Don't forget the XE series!
As someone with a mild case of Minolta Acquisition Syndrome (my collection hovers in the mid 20s), I would also go with the XD-7/11 over the X-700 (or any of its plastic brethren) for all the reasons mentioned. If you fiddle around with both of them, the shutter thing would not be so surprising, as the general build quality of the later SLRs isn't comparable to the earlier stuff. While they certainly made great stuff all through their corporate lifespan, you do get the sense that in the 80's they were retreating into the consumer market somewhat. I do see X-700's on the bay go for WAY more than I'd ever spend on one, so someone out there must want them.
As Minolta SLRs go, the XD series is basically considered the high point, and as a result you can see them go for quite a bit (relatively speaking!
) on the bay, including quite a few junkers (and varying cases of shutter lag, which I really need to fix on mine).
You might also keep your eye out for the XE-1/7 (or 5, if you don't care for multiple exposure) which was one of the minolta/leica collaborations (very similar to the R3), and in a pinch could be used for self defense or door stoppage (basically the same size/heft as an SRT). As far as auto modes though, you are stuck with aperture priority. Granted, it also has a model specific issue: prism desilvering. But if, in 2012, yours has no desilvering, it probably isn't going to start now. If it is, well, it isn't hard to swap them out if you can find a replacement.
Fwiw, of all my Minoltas, the XEs are the ones I go out of my way to buy whenever I find them, so I can amass more spare parts. I'd like to have at least one functioning XE for the rest of my life.
