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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  Side mirror/ hatch back dr/ Cruise contr - 2009 Audi Q5
  By Dragonfly - May 6 - 8:49 pm

  I enjoy my car and it is awesome looking but the side mirrors are too big to be point that I even had an accident because of them.1st time in 37 years and the hatch back door needs to be automatic in all models. Cruise control is terrible as it is an instant when you try to change the set speed. Other than that, all else is great. Dragonfly

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  Noisy, Noisy, Noisy! - 2007 Audi A4
  By Bob C - May 6 - 6:48 pm

  Bought cabrio for my wife. Handsome car! As owner of Lexus ES, this car is a lot of fun to drive. Quattro makes this car a real "gripper" on the road. Low end torque a yawner. At higher speeds - a gem! My biggest disappointment - engine noise. Sounds like a cheap Chevy Cobalt at idle. I have owned convertible Saab and Volvo with essentially same HP that had meaty exhaust w/little or no sewing machine engine noise.

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  Buy with warranty or be ready to spend - 2004 Audi S4
  By AC_SOCAL - May 5 - 5:41 pm

  Pros : Performance is awesome, one of the best looking sport sedans , interior is spacious, sound system is great, fully loaded with options, very nice seats. Cons: 1) very poor reliability! So far : bearings, engine cover gaskets, coils, light sensors, seat warmers wiring, clutch!, control arm. I was not expecting that many issues with a car that I take good care of and I hardly overdrive it! Good thing all were covered by extended warranty. 2) MPG : 14 to 15 3) Front heavy due to engine weight I am reluctant to buy another Audi, although the S5 is hard to resist. I owned 328i BWM for 5 yrs I did not have any problems until around 100K miles,I started having problems with S4 at 30K mi

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  The perfect all-weather supersedan - 2007 Audi S8
  By mountainMan - May 4 - 10:55 pm

  After 3 years in a Porsche 911 Carrera S, I decided Id been battered & deafened long enough. The S8 is the perfect replacement - a coddling, comforting living room when you need peace and quiet. But when you need to scream, it will gladly scream for you. The baritone bark of the V10 is unrivaled by any other luxury sedan, and the acceleration is phenomenal, with quick "whomp whomps" of the paddle shifted transmission. Yet, unlike the 911, the S8 feels utterly stable -- no wiggly sense of instability or choppiness. On the highway, it is impeccable, quiet, yet ready to blast into triple digits at a moments notice. It is subtle looking, yes, but people still notice it due to rarity.

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  2010 Audi A5 Premium Plus 2.0T Automatic - 2010 Audi A5
  By Brp - May 3 - 12:22 pm

  Rides like a dream, great almost overly-engineered features and gizmos. Takes some getting used to the lumbar support if youve come from a car without one. Hard to get in and out if youre old or big. Otherwise a great car to drive.

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  A5 Premium Plus convertible - 2010 Audi A5
  By drb - May 1 - 6:59 pm

  Thoroughly enjoying wonderful machine with Premium Plus Package and NAV. It handles superbly and is absolutely a pleasure to drive especially for tall people (Im 64"). Incredibly quiet with top closed and the baseline Bose sound system is amazing.

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  Noisy engine - 2008 Audi Q7
  By Cubano - May 1 - 1:25 pm

  The reliability has been poor, the worst of any vehicle a have owned. Had to tow it to the dealer in my first week of ownership, the engine just stopped running. Front bearing gone at 25,000 KM. Driver door keeps dropping, it has been fixed 3 times. Other problems, way too many. Frustrating. I find the V6 quite noise even below 2000 RPM makes more noise than my brother in law Ford Escape. Dealer service could be better

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  Wow - 2002 Audi A6
  By jub46 - April 29 - 9:11 pm

  Wow what a car this car is great I lowered this car did intake and exhaust and it goes like heck jet chip is next look out for the Gray haired guy next to you at the light with the smoked out a6

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  Bad luck or actual crap of a vehicle - 2000 Audi A4
  By Suckered - April 28 - 2:10 pm

  We bought this car for my kid. The car had 121k miles which isnt much from the reviews I have read on this vehicle. But,after owning it for less than 2 weeks it was in the shop. 4 months later, I stuck over three grand into this vehicle and it wont stop breaking. It seems like as soon as I fix one thing, another one breaks. I am ready to take it to auction.

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  gas pedal stuck in high speed 1 time - 1992 Audi 100
  By herb - April 27 - 4:36 pm

  Dependable car miles wise - but one incidence of having the gas pedal stuck in a very high speed while putting it in park, slamming on the breaks and finally turning off the engine was the only way to stop the fast acceleration that this car went into- It happened in a parking lot and luckily only hitting the car in front with minor damage- So frightening to go through everyone looked at me while it was happening and I got out of the car and said it was the car not me! My car repair man said it was a cross between the cruse control wires but not really sure. I only drove the car 1 time after- didnt trust it again.