[BTA01]

I have decided that I need a new daily driver, and am stuck in my decision process, so I am looking for a little advice. I apologize for the long post.

I love the Trans Am, but I accepted a new job where I will be traveling a lot (30,000+ miles/yr), and I don't want to keep racking up those kind of miles on it.

I would prefer a sedan (a wagon isn't out of the question) that gets decent mileage, and don't really want to spend any more than 50k after negotiations. I would also prefer a new car, but I'm flexible on this. I normally drive like a grandma, but like to have power in reserve if I need/want it. I am 28 and am still on the lookout for a decent woman, so that has to factor in.

The cars I have considered the most are the CTS, 335d/335i, and A4/S4 (my impression of them is below).
Doe anyone have any suggestions and or thoughts that might help me out?

A few of my thoughts on the CTS, 335d/335i, and A4/S4:
I really like a lot of things about the CTS (ventilated seats would be great), but it could quite possibly be the most expensive, and probably the slowest.
The BMWs are nice, but I'm not sure they fit my personality (yes, I know… what personality?), and the interior is a little odd and small. I am leaning more towards the diesel.
The A4 is slightly underpowered, is the cheapest by far (a big plus) and gets the best mileage, but I would probably want to make a few modifications (tune, tasteful exhaust, and better intercooler) to bring the power up.
The S4 is an amazing car, but I'm not sure I need a DD that is faster than the TA, so this is pretty far down on the list.

I would get the sport package/equipment on all of these cars. CTS and 335d would be automatics, the Audis and 335i would be manuals.

It seems that a good percentage of people with the new Audis are at the dealer for service quite a bit, which doesn't thrill me (especially considering the local Audi dealership hasn’t treated me very well). I am factoring in maintenance, warranty, and resale value, which is better for the BMWs and CTS. I have yet to hear back from my insurance company (Allstate) about rates for each of these cars, but I expect the CTS will have the lowest rate.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[00 Trans Ram]

About a year-and-a-half ago, I went through the same thing. I'd stopped driving the Trans Am and gutted it. I bought a beater Saturn Ion, but couldn't stand it (went from ESP Trans Am to a 2.4L car).

I looked at the following:

- MB C-class - Not very fun. Seats were horrible and steering wheel was nasty. Nice looking exterior and interior, but nothing to write home about. Performance was OK. Nothing like an LS-car, but better than the Ion. Small, but not cramped.

- BMW 328i/335 - Mom has a 328i so I've driven that quite a bit. Great to drive. Good looking. Not so much interior room, though. Interior is nice.

- Audi A4/S4 - A good friend has an S4, and put exhaust and suspension on it. Man, that thing was nice. But, the exterior styling is very "blah". Interior put most other cars in this price range to shame. Power on the base A4 was non-existant. The 2.0 turbo was better, but not great. An upgrade for the turbo was available to boost power to something like 300hp.

- Cadillac CTS or used CTS-V - I thought about this. It was middle of the road in most every category. Better interior than MB, not as good as Audi. Better performance than Audi, not as good as BMW. Overall, it felt like a very good average of all the other cars. Personally, I'd have rathered get a great interior and deal with less performance, or vice versa.

After all that, I was almost settled on the Audi. Had a friend that had the S4, and another with the RS4, and neither disliked them.

Then I saw the G8. I put off the decision until I could go test drive one. After the test drive, I never thought about another car.

- G8 GT - The interior is not quite Audi, but better than any of the other makes. The exterior is (IMO) better than any of the others. Handling was on par with the BMW, except that it weighs 500lbs more (it's comparable to a 5-series). You get an honest-to-God V8 - and an LS-motor to boot! (OK, I know it's an L76, but close enough.) It has more power than any of them, and twice as much as some! The interior is huge. Seats are comfy. Simply put, I've never regretted buying one.

My advice is to look for a slightly-used G8 GXP. You'll get my car, but with slightly better performance. If you haven't been in one, try to find one locally and bum a ride. On the highway and in the city, they are mich like any other sport-sedan or touring car. Quiet, mild-mannered, civil - even dignified.

But, when you get it on the track, it will reward you with great lap times. Although it's heavy, it handles quite well. I was able to run within 1 second of an E46 M3 (gutted, on race tires) for a few laps. Once the stock brakes and stock tires got hot, I was done. But, for 3 laps, I was right there.

Seriously, just go drive one.