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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  Best Vehicle I Have Ever Owned - 2020 Audi S8
  By Khalil - December 9 - 11:30 am

  I have had my '20 S8 for a couple of months now and I can say hands down that this is the most satisfying vehicle I have ever owned. The worst part of the car is that it is very hard to keep it below the speed limit. The brute power in this vehicle is exhilarating. Interior- It is the most comfortable vehicle I have owned. The seats are supportive and very comfortable. The layout and design are great. My only gripe is the lack a storage compartments in the vehicle. Even less than my D4 A8. Oh, the compromises we make. Exterior- The styling is personal opinion, but I love it. Clean lines and beautiful exterior. I only wish they offered it in the short wheelbase for the US, since I am not hauling people around and prefer the better handling of the SWB. Performance- I can't say enough about how fun this car is to drive. It can blow most cars away, including many exotics. Audi has it rated at 3.8 0-60, but Car & Driver has it at 3.2. It is addictive. Reliability - Too new to say, but mine is a CPO and I purchased additional coverage to be safe. No issues so far, but when they do crop up, it surely won't be cheap.

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  Audi A3 magic! - 2011 Audi A3
  By jacob - January 5 - 6:38 pm

  The twin turbo and the exterior is just amazing.This is the best car with simplicity and class

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  Nice - 2018 Audi 4000
  By Dip - October 28 - 2:19 pm

  Ive driven a lot of cars over the years. This one is by far the best. One of best looking cars on road too. Ride is great, quiet, plenty of power in 4 cyl, and acceleration is just fine on hwy. Ive average 31 mpg city hwy. My job is sales, so dependability is key. I dont know what everyones complaints are about here, but Toyota still builds a top notch car. I love the blue color, sunroof, JBL stereo is awesome, tires are great and at 25,000 barely show any wear. This was by far the best car I could have bought for the money, at $400 under invoice.

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  expectation - 2017 Audi A3
  By jon adam - May 6 - 7:45 pm

  the maintenance will not be cheap but i love this car so far no issues bought used with 6100 miles

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  A great smaller Audi - 2015 Audi A3
  By - January 25 - 1:22 am

  I traded a 2013 A4 for an A3 2.0 Premium Plus Quattro. Its about a foot shorter than the A4 and feels sportier and quicker since it has the same engine but is smaller and lighter. The interior is definitely up to Audi standards, but the CD player is placed in the glove box, making it useless when the driver is alone (unless you want to drive into a ditch changing a CD!). The handling is sporty, steering seems tighter than the A4, and the car rides just as well as its larger cousin. The engine is quiet and smooth but there seems to be more road noise than the A4, probably due to less sound insulation. Mileage has been impressive, quite a bit better than the A4. Comfort and space int the front seat seem equal to the A4 but the back is understandably tighter. The bucket seats are firm and comfortable on a long trip. Overall, I love this car--it has Audis classy styling and quality in a smaller package thats fun to drive.

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  A5 Convertible is a delightful year-round driver! - 2013 Audi A5
  By Tim Moore - January 18 - 11:26 am

  My 2013 Audi A5 has been a delight to own. The car is incredibly functional with all wheel drive, comfortable interior, great looks and good fuel economy. The convertible works effortlessly, and it is incredibly quiet with the top up, as well as warm during the winter. The attention to detail is exceptional with high quality materials and options that will impress most drivers. The car is very competent on the road at high speeds, but does equally well as a relaxed touring car at slower speeds with the top down. I never thought I would ever enjoy owning a car like this, especially driving it year-round! I picked mine up used with very low miles, and for the price it was just too good to pass up. It still has the balance of the factory warranty, and the dealer has been great so far. A few highlights: The Bang and Olufsen stereo will not disappoint, even with the top down. The MMI Nav system has an incredible amount of features, but it does take time to master, so keep your owners manual close. The heated seats coupled with the neck warmers and wind deflector will keep you cozy with the top down even on very cold days. The Quattro system is incredibly competent on slippery roads. This is just such a complete package in a convertible thats designed to be used as a daily driver. Audis quality seems to have increased significantly in recent years, so hopefully the car will stand the test of time. So far I have had great luck with the dealer for servicing. Seems as though Audi is trying very hard to compete successfully against the other luxury brands.

