A sleek profile. Subtle, sophisticated and fluid — made all the more elegant by virtue of the pearlescent white paint, still original from its Fall 1990 creation.

Not butt-ugly from the back either. The Audi 100 was a tasteful, balanced execution from all four corners. This was the only Audi I ever owned and, save for sticking too much money in to a car that was too far depreciated (except for its body and interior), it ranks as an emotional favorite.

Interior appointments were of quality materials and tasteful execution. The power seats moved a bit more spritely, too, than the 2004 Camry we now own.

Front Dash (is this redundant? There is no back dash) is also a tasteful, well-executed treatment. However, replacing the heater core last winter required removing the entire dashboard at a price of close to $600 all told. Ouch!

A lesson learned? You could say "What do you expect from a 15-year-old car with 192,000 miles on the odo?" And you would be right, I guess. It's just that, in most cases, the most-expected problems with used cars are body integrity and drivetrain...and both were solid on this vehicle. I guess I’m the "sadder but wiser" car owner of note (to borrow a phrase from my favorite musical, "The Music Man").