appropriate replacement car

[Lawrence C Katzenstein <Lawrence.C.Katzenstein-1@tc.umn.edu>]

Hi AWD Fans,
   As I continue to ponder what to do with my V8, I'm trying to figure out
what I should have bought in the first place as a replacement to my Maxima
SE 5 spd. That car went 0-60 in 7.8, and cost me $300 in transmission
repairs over routine maintenance in 200,000 miles of use. The only
problems with the car were the seats which were very uncomfortable over
long distances, the Bose-Clarion-which needed repair every 2 years, and
the lousy traction/tire wear. I sought an Audi for the AWD and the better
seats. However, the V8 slushbox had an entirely different character. When
I get out of this should I look for a 100Q 5spd V6, a 200TQ/S4/S6 or just 
jump out of Audi into a Subaru or something else that is fun to drive and
without weird electrical problems. Honestly, the v8 permanently cured me
of any belief in the superiority of German engineering. When I saw the
German high speed train crumpled in the paper last week I was really
looking for the four rings painted on the side of it. Put differently, the
V8 was great when it ran, but it didn't very much.
Best,
Larry