100 Years of Audi in Pictures

More motorsport victories than you can shake a shaft at, a gearbox which beats Ferrari and a Lambo-powered luxury barge.

And a supercar which beats a Porsche 911?

Yes – all this comes from a manufacturer which made its name in conservative, dependable and solidly-built luxury cars.

Audi turns 100 years old this week, charting a company history more complicated than the intestine structure of man. Ready?

It was first setup by August Horch, who named his company, erm, Horch. August Horch then quit and started another company, but couldn’t use his name because it was trademarked, and so translated his surname into Latin and used that instead.

Horch in Latin is translated as ‘Audi’ – which means listen.

So then Audi gets going, but there are three other carmakers in Germany. Then some war stuff happens, everybody shuts down, they all join together as Auto Union, make some motors, and then VW comes along and buys it up.

Anyway, long story short, Audi has made some pretty unbelievable stuff during its 100-year-tenure. And a lot of the good stuff has happened in the past ten years.

100 Years of Audi in Pictures

Used Audi Q5 – Buying Guide

Buying a used car can have potential pitfalls – but it needn’t be a painful experience if you follow a simple set of rules and checks. We provide you a used car buying guide, which aims to provide all the advice and information to make the right choices when buying a used Audi Q5 car.

Check the information below to arm yourself with all the information you need to make the successful purchase of your dream car.

What type of car is Audi Q5?

Audi Q5 is Audi’s luxury compact SUV, The Q5 has a 3.2 liter, 270 horsepower gasoline V6 engine, with a six-speed automatic transmission. A clean diesel engine is in the works, but there is no announcement yet concerning date. For the horsepower it generates, it gets a respectable 18 miles per gallon in the city and 23 miles per gallon on the highway.

With its moveable or removable back seat, the Q5 delivers almost 30 cubic feet of cargo volume, about average for the class. It has a maximum towing weight of 4400 pounds, again very respectable for the type of vehicle.

Interior Vs Exterior

The Audi Q5’s looks aren’t a great surprise, coming as it does as a baby brother to the Audi Q7.

Interior boasts aesthetically-pleasing, quality materials laid out intuitively. It’s practical too. The interior feels spacious, there are versatile storage solutions and boot space ranges from 540 litres with the rear seats in place to 1560 litres when they are flat.

Performance

The petrol offering is powered by the 211bhp 2.0 TFSI engine mated to a seven-speed S tronic dual clutch gearbox and Audi’s Quattro four-wheel drive system. This can power the car from 0-62mph in 7.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 137mph.

Equipments

Standard model equipment includes 17-inch 7-spoke alloy wheels, climate control, six-speaker CD/radio, front and rear electric windows and electronic parking brake. SE models feature 18-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, body-coloured bumpers, aluminium exterior window trims, leather upholstery, four-spoke leather-rimmed multi-function steering wheel, 10-speaker sound system and light and rain sensors. The range-topping S Line Models bring 19-inch five spoke alloy wheels, LED lights front and rear, exclusive styling and sports seats.

Selling Point

One of its key selling points is the classically elegant fabric top and fuel efficiency. The Cabriolet is powered by ultra-efficient TDI and TFSI engines.

Audi vs BMW – Which one is sportier?

This is the battle going on for years and years. Audi has attempted to claim the crown of ‘Ultimate sports saloon’.

The Munich manufacturer certainly makes a good case for itself – there’s the V8-powered M3 powerhouse, the sleek 6 Series, the stunning new BMW Z4 roadster, and the Godfather of the super-saloon segment…the 507bhp BMW M5.

On the other hand, Audi with its new TT RS debutant at the Geneva has given a great buying option to think at. With the great handling Audi RS4 and the massive Audi Q5 and Audi Q7, Audi has proved it can produce stylish SUV’s.

In the horsepower battle, the Audi S4 gives a tough fight to BMW M3. Some might think that BMW still overpowers because of its great chassis and superior steering wheel. While the S4 with its superior torque thrashes the M3 on in-gear times.

It seems that Audi has hinted BMW that it can give an equivalent sportier car in this performance battle.

Tips to buy second hand Audi cars

Audi cars are generally one of the best reliable cars. The German car-maker is a favourite option for used car buyers. Audi are generally associated with luxurious, fast reliable and compact.

Audi A4 Cars

Buying a second hand car is always a big risk. It’s difficult to get all the true details of the car. So her are some quick tips before buying the Used Audi.

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  Used Audi A3

  Learn as much as possible about the model you wish to buy.

• Know the good and bad points of the model. The problem areas are often not understood properly.
• Compare the model with its immediate rivals. Sometimes, you land up with the rival option if it suits more closely to your needs.
• Check if the car is reported or stolen or if it has any outstanding finance.
• While on test drive, carefully listen to the car, its engine.
• It’s worth taking it to a special repair station for a thorough inspection.
• Estimate the car’s running cost. Make sure to check which car insurance group your model is placed.
• Remember to check the service history of the car.

Some of the favourite used Audi’s:

• Audi A4 Cars
• Used Audi A3
• Audi S3
• Audi RS6

For more informtion on used Audi cars, check Audi cars hub at Auto Trader.

Audi A3 looks every inch a grown-up hatch

Audi A3

The A3 looks every inch a premium hatchback. In an age of crossover vehicles the A3 looks more than the sum of its hatchback parts. The unique styling to rear windows is done in a pretty grown-up manner. The interior of this car is touched with quality. The controls are user-friendly and are easy to find. The car’s interior gives a feel that the car is for premium buyers.

Audi A3 is a practical hatchback with its sporty version consisting of the extra doors giving easy access to rear. When the boot is folded it can swallow 370 litres of luggage and shopping. The A3 is designed combining the benefits of a conventional six-speed manual gearbox and a modern automatic transmission.  Audi has got a reputation to make quality and reliable cars, this Audi model also follows the suit.

