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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  Everything you want in a 6M sport sedan - 2014 Audi S4
  By jeff - March 18 - 12:47 pm

  If you are looking for well engineered sport sedan, super fun to drive, classy not flashy, comfortable, and, most importantly for me, with a 6M, this is your car. Let me just get the transmission issue out of the way right now. I dont know why people would get an automatic in a car like the S4. Youre buying a Camry, Impala, or whatever, sure, go with an automatic, who cares, but an Audi with V6 supercharged engine? The whole point of a car like the S4 is to have some fun, but then you get an automatic with it and youre saying, "actually, I want to reduce the fun I have with this car." What? Anyway, whatever, just my bias. Okay, to the car itself -- what a marvelous vehicle. I did a lot of research on cars in this range, test drove a few, and knew this was the one I wanted. It took me nearly a year to find a used one in the right color (grey), black optic package (just for the wheels, dont care about extras), with the 6M, and the right price, but when I found it online, I jumped and bought it used with 12K miles and hope to keep it a long time. Engine and transmission: fantastic, best transmission Ive ever driven, engine sounds great, power is there all day long at whatever speed you want. Spectacular. Some people (mainly auto critics) complain about not enough "feedback" from the steering. I dont know any better and the steering feels great to me. This car sticks to the road. I put Conti ExtremeContact DWS on a few months ago. They are not quite as sticky as the summer tires that were on, but the very marginal loss of performance in turns is more than offset by the superb all weather capability. With the Contis and quattro, I am ready for any ice and snow or rain. Interior and exterior are beautiful, not flashy, very sophisticated. Thats what I wanted. If you want to show off, get some attention, you may need to look at another car. Tech: these are my only nits. As noted in reviews, the MMI control knob spins in a non-intuitive direction. Why? I have no idea. The MMI interface is good, not great, but good. Love the dash display, all the options. Climate control is my least favorite feature. It works, but it is too complicated, too many buttons. I am still not 100% positive what I am ending up with when I make certain adjustments. I can live with it. The S4 comes with so many other helpful electronic features that I highly recommend you go through the manual page by page to make sure you are aware of them all. (For example, you can set the passenger side mirror to tilt down when you back up. Never would have known that.) You can adjust suspension, engine sound, etc. In sum, this is a wonderful car. There are other possibilities in this price/performance range, but I cant imagine anyone ever regretting the S4. (especially with the 6M transmission!)

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  should have dumped my bmw long ago - 2006 Audi A3
  By Dick - March 18 - 11:06 am

  After driving a BMW 3 series for 4 years and believing it was the only car to drive, what a breath of fresh air. I have discovered that thru brain washing of myself that there is a far better alternative regardless of how the magazines continue to rate the bmw. The little A3 out performs handle and is by far more fun to drive, and equipping the Bmw with the options I have on the Audi.....I save about $9,000. This truly is a great automobile.

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  3 Audis in 2 months...This is the best! - 2008 Audi A6
  By K.Anderson - March 18 - 9:59 am

  I have a fully loaded Q7 and love it for its size and looks. But my husband has wanted another Audi so we went out and got a fully loaded A6. Could not be happier with it. After being pleased with Audi we went out and got another one a R8 for the power. But out of all of the cars we like the A6 the best for its looks and power and all the stuff you can get on it. Such as Keyless go (we payed extra to get that installed) Navigation, backup camera, and sensors, the blinds in the back, wood steering wheel.

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  Our Sunday Car - 2009 Audi Q5
  By Brandon Smith - March 16 - 1:43 am

  My wife and I just purchased the Q5. It was quite a trade up from a Toyota Corolla. The interior styling is far superior to its Mercedes and BMW competitors. All three trims are great, and the Prestige is amazing. All three trims have the same engine - which has all the power wed ever need. It has all the bells and whistles.

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  A great sport sedan. - 2014 Audi S4
  By Paul Abry - March 14 - 1:27 pm

  I continue to be amazed with this car. Its been driven on track by a pro race driver who was wowed with its ability to hold the road - among other things. I love the acceleration both from a stop and when needed to get by something quickly. With the back seats down there is an amazing amount of space. Ive had 8 landscaping timbers plus hundreds of pounds of soil and fertilizer in the car with the trunk closed! Only caution would be that its not for four adults. Not much space or comfort in the back seat.

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  Great Car for the money - 2009 Audi A4
  By huntm2000 - March 14 - 12:45 pm

  I am a 7-time BMW owner and was hesitant to compare the new Audi A4 to a 2009 BMW 3 series, but was surprisingly pleased with the build quality, performance, and amenities you get in the Premium Plus package and decided to go with a new 2009 A4 vs the BMW 328xi. I have only owned my new Audi A4 for a few days now, but am very pleased with the build quality, ride, and performance of this car. Anyone is the premium sport sedan market should take a serious look at the A4 before making a decision.

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  Going Strong - 2008 Audi A4
  By texascoaster - March 12 - 9:32 pm

  I leased this A4 last May and it continues to get better. This is my first Audi and it will not be my last. I have had a great experience with Momentum Audi in Houston and have had no troubles with the vehicle at all. Im getting amazing gas mileage, up to 26 in city and usually 32/33 on highway.

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  This is my 2nd Audi.. - 2009 Audi A4
  By KarlS - March 12 - 5:09 pm

  ...A4, previously owned 2007 2.0T Q sport/Sline/Ti. Current car (2.0TQ prem+ w/sport pkg) is what I was hoping for when I 1st purchased an Audi, slightly better performance than before, much better handling, much improved seats (highly recommend sport pkg option). Feels like an adults vehicle. Complaints: only re plastic dash piece (hope for aftermarket cure soon) & wish it still had a full size spare - minor stuff really. Very anxious to see how this is chipped, 2007 was a big difference, 2009 promises to be better. Bottom line, I love driving this car... so does my wife.

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  Summary - 1997 Audi A4
  By Turk - March 11 - 4:10 pm

  Here is my two cents after putting 50K on my A4 which I purchased at 120K. Very reliable engine, manual transmission (same OEM clutch at 170K), no major electrical problems. What has failed, cruise control, driver side heated seat, thermostat. I believe overall it is a very reliable car, sensors that I have replaced along the way are just the same on all cars these days, all made by BOSCH and it doesnt make a difference which brand you drive. In terms of interior/exterior design, ergonomics and build quality Audi is never any less than other Germans and maybe much better in some of these areas if not all. The up side is because of its reputation here in USA, you can get them much cheaper!!

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  Traded S5 - 2009 Audi Q5
  By Michelle D. - March 11 - 11:03 am

  My wife and I traded our S5 in on the Q5 and honestly the quality and build is the same. Weve owned the Acura RDX and Toyotas Higlander in the past this vehicle is by far superior. We have owned BMWs before and looked at the X3 we are glad we waited. This vehicle gives us some of the performance we enjoyed in the S5 without all of the attention we got in the S5,we get some but not as much.It also gives us the comfort of the S5 with greater cargo space. You forget youre riding in a SUV. Weve only had it a couple of weeks, well stick with Audi.I miss the B&O :( .