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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  Quater Million Miles and still going strong! - 1999 Audi A4
  By djdan75 - January 5 - 5:42 pm

  I got a great deal on the car in 2006 and planned on driving it for a year and then selling it to make some profit. I was blown away after the first winter driving this car in Northeast Ohio. After 245k the paint still looks new theres no rust the engine runs great the transmission shifts perfectly.. my only complaint is that I have been through 6 wheel bearings and 8 control arms.. I was told by my mechanic get used to the oil leak that is just the Audi way of marking its territory.. there is nothing on this car that is cheap to repair. even though I paid cash for my car I still consider the repairs to be a monthly car payment. But still my favorite car

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  One of my best purchases! - 2006 Audi A4
  By ambermg - January 2 - 6:11 pm

  Im the 4th owner, and purchased this car after a GREAT deal of researching for 2 weeks. I bought this car in 2011 (it was 5 model years old then) with 54k miles on the clock, and have been pleasantly surprised by its reliability. In the 2 years and 3 months Ive owned my Audi, Ive only spent $300 on service that wasnt routine maintenance. At 72k miles I had to replace the turbo recirculation valve. At the local Audi dealership they replaced several parts that werent even on a recall and despite the fact that my car was WAY out of warranty...all at no charge, and topped it off with a complimentary car wash and synthetic oil change.

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  S7 Engine Malfunction Fault - 2014 Audi S7
  By s7george - December 28 - 12:10 pm

  Engine Malfunction Light came on after 60km. 4 months later and 8350km and 3 more times of the fault light coming on Audi can only say that it is a set of circumstances in the fuel system that causes low pressure and the engine malfunction light to come on. Audi has changed the pressure switch and the fuel pump numerous times now but with NO success. Has anyone else had this problem? Very discouraged with reliability and Audi not being able to isolate problem and fix it.

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  Nice Car Could Use Some Tweaks - 2013 Audi A6
  By stuatoe - December 21 - 12:40 pm

  Overall like this car a lot. 1st Audi . Have owned 5-7 Audis, 2 Porsches and a E55. The seats are the worst of this group. BMWs best. Needs more support everywhere. The cup holders are way too small and center arm rest interferes. Should switch the cup and freeform spaces front and back of shifter. Engine is great. Plenty of power when requested Pleased with MPG, 20.8 doing mostly suburban driving. Highway is 25-28 mpg. 20" Pirellis have been a bear. Road hazards find these tires. Comfortable to drive, BMW & Porsche much better. MMI is a mess. Too complicated, many submenus, knobs etc. Handling is betters by BMW and Porsche.

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  3.5 years, 58k miles and counting. - 2011 Audi Q5
  By travis_in_tx - November 12 - 10:18 pm

  Purchased new 2011 2.0T with sunroof, no Navi. I use this suv all the time - lots of hiway miles, some offroad/farm tracks, vet errands, cross country. Need the SUV format. 1st set of OEM Tires lasted about 45k, new Pirellis I think are even better. I keep a qt of SynthOil in the boot, in 3 years have added 4 quarts total - glad mines not unique, and seriously people, this is not among lifes major problems considering all the positives. Lifetime MPG is 24.7. Audio/iPod/Sat is great. Cargo is functional, plenty of passer space. Its a solid efficient SUV, I dont know what I would get instead. I do have a soft spot for that Subaru/dog commercial, but Q5 suits me for work and after work.

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  2004 audi a4 - 2004 Audi A4
  By zagarfunk - November 4 - 10:29 pm

  Love this car very nice easy to take care off have over 200k on it only maintence is oil changes evey 4 months and timeing belt water pump every 65k other thin that nothing

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  Loyal A4 driver disappointed - 2013 Audi A4
  By zoeman21 - October 14 - 11:34 am

  This will be my 5th A4 in either a sedan or wagon version. While the car looks great inside and out and the improved HP over the years has added to the thrill of driving the new electronic steering has certainly been a negative. If you are looking for a soft feel to lumber off to the grocery store the steering is fine but push it a bit or take a long highway trek and you will notice the floaty feel. Overall the car is fine but if your a searching for a tight steering / handling feel you may want to give the car a good test drive before you purchase. After this lease is up I will definetly look at a tighter car like the BMW.

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  This is my 1st and will be my last Audi - 2014 Audi Q5
  By cfoandy - September 11 - 12:21 am

  Bought the Q5 Premium Plus from Tony Peng at Penske Audi. Tony was very helpful, no presssure sales, very smoooth and enjoyable. The finance girl was no pressure either. Love my experience at the dealership, 5-star. I was debating between a BMW X3 and this Q5. What won my heart was its seat, very comfortable. The drive was smooth. This is the Pros. Cons? The navigation system is the WORST! It is so difficult to use that I ended up using my iPhone map/GPS which is FREE. The Audi system costs $4K!! At this price range, this system is totally un-acceptable. Advice for potential buyer: test the navigation system and be sure you accept its performance.

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  Early impressions on 2014 S4 6MT highest trim - 2014 Audi S4
  By vicgill - September 7 - 7:51 am

  Sheer power, handling, and fun to drive factors are its highlights. Drive Select is now standard across all trims and changes the car from comfortable daily driver to aggressive sports car.

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  a year and 30k miles in my A3 - 2009 Audi A3
  By eurocarlover19 - August 18 - 10:06 pm

  I bought my 09 A3(2.0T w/S-tronic) in July 2012, with 51k miles, now has 81k miles. MPG has actually gotten better, and I routinely get over 30 commuting to work(22 miles one way). Had to replace the electronic throttle, but other than that, Ive spent $2.5k on regular maintenance--tune up, oil changes, brakes, tires. The seatbacks came unglued, so i simply super-glued them back together, with no issues. The armrest also came undone, but to replace the top portion, it will cost me $200, so that will also be super-glued back. I will consider the 2015 A3 when it arrives, though ill also be cross-shopping with the Volvo V60(soon to arrive), and the new GTI.