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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  120K miles retrospective - 2007 Audi A8
  By boyracer3 - December 6 - 10:02 pm

  Finally retired my 8 a few months ago. Absolutely beautiful car. Loved driving it. And still miss it greatly. The expense of repairs quickly exceeded the residual value of the car. The car was very reliable and honestly the issues that I had with it were worn part maintenance issues. But items like the suspension repairs @110K for $7400. Other small issues for another $7500 soon followed. $15K for a car I then traded for $12K. But I did get a new S7 so obviously I still think they are great cars. Really had no problems at all until 100K. I dont really think Audis are that expensive to maintain, either, nothing like Porsche or BMW in my experience.

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  Strong and very Reliable car - 2008 Audi A6
  By papo1975 - December 5 - 4:11 pm

  Second A6, got it CPO with 35k back in jan/2011 , now 105k with no mayor repairs. I do regular oil change(Castrol synthetic) and all recommended maintenance..For my brakes ,fluids, filters and battery only use OEM parts Only repairs I came across are light bulb change and throttle body clean up . Yes repairs and maintenance can be expensive but it is a $50000.00 car with a great look and performance. My cost to own very low until now ,and planning to keep it for years to come.

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  Former Bimmer fan - 2014 Audi A4
  By ksaman - November 21 - 6:32 pm

  Previous to this A4, I have owned 3 BMW 3 series vehicles. I loved Bimmers and thought that I would drive them for life. My wife needed a new car and we test drove the 3 series, but they seemed to have lost so much feel. They just arent what they used to be. Then we drove the quattro. Man, what a ride. It blows the Bimmer out of the water. It may not be as fast 0-60, but feels better in every other regard. It corners better, it has a slightly stiffer suspension, and hugs the road like a bear. If you are thinking about a Bimmer, do yourself a favor and test drive a quattro. P.S. If you go A4, go quattro or go home.

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  Original Owner 2006 A4- 118K miles and still going - 2006 Audi A4
  By audix4 - November 7 - 3:26 pm

  Original owner of our Audi A4 2006. Have done all suggested maintenance at the Audi dealership. Usually runs an average of $2000 per year. Other than that, absolutely no trouble whatsoever.

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  1997 A6 Quattro - 1997 Audi A6
  By gmm2 - October 4 - 12:06 pm

  Great car, I bought it used 6 years ago as the "kids car" but use it as mine now that they are out of the house (I drive back and forth to the commuter rail station), its great in snow and I have a very steep & difficult New England driveway and the Audi always gets up there, its really comfortable, this is the second A6 version Ive owned (the first was the first kids car was the wagon version, but I had to get rid of it at 200K miles) this one only has 100K so I hope to keep it a long while, its really durable and looks almost new for a 18 year old car, I miss having a wagon though…it doesnt move all that fast, but neither do i.

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  Driving the 2014 Audi Q5 - 2014 Audi Q5
  By jimallyn - September 26 - 2:38 pm

  I have been extremely satisfied with my Q5 Prestige 3.0 TDI . The car is fun to drive, has lots of power and gets excellent mileage. For the last 15,000 miles I have averaged over 35 miles per gallon. This includes both town and highway driving. (Town driving is approximately 30 MPG and highway is near 40 MPG.)

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  Can It Really Get Any Better Than This? - 2009 Audi A8
  By tinyelvis - September 25 - 5:45 pm

  Purchased with 65k 3-12 and sprung 3k for extended warr that takes me to 115k or 2017. So far I have only been able to use warr for a water pump ($1300). Yes, it is expensive to maintain. Every time I slide behind the wheel a sly grin creeps across my face. Ive put 30+k on the odo, everything from Walmart trips to 600 mile East Coast jaunts through the mountains of PA and NY. This car does everything superbly. Accelerating, steering and braking exude confidence at every moment. Interior gauges, controls and ergonomics are perfect. Headlamps and cornering lamps are absolutely outstanding. My son just got his license, and I sat in back for essentially the first time. What a lot of room!

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  The Cure for the Common SUV - 2015 Audi Q3
  By buggin - September 18 - 7:53 am

  What a vehicle. Has all the comfort and toys you would expect in a vehicle. Very Comfortable, Agile, Sharp, Excellent finishes, Fun to drive, Its the perfect size for those not having to haul a lot of things or people but yet enough room to fit more than a car. You get the elevated height and of course the best AWD drive system out there, Quattro. The Q3 was well worth the wait.

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  2015 Q5 Premium Plus 2.0T - 2015 Audi Q5
  By driverdiver - September 5 - 9:29 pm

  I upgraded from a 2003 BMW x5 to the 2015 Q5. I considered the BMW x5, x3 as well. Dollar for dollar the Audi wins. Its nicely appointed, peppy and fast, roomy where it needs to be but not more room than you need. (need more go Q7). In 2014 the roof rack was notoriously noisy when installed and you needed to get after market wind suppressors. 2015 roof rack now comes standard with them (manufacturer actually listened!) Again your choice to install roof rack if desired, the just bolt basically with included tool. Very stylish, LED lights are awesome, great on fuel, fun to drive and has enough space for all my hobbies! Love this SUV! Love the full Pano sunroof!!

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  16 Years Strong - 1999 Audi A6
  By sebago588 - September 4 - 8:54 am

  We bought our 99 A6 Quattro in 2002 when it came off lease. I decided to buy Audi for its reputable Quattro performance and living in New Hampshire, the winters can be brutal. We still have this vehicle! It has had all the normal and expected maintenance done to it with a hefty price tag for all of it, but it is what you can expect with Audi as you would with BMW or Mercedes. Recently the last major job I had done was four new spring coils, joints and tie rod. It was done at a bargain of $3300. I decided to have it done only because I was impressed it took 16 years for the suspension to finally fail a state inspection. Also, these cars never rust. 133,000mi and plan for another 200,000.