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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  911 Beater - 2004 Audi S4
  By audi4ever - June 23 - 10:37 pm

  This is one sensational automobile. Leased S4 automatic from local dealer in October 2004 and have been smiling ever since. The performance and handling are superb very close to my 2004 Porsche 911 C2 in terms of fun to drive quotient over windy, country roads. My spouse, who wanted an A6, uses the S4 to commute and loves its size and superior handling and power. The suspension is compliant/ A true sports sedan! Super in winter with a set of 4 snow tires. Downside: fuel economy is atrocious - under 15 mpg around town. But when lease expires in April 07, we have already decided to get another. Love Audis bumper to bumper warranty and service from local dealer.

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  My 3.2 Avant - 2006 Audi A4
  By Sergio - June 18 - 10:20 pm

  The Avant A4 3.2 "S" Line looks like a normal wagon but it handles like a sports car, specially on a rainy day, it becomes another car with the traction control and Quattro (AWD) makes you feel secure.

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  Head Turner - 2002 Audi A4
  By mikey - June 16 - 9:42 pm

  Excellent vehicle, fun to drive and you are guaranteed to turn heads. Get a warranty, bought it used and it was over the 50,000 mark, expensive to fix (2000 for a clutch). I would buy another a4 in a heartbeat.

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  Dream Car or Maintenance Nightmare? - 2000 Audi TT
  By Parnelli - June 15 - 3:46 pm

  Driving my dream car is great but owning it is not. Good thing I bought the extended warranty because I needed all I could squeeze out of it. If my money is going to Europe, I want to go with it so Im selling my TT. Ill miss driving it and parking in sports car row but not the too-frequent trips to the dealer and the bite on my finances. And Ill stop twitching when the gas warning tone goes off because I think something else has gone wrong. This was my second German car and Ill never buy another one. Get AAA road service youll need it. Audi understands nothing about customer satisfaction or support.

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  Good Value - 2006 Audi A6
  By Martin Baker - June 13 - 10:58 am

  Overall very pleased with this car. While it is not as silky smooth as others in this class it offers many pros including - good gas mileage (averaging mid -20s), beautiful interior, and sporty handling and acceleration. I selected this car (after test driving the Acura RL, Mercedes E350 4matic, Lexus RX350) because it was the best value of vehicles that had AWD and all the advanced safety features. One major dislike - that steep angle of the windshield causes the dashboard to reflect on the windshield. Very annoying but fortunately it seems to be isolated to cloudy weather and less visible in bright sun and at night.

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  Great Car...Just take care of it!! - 1997 Audi A4
  By AudiLover - June 12 - 6:15 pm

  This has been an excellent car for the past 9 years. It is just crossing over the 95000 mile mark and it still drives like a new car. As long as you take care of the car it should live nicely. The car is a bit delicate in that it doesnt respond nicely to adverse situations. The check engine light is bound to come on for any little reason. Maintenance is expensive. The only major problem I have had was with the transmission. At the 7 year mark the transmission had to be totally replaced. My mechanic (a German car specialist) indicated this was a common problem with this style transmission.

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  Fast, but Open-Sky is cheap quality - 2006 Audi A3
  By DKAM - May 24 - 2:42 pm

  Initially happy with the power and interior quality. A little turbo lag, especially in 1st gear. Quattro should be available with the manual transmission. I had to go for front-wheel drive to get M.T. which feels inferior to rear-drive cars like 325ci. Car is fast and nimble, but nowhere near that of the 3-series (2003 for comparison). The interior sunshade for Open-Sky system is cheap looking and feeling. The latches are breaking (common problem). This is an Audi luxury brand car and should not have such cheap parts. The rest of the interior is of good quality and presentation, though.

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  Do not buy an Allroad - 2003 Audi Allroad Quattro
  By awdjunkie - May 20 - 3:44 pm

  These cars are great for a while... like a short while. Like another poster said, each shop visit is going to cost 4 digits and they are going to happen a few times a year... not to mention 800 dollars tires. They are hungry Brake eaters as well... there is another $800 routine maintnance bill. They are money pits, but I did love it when it was behaving.

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  Im not sorry I bought it, but.... - 2005 Audi A6
  By B Haskell - May 14 - 10:05 pm

  I like the performance and reliability of this car. Handling and responsiveness is excellent. The outside styling is fair, and believe it contributes to a reduced visibility/window view through the windshield, as it is now canted at a very aerodynamic/rakish angle. I would have preferred more glass at a more upright angle. The trunk is adequate but deep and overly narrow when comparing it to the BMW 500 series. The ride on the mandatory 17" wheels (4.2 engine) is a bit too stiff for my taste. I would have preferred regular 16" higher profile tires.

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  WAY too many maintenance issues - 2001 Audi TT
  By Former TT lover - May 2 - 4:36 pm

  Ive owned this TT since February of 2002, and I would estimate that Ive already had to take it into the dealer to be repaired at least 30 times - and this is not an exaggeration. Its a fun car with good styling but if I had to do it all over again, Id buy a different car. Inflated european repair costs aside, its a royal pain to have to bring this car to the dealership over & over again. There werent many comparable options when I bought my TT...but now that there are, Im planning to sell mine and buy a japanese sports car instead so that I can spend more time driving it and less time leaving it at a repair shop.