Time for a new car, sadly, they all kinda suck.

[GoCougs]

I've decided I'm on a ~3 year replacement plan, and hard to believe but the G's 3 year anniversary comes in February.

Thing is, most all new cars suck, ESPECIALLY the poser class (a diatribe I'll expand on later).

Right now, the S4 or Golf R are only sorta close. Unlike the rest of the class the S4 can be had without a Jesus-hating infotainment system (but I think you don't get iPod integration). Golf R isn't on sale yet. I might be talked into an A6 or A7 but they're big (the G is perfect in size).

I need AWD, decent performance (poser class fails here), no infotainment system (poser class fails here as well) or Apple CarPlay, and DSG or M/T.

[CALL_911]

S4, end of story. Why did you even bother making a thread?

[MrH]

What about the new S3? Too small? Seems like it checks a lot of the boxes you're looking for.

Off the wall selection: used panamera GTS or 4S?  Awd, tons of space and practicality, King of the dual clutches.

[Cookie Monster]

Wait for the Golf R.

[Onslaught]

Mustang

[hotrodalex]

[CALL_911]

Actually, no. I vote WRX

[GoCougs]

S4, end of story. Why did you even bother making a thread?

'Cause the 'SPIN has been slow, esp. re: car stuff.

If I could get a good deal on a base S4 with all the performance goodies (adaptive suspension, sport diff) and 6MT I'd probably take it. I also like the new-for-MY2015 split spoke wheels. Looks more upscale/less boy racer:

[GoCougs]

What about the new S3? Too small? Seems like it checks a lot of the boxes you're looking for.

Off the wall selection: used panamera GTS or 4S?  Awd, tons of space and practicality, King of the dual clutches.

I'd so go Golf R over the S3. Panamera is gawd awful looking and has an awful reliability track record. If I wanted a led sled battle wagon I'd go for the S7 (which has gotten not-so-good reviews too - C&D trashed their long term loaner saying the A7 was the better overall package). Both are too big.

[GoCougs]

Actually, no. I vote WRX

I'd need something notably more upscale.

[MexicoCityM3]

S4 is probably best given your criteria.

Other crazier ideas:

CLA 45 AMG
Used RS4
Used RS6
Learn to drive RWD in the snow and get a real performance car.

[MrH]

I wouldn't go for the current S4, simply because it's at the end of its product cycle and I don't think it's all that competitive anymore.

What about a f10 535xi? No dsg, but doesn't it have the ZF 8 speed that everyone loves?

[GoCougs]

S4 is probably best given your criteria.

Other crazier ideas:

CLA 45 AMG
Used RS4
Used RS6
Learn to drive RWD in the snow and get a real performance car.

The first looks like a turtle and the last too are too old - I'd just go new(er) S6 or S7.

AWD >>>>> RWD car in a snow, and I drive a lot in it, and not just the light stuff (mountain passes, particularly ski resort lots) and AWD >>> RWD on wet roads, which I drive on 5-6 months of the year.

[MrH]

Golf R sounds perfect actually.

[CALL_911]

335xi!

[MexicoCityM3]

Macan S? I really like it.
Used Carrera 4. You only live once.

[CALL_911]

Yeah, I agree

[MexicoCityM3]

X3/X4 35i
X1 35i

[GoCougs]

Sorry, no turbo BMWs (and they are all these days).

I could never own an SUV.

Carrera 4S could be a contender but I need a sedan.

At present the Golf R is almost perfect, esp. since it should have Apple's CarPlay.

[MexicoCityM3]

E Class 4Matic

[GoCougs]

Anything with any sort of infotainment (COMAND, MMI, iDrive, etc.) other than Apple CarPlay is an absolute no go.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Anything with any sort of infotainment (COMAND, MMI, iDrive, etc.) other than Apple CarPlay is an absolute no go.

Why are you so against Infontainment systems?

[Lebowski]

G37x /thread

[SJ_GTI]

Well, FWIW, I would definitely recommend the S4. 

I have had my car for about 4 and 1/2 years. It is the first car I have owned this long and I still have no interest in a newer car. From my perspective the S4 is "special" in that it has looks an features that make it stand out from the crowd, but at the same time it isn't that expensive. With the features I wanted (I did want the whole infotainment system) it was actually cheaper than a 335i or 335xi. Like you I prefer AWD (but now that I am back living in NJ, I would be fine with RWD) and wanted a 6MT in an upscale car, so choices were relatively few and far between.

I bought the car at the beginning of the generation (so there have been some styling tweaks, notably the headlights now are different than mine) but at the end of the day I am driving a car with AWD (with 60% of the power directed toward the rear wheels), 6MT, and ~330 HP. I don't feel like I need anything more powerful at this point (the thing takes off like a bat out of hell, and it is actually hard to shift fast enough to keep up with the car) and it has all the features I would want in a new car. I am curious to see what the next generation of S4 looks like, but I don't see myself replacing this car within the next few years at least. I could easily see myself driving it until the wheels fall off.

[r0tor]

I sort of agree with Cougs on this and its why I still drive my now 11yr old RX8... Just nothing new even gets me excited - especially in the 4 seat category

[r0tor]

Why are you so against Infontainment systems?

They all seriously suck.

I can plop my phone on my vent holder in my RX8 and give easy directions to call/text/navigate/play music/look up anything.  It just works.  Real dials and buttons let me instantly change the temp or climate shit without even looking or fiddling with menus and screens.

I have to bitch and argue with my Jeep to make calls.  Of course as well the maps on my Jeep never get updated because it would cost like $500 if it were even available.  Fords Sync is still god awful but is still better than 50% of other systems. 

There isn't a single infotainment system that is worth anything.  Even worse, now half of the systems are stuck onto the dash in an ugly eyesore that looks like a cheap tom tom stuck on your dash.

[Cookie Monster]

Isn't the RS4 going to come out soon?

[Eye of the Tiger]

[SVT32V]

Mustang

Nah, the ecoboost awd MKZ is the perfect fit.

[GoCougs]

Why are you so against Infontainment systems?

I think 95% of what they do detracts hugely from the driving experience. My current car has a display screen but no joystick or touch or nav, and that's as far as I would like to take it. I'll only go with infotainment with iCar.