro. Makes the car stick to the road like glue.

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  Truly A Luxury SUV - 2011 Audi Q7
  By q 007 - December 5 - 2:00 am

  Finally broke 1k miles on my Q7. I along side of my 2002 audi s4 and 2004 audi a6 2.7t the Q7 makes a great family SUV, I had custom dvd entertainment install and my kids loves it while on the road. With a lot of mix city and highway I average around 20 mpg. I tested droved the 2010 x5 with v8 setup and merc gl 550 both did not have the solid feel and quality interior. The X5 was very responsive on the road and sporty while the Merc felt too calm and soft on the road while the q7 had the balance of both worlds.

• 

  Great car with unfortunate design flaws - 2007 Audi Q7
  By Leaking Audi - December 5 - 2:00 am

  All cars have + & - from a high end luxury SUV you expect mostly +. Thats the case. My problem was leaking draining tubes resulting in water in the front passenger well and in the back, invisibly in the area with the unprotected amplifier, MMI, GPS units. Result: all failed + battery drained. Cost:$3,500 (not covered by warranty). Thats the most disturbing part to me: this car has been maintained by Audi as recommended but I still end up with a problem I could not avoid. This is not compatible with the premium price you pay for a Q7, you expect peace of mind. Moreover it is a known problem since Audi/VW lost a class action suit on this problem. Details at LeakingAudi website and Twitter.

• 

  Worth It - 2011 Audi A5
  By Mike - December 5 - 2:00 am

  Wow! I wanted a nice refined coupe to transition to from my 97 4Runner as my daily driver to ease my commute, and I am over the moon with this car. Initially I had some worries about Audis spotty quality record, but the past 2.5 months have been reassuring. The 2.OT has more than enough pep for me right now, the interior is museum- quality, and the exterior design is drool-inducing. 99.9% of the amenities are well thought out and well implemented. Fuel economy with premium fuel is a bit less than I hoped (22mpg mixed, but as high as 29 on a clear hwy) given everything else this car has, I have had NO twinges of buyers remorse. I look forward to another 15+ years with this car.