[A4] New car considerations

[Glenn Ackerson]

Hi folks,
  It's time for me to put the current A4 on the market and look at a new
one. And, concerning that purchase, I'd be interested in your feedback on
two options I'm considering:
 
(1)   The 2006 A4 comes standard with 16-inch wheels and has 17-inch as
options. I'm looking for a balanced ride - where comfort isn't sacrificed
for performance. So, I likely won't be going with the sport suspension,
because I commute 60 miles a day. Lastly, I live in Colorado, so having
clearance on the tires is important - I tend to put snows on in the winter.
I get the impression that 17-inch tires are easier to find these days than
they used to, so the higher cost is not as much of a downside as I've been
told it used to be. So, your  thoughts/feedback on the advantages of a
17-inch wheel vs. the standard 16-inch?
 
(2)   I'm intrigued by the navigation system that is an option, but it's an
EXPENSIVE option. The question I have is: have the navigation systems in
cars evolved to the point where they are truly useful and not just gee-whiz
toys to impress? I often use Mapquest or Google maps to find directions, so
it would certainly be handy to have that navigation in the car. But, I don't
want to spend that kind of money for a complex, hard to use, marginally
useful toy. Any feecback?
 
Thanks for your opinions, thoughts! I'm still getting over sticker shock of
what a 2.0 Quattro A-4 can cost - yikes!
 
Glenn