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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  Never again - 2000 Audi A6
  By JG - April 13 - 7:14 pm

  While this car was fun to drive it gave me nothing but grief after 95k miles. I had to replace both cv joints, the torque converter at 110k, the turbo after 100k, the front dash display, and a multitude of gaskets/o- rings-seals. Overall the car cost me $10,581.84 in repairs in two years! Audis are great cars when you buy them new and trade them in after 5 years, otherwise buyer beware.

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  Great car but can be expensive - 2001 Audi A6
  By Keane - April 13 - 6:26 pm

  Excellent engine. Any review that says the power isnt there is way off. It produces almost 100 hp/liter which is excellent. Handling matches the power as well resulting in a very fun car. Also very comfortable on the interior. However, repairs will be expensive(count on that). I replaced both turbos which was roughly $4300. A word of advice is to make sure you have a mechanic who knows audis work on the car, not the guy down the street. Love the car but dont want to end up paying for repairs.

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  A Leason Learned - 1999 Audi A4
  By Rob - April 13 - 12:58 pm

  I bought the car used with 70,000 miles and have somehow managed to put 35,000 on it in a year and change (still trying to figure out how I did that). Even though I bought it with the expectation of putting some money into it, I had no idea that Id put in almost $5000 for a number of various problems. Valve cover gaskets were replaced, new tires, front axles, new control unit, and assorted other things. Unless you have the tools and the know-how to do a lot of the work yourself, Id recommend looking elsewhere.

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  Heads wont stop turning to look at S5! - 2010 Audi S5
  By eddieversace - April 13 - 4:38 am

  If you want to keep a low profile and go un-noticed then, this is NOT the car to drive.I inherited enough money in Jan. 2010 to be able to buy me this car with cash in March 2010. I knew I wanted a Luxury/Sport Coupe, and narrowed it down to this or the Infiniti G37.Deciding factor for me was the way the Audi S5 Coupe felt while driving it. This car demands the attention of everyone within view with its sensory charged design and gadget options. Love the rims that came on the car but have already scraped them on two curbs. My auto insurance also increased from $145.00 per month premium to $414.00 per month. But, Its Worth It! Hoped the Convertible was AWD though!

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  Oil Consumption Machine - 2008 Audi A4
  By Hugo - April 11 - 5:54 pm

  This is an excellent car except for the amount of oil it consumes. 1 quart every 1,200 miles is too high. If you purchase this car be prepared to have your trunk full of oil quarts. Other than that it is a good car.

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  All Cars have Maintenance Costs. - 2001 Audi A8
  By T in CA - April 11 - 5:32 pm

  Bought the car certified-preowned, (used). Car was in a front end/rear end collision so price was lower than listed. In spite of the collision history, body panel fit is excellent. Things that have gone wrong...whoever put the drain system for the moonroof in did so incorrectly causing a leak when it rained, the dealer took three trys to get it fixed. Other than that MAP air sensor, trans filter service and power steering fluid leak repair. Above and regular maintenance is all that Ive had to have done to the vehicle. Out of warranty so sought out non-dealer service which halved the cost of repairs.

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  Maybe the only 3.7 model left in USA? - 1997 Audi A8
  By Geoff - April 10 - 1:08 pm

  I bought mine used in 2002, have driven it 80,000 miles since. Build quality, handling, performance are great. Many small things have failed though, and at 170K miles its on its third transmission (!). No other mechanical issues though. The engine is fantastic, still tight and strong and using no oil. Ive driven the 4.2 AWD models as well, and I have to say I prefer the handling of my FWD 3.7 model. Weight is only 3600 lbs, about the same as a Subaru WRX. The 3.7 seems to have virtually disappeared from the roads now, though. At current rock-bottom prices these are a stupendous bargain.

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  Wonderful Machine - 2010 Audi S4
  By David - April 10 - 6:30 am

  I took what was in the dealership and that included the DSG 7 speed, differential, drive select, sound system and Sat Nav. I would normally have only selected the the DSG and diff, but they all work well. The differential is a must, but the drive select works well with a comfort mode that has a much softer throttle, compliant suspension and lighter steering - I use it around town. The striking feature of the car is the usability of the performance. The car is extremely safe and stable at all times and very comfortable in long trips - no more back ache and numbness. The real world performance is surprising - no sound or fury at traffic lights - a gentle right foot, and the car is gone

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  Not what I was expecting - 2008 Audi A6
  By goodmaj - April 9 - 10:15 pm

  I sold my M3 because my kids were getting too big for the back seat and my wife couldnt drive a stick. I owned a 2004 Allroad at one point and loved it so I thought itd be cool to come back to Audi. Well, now its three weeks later and I just sold it for a BMW 535. The seats, while nice, offer very little support when going through hard turns. The headroom is terrible - Im 6 3" and my hair brushed the headliner every time. The car is very smooth - almost too smooth. I felt like I was driving a luxury yacht. Performance of the V8 is pretty good and with good mileage. If you like to float in luxury, this is your car, but if youre looking for a little better driving experience, pass.

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  Another Great Audi - 2009 Audi A5
  By Togs - April 8 - 10:42 pm

  This is my 4th Audi. Ive had 3 A4s (2 wagons and 1 sedan), Lexus RX330 and a 545i as recent cars. The A5 blows them all away. the 3.2 easily competes w/ the 545 V8 and the driving performance is awesome. The system is WAY better than iDrive and the instruments are easy to use. It looks great, drives great and (as usual) is a completely reliable performance vehicle. Not a single issue. Only drawback are the seats. Read a lot about the regular (non S-Line) seats before I bought and still went with the standard seats. Coming from the Lexus, I had a really hard time with back and hip pain in the Audi seats. Tough comparison from a Lexus SUV to a sports car, but wishing for better comfort.