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 while it lasted - 2001 Audi A4
  By Will - September 24 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this car used, and had it for 7 months (15,000 miles) before it was totaled in an accident. The car was a lot of fun to drive, and IÂ’m definitely going to miss it. It handled pretty, and had good acceleration. The fuel mileage was much better than I expected it to be. It was very comfortable on both short, and long drives. The trunk had plenty of room for luggage, and hauling. Like any used car it had some issues including a new MAF sensor, and a rear wheel bearing needing to be replaced in the first two months of ownership. Once those issues were sorted out the car was great. IÂ’m leaning towards a newer A4 to replace this one.

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  Disappointed - 2002 Audi A4
  By COdriver - September 24 - 2:00 am

  This thing is a money pit. Cant believe how much it costs to fix every little thing. Have had the car almost 4 years now & I cant take it any more. If you happen to be looking at one of these things, stay away.

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  Love my diesel - 2011 Audi Q7
  By 2011Q7TDI - September 24 - 2:00 am

  My first diesel was a 1975 Mercedes Benz 240d. Diesel technology has come quite a long way. This is my second Audi, I did not think the A6 could be beat but Audi figured out how to do it. Amazing family truckster. Huge size but drives smaller than it is.

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  Be careful with this one - 2010 Audi A4
  By Kathryn - September 24 - 2:00 am

  I absolutely loved this car until there were oil problems at 2500 miles. At usage of 1500 miles (I bought it with 1000 on it), my car indicated low oil. As it had not been leaking, my car was burning it. Audi of America and the dealer said this was in spec, that turbo engines burned it. They offered to put a quart in every time. They could not answer to the long-term ramifications however and did not want to fix it. Had I known that my car required a quart of oil per 1500 miles I would not have purchased it because something seems wrong here. ONLY the 09-10 A4s do this. Turbo engines shouldnt burn that much. It affects my fuel efficiency and has taken away the joy of owning a new car.

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  New 2011 Q5 2.0T - 2011 Audi Q5
  By ftlash - September 24 - 2:00 am

  The 2.0T engine in the Q5 seems more than adequate to me. It seems almost as fast as the V6 with considerably better gas mileage. It is also quiet and refined for a 4 cyl turbo. The vehicle is screwed together extremely well and is a pleasure to drive. Did not know if I would like a CUV after having many sport sedans but so far it is a great handling vehicle.

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  Loving my new Q5 - 2011 Audi Q5
  By JillQ - September 23 - 2:00 am

  I have never owned a crossover vehicle before, Weve had the Q5 3.2 Premium Plus w/navigation for a few days now and I have found myself taking the long way home whenever I can. It drives much like a car...handles great and and has a nice turn radius.I love the quietness of the car when your inside with the windows closed its well soundproofed.

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  Pure Engineering - 2010 Audi A6
  By Dennis Schirmer - September 22 - 2:00 am

  My New Audi A6 quattro is the best car I have ever driven bar none! The power of this car thrills me. The Tiptronic transmission is so smooth you can barely feel the shift. It accelerates like a motorcycle. Drive mode and Sport mote are the same. The interior is huge! I am 62" and I can completely stretch my legs all the way out. I can pull the seat forward to allow back seat passengers and I am still driving comfortably. The Premium Plus and all weather package came with this car. It has the full MMI which has a 10 Gig hard drive for uploading media. the navigation is a little cumbersome at first, but if you use it enough you begin to see just how intuitive it is. I love this car!

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  Bought used - 2008 Audi A6
  By Lane O. - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Bought from Schaumburg Audi with 75k. Dealer and their service area have been awesome. Havent seen service levels like theirs in any commercial area for a long, long time. LOVE the style of the 08 and 09 A6s. Preferred the turbo engine in the 09, but I was too cheap. Lots of things in this car make it great fun to drive.

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  Great car let down by DSG - 2006 Audi A3
  By ic70 - September 21 - 2:00 am

  I wanted a fun-to-drive car, with a bit more luxury. The A3, being based on the GTI, should be fun-to-drive, and come with nice Audi touches, so I thought this was the car for me. The Audi comfort touches are all there, but sadly, the fun-to-drive was not. The major problem is that in Drive mode, the DSG transmission like to conserve fuel, so it keeps rpm low (1500rpm). This means that when you need power, it takes a long second or two to kick down 2-3 gears to get going, which really really kills the fun-to-drive factor. On Sport mode, its nice and aggressive (never drops below 3000 rpm), but for daily driving, its a little too "caffeinated."

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  Love it! - 1999 Audi A6
  By denniss - September 20 - 2:00 am

  Bought it this year and enjoy every minute of driving it consider it like an old friend that you trust your life to does use a lil bit of oil (151k) but the Audi dealer said it was natural. This is my 3rd Audi owned an A4 and 100. Quattro is great especially in the curves (which is only matched by my 944) The car is quick when I need it and I like the quality of the interior of using metal and real wood veneer whereas most cars have cheap fake wood. The only problem I found is that it gets very hot without the A/C on so hot that it fogs up my glasses in the summer