99 Maxima SE - lease up in June

[bigbadboss101]

I have a 99 Nissan Maxima SE, loaded, standard. I like this car very much. It is my first new car, and my first lease. I likely will go with the same route, as I like to get a new vehicle every 2-3 years.

I might consider getting something before end of lease if I can get something arranged. I prefer standard transmission, and 4 doors. Here are a few cars that I am considering:

Audi A4

I am ruling this out because it is a little higher than what I like to spend. Good looks, AWD, nice interior, bad local dealership.

BMW 325i

The 325 loaded isnt' much more than the rest of the cars here, but the 330i is what I like, and it is much more. There seems to be a lot of BMW's around. It is the Ultimate driving machine, but with that you get the 'snob' tag?

Lexus IS300

Nice handling, eye catching. Price is higher but manageable. I like a bit more than 215 hp though. It's tough to spend $35g on a car that gets picked on by everyone. Interior is smaller, and gas mileage isn't great. Good Lexus reputation, but may be high maintenance costs?

Acura TL-S

Faster than the Lex, but doesn't handle like it. Roomy, luxurious.
I have read a number of flaw people have found, including thin paint, squeaks and rattles, misaligned this and that. Most think this is a great bang for the buck.

Nissan Altima/Maxima

Depends on the price. Used to be $23-$26G, and if that is still the case, it would be $4g less than the rest at least. Reliable, best V6 for many years in a row. Roomy with good performance.
The questions is what gas mileage with the 3.5 V6. New toys include HID, auto dim RV mirror, memory seats, dual exhaust (only Altima I think), steering wheel auto control, 6CD, etc. Performance should be close to Acura.

What do you think? Have I overlooked any others?