[Gig103]

I'd recommend against the Touareg because it seems like my neighbor's is always in the shop.

Is he looking for power? Either a new Acura TL (depending on how the 09 looks), a Nissan Altima V6, or a Lexus ES would all fall into that price range, including nice gadgets and power.

If 'sedate' means 'not a v6' there's the regular Altima, or the new A4 2.0T coming in 09 as well. I am coming off a lease of an A4 and with a manual transmission, the VW/Audi 2.0T engine is peppy because it's turbocharged, even though it tops out at 200hp. It can be chipped too (with some other adjustments, like a new diverter valve).

In all seriousness, did your brother try a non-sport-package BMW? People here might rip me apart for it, but it wouldn't be as harsh a ride. I went with the -xi, and it's somewhere in the middle from my experience.