Road Warrior Recommendations

[John_Ewald@we.xerox.com (Ewald,John)]

OK folks, Here is a fun challenge to pick the best car for the task:

I may be handed a much different role that will put me "on the road" 
 much, much more than I am now - all in the Pacific Northwest.  The 
 driving limits will be southern Oregon to Bellingham, WA; the greater 
 Seattle area, and across the mountains to Eastern WA - mostly Western 
 Washington.  The temptation and direction will be to "stick to the 
 freeways" to save transit time but I enjoy different routes so that 
 won't be the sole travel mode.  A lot of time will be in the cities, 
 in and out of parking garages, ...

I'll need a cell phone, and I'll need to use it often on the road (I'm 
 one who dislikes this practice so common now, but it looks like I will 
 be one - Any hints or safety tricks?).  I'd hook up the hands-free 
 phone in my car now.  It makes lots of common sense.

Factors will be road handling, brakes, comfort, cost per total miles 
 driven, reliability, ...

The Audi S4 I'm driving now is the best sedan I've ever experienced so 
 this will not be easy if the consensus is something like a '87 Audi 
 4000CSq (which I also loved).  I would go nuts the first time some 
 joker banged into the side door of my car, plus I don't want to put on 
 the miles that will come in this new role.

I would buy another S4/6 but they have not depreciated far enough to 
 buy used for this adventure, plus I'm thinking an automatic may be 
 better (I've never owned one for my personal car).  The idea is to get 
 as close to what I have as possible, with the expectation I will grind 
 on the miles and change it's value to a "high mileage" deduction from 
 Blue Book.

Looking for model, year, options recommendations, and why as an 
 exercise to steer me the right way.  I have not started to look at 
 all.  Have fun with my "opportunity."

John
'93 Audi S4,  '67 Austin Cooper S