Phil, I was in the same situation last year. I didn't want to spend too much money on a car but I needed a nice, fun daily driver. I looked at the 00~02 S4s also. They are expensive to own and very expensive to modify. My friend has a nice modified S4 wagon with bigger turbos and all that good stuff. The Evo and Sti are nice cars but are too rough for a daily driver. Harsh suspensions and you need to drive them hard to enjoy them. I went with the WRX but it sounds like you want a little more luxury. I agree with Ryan and the Subaru Legacy GT. Total sleeper........easy and cheep to modify. All-wheel drive is the way to go for Chicago winters!!!!