Top 5 Audi Cars of the 1990s
The top 5 Audi cars of the 1990s helped Audi right itself and go upscale to compete against new and old rivals in the luxury car market.
Audi entered the 1990s on the ropes. The company was exonerated from the sudden acceleration scandal but was left with an aging product line and dwindling sales. By 1994 sales had dropped to 36k units from a high of 74k in 1985. Infiniti and Lexus emerged as new challengers in the premium car market. Audi’s survival depended on overhauling its product lineup and its reputation.
But sometimes, a major crisis leads to revitalization. In Audi’s case, that meant refocusing its brand and moving upscale to compete directly with BMW and Mercedes-Benz. It seemed like an impossible goal. Oldsmobile tried it at roughly the same time, only to pass on in 2004. But Audi got to work, leveraging its design studio to develop some truly memorable cars. By the end of the decade, the company righted itself with a revamped product line and recaptured its sales.
5. Audi 100 C4
Audi heavily revamped the Audi 5000, returning to the 100 model designation in the U.S. It was also Audi’s first attempt to go upmarket. Styling grew more formal. New V6 and V8 engines provided more power. And warmer, more luxurious interiors outclassed the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz 300. On its own, there’s nothing that makes the 1991 to 1994 Audi noteworthy. But it had to do two things: First, it needed to look different than the Audi 5000 and give the perception it was a new, more upscale car. Second, it had to buy time until Audi could ready more models. The Audi 100 succeeded on both counts, which is why it’s on this list.