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  Q7 2015 the worst - 2015 Audi Q7
  By omar - January 17 - 9:18 am

  the worst experience i v ever had .... i leased a brand new Q7 2015 back in october 2015 and i have taken the car back to them 8 times!!!! barke problems , from the first day i picked up the car ....windows making noise , wheel bearing problems, wheel alignment and tires off balance, smart key door opener not functioning , squeaking when u apply the brakes, driver side and passenger side molding coming off, tires making very loud noise .... i have all my documents with 8 visits i had and finally the last visit they have hit my car in the service department and i have to t\leave the car 1 week to get fix( bumper and rear bumper light was broken!!!! The service manager is a nice guy but he came up to me saying .. Dear Mr Zahra this is all normal and it could happen to any car u buy !!!!what!!! a brand new Q 7 2015 for the value of $60000.00 and i have to expect this to be normal?!! im sorry this is not normal at all my dear friend. im very disappointed and very shocked

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  Most Luxurious 98,000 mile life disposable car - 2006 Audi A6
  By Steven - January 14 - 6:01 pm

  Ok, well we loved this car, then hate this car, then love this car, and so on... It all comes down to reasonable and prudent reliability and quality of materials. This was a 24000 mile pre-owned Audi certified car we purchased. Driven lightly for the last 5-6 years, garage kept 1/2-2/3 of the time owned. Whats good? Performance, feel, and overall car experience were favorable. Fuel economy is outstanding, especially highway. Car has generally been trouble free, or so I thought (see Whats Bad). Whats Bad? Where to start. 1) Service intervals - we have had this into Audi every 10K per suggested and every time we leave with no less than a $400 bill gone for what I would have normally thought was a Jiffy Lube type $65 event. They ALWAYS find something wrong that needs to be fixed or replaced, or updated - and being a good Audi owner I comply since I want my Audi to be in top shape all the time. 2) Absolutely $%## poor quality of materials on interior knobs, dials, and trim. Just google it and you will see lots of people with delaminated interior trim. Audi chooses to turn the other way though and does not recall this to fix an obvious mfg defect. Its a calculated risk for them I assume thinking not enough care - I do and on this alone, I will never buy Audi again. I tried to sell my car (which is otherwise in great shape) and everyone was turned off by paint peeling off of the various knobs and dials. 3) Power Steering - Developed a leak at 65K miles. Too expensive to repair on my quickly depreciating car - no return on investment there, so just keep adding the $30/pint Audi fluid as need be. 4) Oil Use - uses about 1 US Quart of $8 synthetic oil every 4K miles. No matter what they say, this seems excessive. My Ford Explorer had 200K and used 1/3 of that. 5) Technology - Even in 2006, simple things like AUX jacks should be available. There is no way to connect a device other than Radio Frequency Module - which suck. My 2002 Corolla was better than that. 6) Navigation is ok, not great. Its so outdated and Audi wants you to pay $300+ for their map update CDs....residual income for them I guess. 7) Battery - The $180 battery that goes with this only makes it about 12-14 months then dies. Get a good one with a warranty since you will be using it A LOT. 8) And now for the 95,000 interval (I had to wait to 98,000...shame on me). Remember that the car has been factory serviced every 10K since 24K miles.... 8a) Windshield washer pump was shorted out $400 - had to fix this since its a safety item. 8b) windshield washer blades - there are no auto store or aftermarklets available. Audi must provide these @ $60. 8c) Oil and filter change @ $400. Up to $800 now. 8d) take a guess...bad battery $180 (I declined since mine is Autozone and under warranty). 8e) Motor mounts are bad (huh?) - $1300 - I declined. 8f) Adaptive headlight sensor error - must remove front end to check it $1200 (for a light that is still shining? LOL) - I declined. 8g) Rear brake light error - tech tried to check this but the lens covers were too brittle. New ones cost $1200 - again LOL - I declined. 8h) Front end bushings need replaced - $1800 - I declined. 8i) Oil leak noticed around timing and valve cover - $1500 - I declined. I stop them here. This $6,500 car is way past its service life at 98,000 miles. Didnt even make it to 100K - wow for a $65K automobile. I share my experience with the first person I see who I knew had a A3 with 50,000 miles on it. They just traded theirs in after their service call quoted them thousands of dollars in very similar repairs and failures. Different dealership, different auto groups so no suspicion there. I assume its just a fact that an Audi is disposable ($0 value) after 8-10 years or 50-90K miles. Well, I hear scrap metal is $3/100 pounds so there is that.....

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  Very Nice Car! - 1999 Audi A4
  By Shane Stamper - January 13 - 12:02 am

  I recently bought a 99 Audi A4 2.8 Quattro and I seriously am happy with this buy. Its the fastest, most comfortable car I have ever been in. Its very reliable so far and I hope it stays that way for awhile. The features in it are outstanding for a 99 car and I just love it. I do not regret buying it one bit. The best part is that its my first car and I completely own it!

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  2009 audi a4 quattro - 2009 Audi A4
  By Brandon - January 8 - 2:32 pm

  I dont recommend this car to anyone. When the car is running it is great, but that isnt the case a lot of the time. I bought used certified pre-owned at 40,000 miles and traded it in at 130,000 miles. The car had everything go wrong from a blown up engine to a parasitic battery drain that killed my battery. A lot was covered under the factor warranty, but after 100,000 miles if anything goes wrong it is a bare minimum of a $1000. Repeat do not recommend.