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 Commuter - poor electronics - 2003 Audi A4
  By Carmen Chevalier - January 7 - 2:00 am

  Yep, another A4 with electronic problems. The washer fluid fuse has blown twice and Ive had the care for one month. Its irritating enough to make me want to call the consumer hotline and research the lemon law....washer fluid affects visibility, very important for a 31 mile commute. The stick is a bit stiff, and the gears should be a bit closer together. But for the fuse problem, I would be totally enamored with my car.

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  Not worth the $$$$$ - 2004 Audi A4
  By Acura Man - January 4 - 8:06 pm

  I was looking at the "new VW Jetta" at the time, and to get all the things that I wanted cost more that the Audi. Common sense told me to get the Audi instead. I had my car for 7 months with no problems. I was at a stop light when it happened. The light turned green and I stepped on the gas, and the car would not move. The check engine light was one, the car was running, but it wouldnt move. After countless trips to the dealer and being told that the car was fixed (and it wasnt) I had to get rid of it. I hated doing it too. I loved the design of the car, the bose xm radio, tiptronic, and the pure fun to drive feeling. When the car works its great, but when it didnt...

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  Audi Fun - 2003 Audi A4
  By Blong - January 1 - 10:00 am

  This is the funest car I have ever drove . I have owned BMW,s and Other American Sports cars but really enjoy this car. The handling of the car is simply amazing.

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  No spare tire! - 2017 Audi Q7
  By FC - December 30 - 11:48 pm

  We enjoyed the test drive and were thinking serious about this SUV. Good looking and good finishes made this attractive in comparison to the X5 and GLE 350. Drove great. We found the technology a little cumbersome but that could be expected as it was new to us but not as difficult as other test drives. The navigation voice commands could not recognize very much. The salesman indicated that it would get used to our voices. Right. I checked this out with a current owner. He confirmed that voice commands are limited to his contact list. The kicker for me was there was no spare tire! The salesman went looking for it and could not find it! It was sorta funny but it wasnt. Their defense was it was equipped was run-flat tires with a 50 mile range. That may work for city slickers but we go to remote locations and that wont hunt. The X5 also has no spare. I understand that this is becoming more common but its not for me.

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  love her - 1998 Audi A6
  By jimmrsn - December 28 - 3:06 pm

  I got this car from California in January of 05. She had 9800 miles on her and was stored in a garge for years and only driven to keep her healthy. I purchased her for $9800 and I have loved driving her every day since shipping her here to michigan. This car has had only a few problems. Front door locks would not release and I had to have the door locks replaced, and then the engine therm went and that repair cost more than fixing the doors. All in all I love this car.

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  Eager Power - Needs more fun-to-drive. - 2004 Audi S4
  By Greybeard - December 26 - 10:56 am

  Great ride - Im a 4X BMW and former TT (225hp) owner. Love the power, stealth and sound. Went to Audi after BMW Banglized and moved the clutch release point to top of throw. The S4 borders on a true drivers car. A very stable platform, wonderful, thrilling, power and great sounds. But misses on the fun-to-drive factor. AWD? - the thrill of the corner is not there. Almost oh-hum. Theres a corner on my way home that takes skill to traverse at speed. 528i-76 mph (thrilling), TT- 82 MPH (fun), S4-88 MPH stock rubber, 92 with better rubber - but no thrill. Seems like I live at the gas pump. Why do Audis have to be reprogrammed for keybob actuation of windows remote up/down.

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  NOT RELIABLE - 1998 Audi A4
  By Gino - December 12 - 3:34 pm

  Very fun to drive, awesome in snow. However, **extremely** unreliable. Guaranteed to fail (all happened to me): -ABS Module (min $2000 to replace, for cheaper alternative checkout autoecu.com) -oil leaks (at least $1500 to replace $8 part, do timing belt at the same, same labor involved) -tie rods -Control arms (theres a recall on one of them, but ALL of them will eventually fail) -rear deck speakers (easy fix, just glue the poly-cone, it comes loose causing vibration) -side mirror reflective material deterioriating (ive seen it on other A4s in parking lots) -side door base-molding rots/falls of

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  Rare CVT - 2002 Audi A4
  By CT/CVTer - December 12 - 10:00 am

  The CVT is a pleasure to drive! The car has performed flawlessly. The 1.8t has plenty of power around town and does great on the highway.

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  autobahn here I come - 2000 Audi A4
  By khouryp23 - December 1 - 12:41 am

  This has been a very solid car for my wife. It could use a few more horsepower, and I wouldnt recommend it if you have kids or need to have people in the backseat much. Get the quattro, its worth the extra cash. Car handles great and build quality is second to none. Ive had no major mechanical issues so far (50k). We do experience the occasional electronic gremlin. nothing major, and they always work after re-starting the car. My biggest gripe is.... No useful cup-holders. Oh yeah, the tiptronic shifter is pretty slick, much better than some others Ive driven.

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  AutoA428 / Hi Maintenance - 1998 Audi A4
  By Jonathan Kocay - November 30 - 2:00 am

  would not recommend due to very high maintanenace costs - 1st gear of Manual transmission is going / replaced catalytic converter /was leaking oil fixed and a year later is leaking again.