I'm just going to throw my two cents in as I own a 2014 GS350 AWD FSport, bought CPO in June 2017 at 36K miles, currently at 51K miles. I was in a similar situation, wanting something sporty, luxurious, and reliable at the time I was looking around. My priority was reliability as I have owned a '96 A6 Quattro (first car) and had an absolute nightmare of a time with it (at 11 yrs old and 100K miles, the entire electrical system starting failing intermittently while driving so the sunroof would open and close on its own, the entire suspension had to be replaced, catalytic converter & exhaust were replaced, burned oil constantly, had check engine light on constantly (which failed emissions), etc all of which equated to $$$ which I didn't have much of as a teenager working as a cashier). After totaling it, I went with a much tamer 2010 civic (but my wallet seriously thanked me for it, almost no issues except for routine maintenance).
Fast forward to 2017 when I was looking for something bigger and more fun to drive, I test drove a 2014 3 series which was an amazing drive & offered premium luxury features that I was looking for but then after digging further into the reliability and talking with some buddies who had recently purchased one, I heard nothing but horror stories and quickly changed my mind. That's when I looked into the GS and have never looked back ever since. This is a premium vehicle that is fun to drive (not as fun as a BMW, mind you) but still fun nonetheless, but most importantly, very reliable. I've had no issues with this car and have just done routine maintenance (oil changes, brakes, tires) so far per the owner's manual recommendations. The AWD system does help somewhat with the snowy winters in New England, but does not match up to the Audi AWD system which I would rate as one of the best. I've found that having AWD, while it certainly helps, is not as important for handling in the snow as the tires on the car, especially when it comes to stopping distance when braking. This is where snow tires really shine and are worth the additional cost. If you do get one of these, try to get it with the Blind Spot Monitors & Winter Package which don't come standard, especially if you're going to be driving in colder winter weather. The F Sport package disappointingly does not offer any additional HP or torque, but offers two different Sports Modes (Sport & Sport S+) & Eco Mode buttons (Sports Mode stiffens up the suspension, tightens steering, & holds gears longer while Eco saves on fuel). I was pleasantly surprised when turning on Sport S+ Mode as it really does make it feel much sportier and aggressive when you want it to be. I wouldn't hesitate to get the F Sport version which won't be much more than a non-F Sport. The only complaint I have about this car is the horrible gas mileage (I average about 17 MPG city & highway, but do tend to drive aggressively), but then again, any fun car will sacrifice MPG for HP. Overall, I'd highly recommend.