[Felix The Assassin]

Three things of ya Memnoch;
1. Our 01 VR6 is 30K behind yours, what might be some of these breakdowns you are experiencing?

2. A RWD in the snow/ice is more oft to get 'squirrelly' from too much torque, or excessive throttle romping when the conditions warrant slippage/spin-outs. I have never been to that area, so cannot judge on how much the adverse conditions might induce RWD issues.

My current ride is an 04 Ford F150 4x2, with the small engine which is comparable to the Mazda HP wise, but produces a lot more torque (231hp/293lb-ft). The snow, and more serious problematic ice storms here have not hindered my commutability. However, I do load 400lbs of cement during the winter months for traction and rear braking assistance, all the while using only off the showroom 4x2 all season 17" truck tires.

3. Our IT guy has an RX-8, sweet! But I'd go with the Audi. I have seen many Audis put through GI torture in my many years in Germany. They are liken to the battery bunny, they keep going and going.
However, that 3.0l V6 is the Audi version, while in VW form it's a 2.8l. That might be a consideration as well from your past experience. Plus the fuel economy will be a little less due to the "Quattro" as the VW, but will actually be better than the big bore Mazda.