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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  Not as bad as some say! - 1999 Audi A4
  By drmmrboy74 - July 8 - 3:01 pm

  I purchased my Audi A4 with 55,000 miles and it now has 74,000 miles. Ive replaced brake pads, water pump, timing belt w/tensioner, t. pulley, idler pulley, drive belt, front diff. axle seal, wires and plugs, and oil. Although this would have cost alot at a dealer, I purchased the parts online and replaced them myself. If your a decent mechanic or have alot of $$$, Id highly recomend this vehicle. The 2.8 is a little under powered w/Tiptronic trans., but nothing beats the Quattro in the Michigan winter!

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  Love it....BUT.... - 2005 Audi A4
  By MooseCT - July 6 - 12:34 pm

  I have driven this car for 11 months now. There are some drawbacks that I can live with (cup holders, seat control location, awkward reverse gear) since the drive is really nice. The cup holders are almost useless. The seat controls on the drivers side can easily be activated by accident while exiting the car. The reverse is a push-stick-down and forward left which is the same direction as first gear. Guess I am just used to the right-and-back reverse on every other car I have owned.

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  Great fun - but poor reliability - 2001 Audi A6
  By pleasanton10 - July 6 - 1:39 am

  This is the last in a senies of Audis Ive owned since an A4 2.8 Q in 1998. Since then theres been an 2001 Audi TT Roadster, a 2001 S4 and a 2004 S4. While I love the comfort and the handling (I have the sports pkg on the A6 4.2), the reliability has been absymal (its been at the dealership every month this calendar year - in addition to regular maintenance). Its a love-hate. I love the speed, acceleration, handling, comfort, styling and with snow tires its GREAT on snow. But I cant afford the maintenance ($800 to replace the rear sunshade last month - ouch!)

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  no more audis for me! - 2000 Audi A6
  By unhappyA6 - July 5 - 4:24 pm

  Engine light on/off when wind blows. LCD display fades to back.Changed tire arms twice. Leaks oil. Bottoms out over parking stops/entrance ramps. Im going back to Acura!

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  Fun to drive but expensive to own - 2003 Audi A4
  By David - June 29 - 4:28 pm

  My 2003 A4 has 53,000 miles on it. I bought the car for about $32,000 and have spent over $12,000 on repairs. The car is poorly built and unreliable. It is very difficult to work with Audi of America and the local dealers are terrible. Before buying one of these cars I would strongly recommend talking to someone who has owned one and checking out the service of the dealers where you live and the estimated service costs. My car has had several major problems in the 2 1/2 years that I have owned it and neither the dealer nor Audi or America seems to care.

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  Disappointed - 2004 Audi A8
  By Ira - June 25 - 7:49 pm

  First car was taken back by dealership after electronics failed and car had been in the shop for 30 days. Replacement vehicle still has electronic problems. I have been locked out (remote will not work) and the automatic rear lid closer works only on occassion. MMI has been upgraded but is tempermental and is difficult to work while driving. More distracting than a cell phone!. Dealer service is terrible, given the cost of this "luxury " vehicle. Ive had better service at a Chevy dealership.

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  The ultimate love hate relationship - 1998 Audi A4
  By Shawndh - June 24 - 12:33 pm

  I love to drive this car. The interior is the best in class. I added a GIAC chip which gave a little more throttle response and that was all the power I needed. The 2.8 is very smooth, the handling is great and its a georgous car. On the other hand there have been some reliablity issues. Ive replaced: eng fan, control arm, tie rods, defective CD chg, vac line (recall), cam seals, T-stat, and now the ABS controller is dying. Other probs were from fine tuning modifications that I added. I do most of my own maint and shop for aftermarket parts online and junkyards for deals on parts. So it hasnt been that bad financially. But I wouldnt recommend to a non-DIY type.

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  Im Very Happy - 2005 Audi A4
  By a0 - June 24 - 3:27 am

  This car has awesome handling and power. Im glad I didnt get the BMW. There is a very slight rattle in the sunroof, but otherwise very well put together.

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  Peppy - 2005 Audi A4
  By Mike Y - June 23 - 2:04 pm

  Nice car. Less expensive than the BMW 3, more refined than the Acura TL, and nicer features than both. I sold a 97 E320 Benz to get this car, and the 2.0T in the A4 is just as powerful as the Benz V6, and the Turbo is great. Never thought I would drive another 4 banger, but this one is nice! The design inside and out is a bit boring, but the fun to drive factor is high. I drove everything competitive, and this was the best value.

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  Solid and fun but wont satisfy purists - 2001 Audi TT
  By Derek - June 19 - 7:36 pm

  Car feels incredibly solid and tank-like. This and other heavy hardware make for a heavy car. Handling is tight but understeers too much and doesnt transmit enough feel, same can be said for the steering and brakes. The engine is a mixed bag... truly fantastic midrange power from 2200-5500rpm, but gutless outside of that range when the turbo is not at full boost at low rpm and inefficient at high rpm, also MUCH less power in hot weather - not a true sports car engine really. Great gas mileage, 30mpg sometimes, averaging 25mpg. Interior is very nice, but no standard CD player and the seatbelts are very hard to reach. Overall a solid car thats fun to about 80% of its potential.