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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  Tank Solid Reliable Luxury - 1997 Audi A6
  By anonmartin - February 26 - 6:40 pm

  Weve been very pleased at the quality and reliability of this Avant quattro. In silver, it looks fantastic. Audi/VW had relied on this 12V V6 motor for several of its platforms, and after living with it, and having no problems at all, I can see why. At 172 bhp, it is a little under-powered, but does great at speed. Leather interior holds up well if regularly treated. Quattro drive grips the road, dry, wet, or in ice and snow. We drove through a blizzard up a mountain and were passing some SUVs that were struggling. The pop-up rear-facing seats work great for our small kids and cousins, plus, they love riding back there. Interior cargo room is pretty good with rear seats folded down.

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  Great Fun, But Mileage Claims? - 2006 Audi A3
  By bowfng - February 22 - 2:28 am

  I just got a new manual transmission A3 2.0T with premium package, open sky and bose/NAV system. Lots of fun to drive and nice power. However those mileage claims 24/32 mpg seem awfully fishy. Just did my second fill up and I barely squeaked out 17.5 mpg in city driving. What gives?

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  Audi A3 auto - 2006 Audi A3
  By retfalvi - February 19 - 10:35 pm

  I ended up buying this car based on a testdrive of another A3. Be careful, My actual car had chronic hesitation with ignition, and even with the software update was rather sluggish. Would buy this car again, if I had the option to testdrive the actual car offered. Remember your trade-in value with this car is less than you would expect at any time.

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  Audi A8L - 2005 Audi A8
  By allan gushue - February 14 - 10:14 pm

  The Audi A8 l has been a pleasure to drive. Great for long trips...perfect high way auto.

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  Family in CT - 2004 Audi Allroad Quattro
  By Joan Gill - February 10 - 12:13 pm

  We have loved driving this car and find it is an adequate size for our family of 3; we have a 10 year old daughter. We feel very safe in it and love the power and performance of the 2.7T. We wanted to trade it in for a Volvo, as were looking for a less expensive car; the 08 A6 avants are $55,000! Yikes! But when we went to trade it in, the Volvo dealer only wanted to give us $16,000. Were very disappointed with the fact that this car didnt hold its value, even though its been discontinued. We thought there would be a big demand for them!

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  Good Car - 1997 Audi A6
  By Peadar - February 8 - 7:34 pm

  I just sold my A6--I had it for 2 years exactly. It was amazing in the snow and made wet roads seem dry. This was by far the best feature of the car. It was very comfortable (seating and ride), more so than most BMWs Ive driven. The main reason I got tired of this car was its lack of power. I mean its not slow but you have to floor it to take a camry at a stoplight. Handling is good. The fact that I could not have a cd changer or deck installed really irritated me--the only way you can listen to cds is buying a FM modulator ($250). Bottom line is its a kinda boring car. Thats why I got a 3-series now.

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  Good Car - 2003 Audi A4
  By thomasg - February 7 - 10:00 am

  It is very reliable and low maintenance. The interior and exterior design is fabulous. Im a little disapointed by the performance (when in automatic mode). Theres a slight hesitation when trying to accelerate (esp. from a standstill). The tiptronic aleviates all of these performance problems at the cost of remembering to shift gear.

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  Good, but... - 2002 Audi A6
  By Ant - February 5 - 5:03 pm

  As a more affordable and more interesting design than the old 5 series, the a6 was my first choice, and the beautiful interior stil looks great, even without navigation. Although its extremely comfortable and has plenty of power for the average driver, Ive had numerous problems, ranging from new window washers every year to an entire new transmission at 35k miles. The check engine and abs lights come on often, the stereo occasionally has a 30 minute meltdown, the rear windows stopped working...general deju vu for the classic audi-electrics sufferer. Handling on the non-quattro is also pretty sluggish...doesnt feel tight in turns although the 2003 got far far better.

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  I love it - When not in the shop! - 1999 Audi A4
  By Mike - February 5 - 2:54 pm

  This is great car if you have another car. It is great fun to drive, on the few ocassions that it is not broken. Seriously - this car has had one problem after another and spent a couple of months total (really) in the shop in the 22 months I had it. Repairs and parts cost a fortune and only a handful of mechanics know how to work on it. I have traded it in on a new car.

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  Best car I ever owned - 1993 Audi 100
  By Jon Riehl - February 4 - 7:25 pm

  I owe this car nothing. It has been the most reliable vehicle I ever owned. I would buy another one. I bought it in 1998 with 38000 miles and put nearly 100000 miles on it and other then routine maintenance, I have put nothing other then the temperature control module.