I know we all have Automotive Attention Deficit Disorder, so I would appreciate some opinions from the group.
My current '06 Acura TL automatic is boring me (owned for ~18 months) and I am on the cusp of some larger maintenance items so I have been shopping around. I would like to trade it in to pay off the lien versus selling private party, and have the finance pre-approval lined up for the next vehicle (from PenFed, max $15k). So, although not ideal, I am trying to find vehicles at dealer lots so I can trade-in and purchase in one fell swoop.
Although, I would love to get out of the habit of bouncing from one loan to the next so am shopping in the cheaper range of the budget.
I want to get back into a manual with a sporting feel, and tend to like rarer models/editions of cars (previously owned Acura CL Type-S 6MT, Trailblazer SS, Dodge SRT-4, etc.). So think vehicles that may go undetected by 90% of people.
The vehicle will handle my daily commute of ~12 miles each way of flat, pretty straight Florida roads, but also my weekend activities (triathlons, transporting our 70 lb weim/lab mix, football games/tailgating, etc.). So reliable, good a/c, decent mpg (20ish mixed). A plus would be if I could do basic DIY maintenance. Needs to seat 4.
The wife has a trucklet with AWD to do any heavy transporting, so I am keeping my options wide open. I would love to have a classic C10 pick-up as the third vehicle in a couple years, but not at the moment.
So, what have I found? A Lexus IS250 manual with 114k for $7k and an E36 328i convertible with 186k for $4k so far, any thoughts for/against? I am in the Tampa area and would prefer to not have to travel too far to inspect/test drive. No big rush, as I have a couple months to see what pops up, but I know you guys love these "what car" threads as much as I do.