The A3 is competent, rather than entertaining, to drive. Body control and grip are strong, but the light steering is short of feel. The steering adapts to the car’s speed with response varying for low-speed manoeuvring and higher speed changes in direction.

For some, Audi A3 might be a practical and premium car while for others it would just be boring and too expensive. Though its little towards the pricey side, it definately attracts buyers looking for grown up driving.

Read more about Audi cars:

• Audi A2
• Audi A6
• Audi RS6
• Audi Q5
• Audi Q7
• Audi TT

Read Used Audi A3 Car Review

All-new Audi A3 Cabriolet

The sleek-looking Adui A3 Cabriolet is now on sale with prices starting from £20,750.

There will be a choice of a 1.8- and 2-litre petrol engine producing 156bhp and 196bhp respectively and more frugal 1.9 and 2-litre diesel engines.

Standard features on the Adui A3 Cabriolet – which was announced last November – include 16-inch alloys, air-conditioning and a semi-automatic hood which is released from the windscreen rail manually but retracts and raises at the touch of a button.

Audi A3 Cabriolet

The rapid, svelte two-door Audi S5 coupe is a handsome beast

The Audi S5 is the spiritual successor to the quattro of the 1980s. The rapid, svelte two-door coupe is a handsome beast that cuts quite a dash on the road.

It would be easy to write the S5 – and the whole Audi A5 range – off as simply a two door Audi A4, but it should be much more than that.

The ride is good; firm, but never uncomfortable and only the biggest bumps cause a fluster in the cabin.

All this adds up to an accomplished grand tourer, rather than an out-and-out sports car. The Audi RS5 should see to that when it launches.

It’s frustrating, because as a drivers’ car, the Audi S5 could easily be a match for the excellent BMW 3 Series Coupe

Running costs aren’t far off the faster BMW M3, which although costs £10,000 more new, matches the Audi S5 for fuel consumption (22.8mpg).

In many ways the Audi S5 is a worthy successor to the original quattro coupe from the 80s. Both are very good, but have flaws. While the quattro was heinously complicated, the S5 just doesn’t have the level of driver involvement we’d hoped for.

Find any Audi Car informatino – Audi Cars Hub

The new Audi S4 has a smaller engine but it’s faster.

The new Audi S4 has a smaller engine and less power than the car it replaces – but it’s faster.

Audi claims improved efficiency and far superior driving dynamics give the driver more, for less.

From the outside the Audi S4 saloon and Avant fit this brief exactly. Those in the know will be able to spot the tell-tale signs which make up a fast Audi, but it’s a subtle recipe.

The 18-inch wheels sit in front of big brakes and fill the wheelarches thanks to a 20mm drop in suspension ride height.

Some driving enthusiasts may prefer the feel of rear-wheel-drive, it’s hard to imagine the new S4 being outclassed in bad weather.

Three types of electrically adjustable front seats are available: standard black leather and alcantara, Nappa leather seats with two contrasting colours and climate controlled seats upholstered in black or brown leather.

The Audi S4 saloon and Avant are available to order from late November, and the first cars will arrive in April 2009, taking on the BMW 335i and Mercedes C350.

Audi A3 in details

Grown-up driving with sporty appeal is the big selling point for Audi’s A3 Sportback.

The A3 looks every inch a premium hatchback and the five door Sportback. This model A3 looks more than the sum of its hatchback parts, with a distinctly coupe like styling to the rear windows. But it is done in a very grown-up way

A darkened interior roof makes the car appear less roomy than it is. But rear-seat passengers were happy to confirm there is plenty of space in the car.

The Sportback model has the same wheel base as the regular A3, which is longer, wider and lower than the previous generation model.

The steering adapts to the car’s speed with response varying for low-speed manoeuvring and higher speed changes in direction.

A3 buyers have a choice of nine engines, covering both diesel and petrol, ranging from the 1.6-litre FSI turbo model to the 3.2-litre V6 which powers the Quattro model.

Average fuel consumption of 48.7mpg (57.6mpg for economical driving). C02 emissions of 154 g/km place it in tax band D which currently incurs an annual bill of £140.

Audi has a good reputation for reliability. In the 11 years since its launch the A3 has proved a reliable car with electrical problems the main source of worries after an average four-and-a-half years into the vehicle’s life.

The A3’s electronic stabilisation program is the umbrella for a host of driver aids including anti-lock brakes and electronic brake force distribution.

The A3 range consists of A3, A3 Sportback and S3 Quattro models. There are variations in specification (standard, SE, Sport and S Line) between these three.

It’s a grown-up fun hatch. No, that isn’t an insult. There comes a time when the desire to drive an involving hatch isn’t accompanied by a desire to drive a car which looks like it dressed for the roller disco. The A3 Sportback is fun and grown-up.

Why choose Audi A4

Audi is a car maker on the up. Its products are some of the most revered on the market, and have an ever-increasing army of loyal fans.

The Audi A4 is now in its fourth generation, with this all-new model. Audi says its junior executive saloon has the longest wheelbase in its class and is offered with a range of six engines.

Rarely does such a conservative-looking car turn so many heads. That probably had a lot to do with the optional strip of LED daytime running lights stretching across each headlight, which are particularly eye-catching. The fourth generation Audi A4 certainly has more design flair than previous models

The Audi A4′s cabin is certainly one of the car’s high points. It has refined what it has learned from years of designing handsome but functional interiors to create a space that’s a really nice place to be.

Audi scores well when it comes to ease of use. It has a good sized 480-litre boot, which is more than the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C Class, and space can grow to almost 1,000 litres with the rear seats folded.

New Audi A4′s are a same bet when it comes to holding their value on the used car market, thanks to constant demand from buyers.