I can't figure out what I want for $4k

UPDATE:  Thanks everyone for the info and advice.  I ended up abandoning the luxury requirements and buying a built ESP/CAM 1997 Camaro.

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This is the first time I have been really stuck when considering a new car purchase, with nothing that gets me excited that is in my price range.  Sorry for the coming wall of text...

We have:

-2011 Fiesta my wife drives, that is getting replaced with a 2014 Focus shortly.  I wouldn't mind dailying this but it needs a bunch of work if we want to keep it around longer.  And I'm not going to track it.  And it's scrappy but hilariously slow.  I'd rather buy something else.

-1990 Miata STS autocross car, super fun but I don't want to commute in it every day. And only 2 seats.

-2003 Dakota, occasional daily use is fine but 15 mpg.  And only 2 seats.

-2003 BMW 325i bought as a winter car, great winter slog commuter but is for sale right now because automatic and slow.

-2006 Mazda3 2.0 daily and 'track car' closing in on 200k miles with terminal body rust.  Would like to move on from this in 3-6 months, which prompted the search for a new car and this thread.  I like it but could really go for something newer, quieter inside, with more power.

So the problem here is I'd like something a little more powerful and RWD-y than the mazda3, and a little nicer/quieter than the mazda3, which sort of kills my lifelong theory of "buy 4cyl 5spd econobox to toss around and have fun."  We've been through about 10 such cars, loved every one.  The cheap and easy daily/track rat is a 90's Honda product, or a late 90's domestic v8,  or any number of other things really....But the BMW and the 201x Fords have ruined me, I want something 'nicer'.

Non-negotiable needs:

-Manual trans

-seating for 3.  Tiny BRZ type rear seat is fine, just needs to be legally present.

-Under $5k.  "save longer, pay more" isn't on the table because I want to be able to do HDPE stuff without worrying about track insurance.  I could walk away from a $5k pile of metal in the wall if I had to.

-Reasonably modern/nice interior, safety, and cabin noise.  So, 2005 era or newer depending on the car.

Wants:

-RWD, luxury stuff, reliability, 4 doors.  But none of this is a requirement.

Have considered:

-Infiniti G35 sedan was available with a manual, but they are rare and often beat.  If i found a local $5k one I would be VERY interested.  Little heavy for track day stuff?  Don't care?  I assume one can get good brake pads for them because of the 350z/g35 coupe market?

-350/370z - these never had rear seats right?

-V8 5spd Camaros in my price range all seem very beat up.  Plus, ZERO luxury or quiet.

-2011+ Mustangs (when the v6 went to 300hp) seem to still be too pricey.

-Another Mazda3, the nicest low mile 2009 I can find, swap brakes and suspension from the current car.

-V6 5spd Accord or Acura CL/TL/TSX?  These seem hard to find in good shape, but would probably be happy with one.  FWD though.

-I keep coming back to another E46...I like the automatic one I have but I don't know if I like the 'reliability' part of the equation.  To be willing to deal with taking care of it I would really want this to be my 'ideal' e46... low mile 330i 4 door 5 spd black sport interior w/ winter package in good condition, which IS available for $4k-$6k but not exactly common.

And none of those above make me say "oooh i can't wait to get the new car".

Any suggestions I have overlooked?!

I hear that Jag made a 5 speed X-Type.  It’s pretty zippy.

Anything from Audi/VW turn your crank?  S4 or Passat could scratch your itch for nice daily with tracking potential.

Audi/VW concerns me more with reliability than the BMW does.  Is a $5k S4 even a thing?

You seem to have named a lot of stuff that's not even close to your price range. 

RWD and manual knockout my suggestion of Ford Interceptor sedan.

Been seeing them change hands in the $3-5k range, turbo charged, awd bundles of fun that, on paper at least, make me not want a turbo Subie anymore. 

Even before I got to you mentioning it, my thoughts were going to '11+ Mustang V6 manual.  These seem like they would make a reasonable "all-around-er" give the 300 hp, 30 mpg hyw and rwd.  All of that wrapped in a generally modern car.  

If it were me, I might up the budget to meet that.  I bought a Prius with the help of a loan from PenFed which I detailed over here.  It has been wonderfully painless and I am glad I did it.  

Oops...i missed the part of not wanting to ball up more than $5k at the track. 

RedGT said: I can't figure out what I want for $4k

I can! You want this and $500 for gas for a cross country road trip. https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/cars-sale/2004-jaguar-str-mine-3500/151704/page1/

but Robbie, no third pedal?? blah blah blah. The great thing about jaguar is that 60% of the time it works every time. 

and let us know when you are

They made Gen1 Caddy CTSs with V6 manuals? 

11+ V6 Mustangs may be a bit too pricey, but what about an 05/06ish V8 GT?

z31maniac said:

You seem to have named a lot of stuff that's not even close to your price range. 

Except the Mustang, everything on my list is indeed available in the $4k-$5k range around here in a condition i would be willing to deal with.  G35, 350, camaro, mazda3, accord/CL/TL, e46.

For 4k, my recommendations are:

• manual E46. You mentioned it, and it sounds like what you really want
• Zs are out of the running because they're 2 seats only. Most are still above 4k
  • That being said, check out G35s

Early G35 manual sedans are out there for your price - you just have to look. Similarly, the coupes (which I think still look great) are also out there for 4k. I used to own a 6mt 03.5 sedan and liked it a lot. A few pointers

• 05+ is when the interior improved (my 03 rattled like crazy). Will be tougher to find on your budget, however
• Despite its rattles and interior woes, my G35 rode comfortably even on lowered suspension (Z springs). It sounded great and was comfy too. A great choice

So yeah, I'd try and drive a G35 (coupe or sedan) and an E46 within a reasonable time to each other. See what you like and don't. I've drank both the BMW and Infiniti kool aid and like them both for different reasons. If you need any G35 help, let me know and I'll try and point you in the right direction

Adrian_Thompson said:

11+ V6 Mustangs may be a bit too pricey, but what about an 05/06ish V8 GT?

Around here they still seem to be a $10,000 car as well.

In reply to Robbie :

I approve.  I have shopped for those and XJR's (which seem to be stupid cheap at $3500-$5k) as well and i very well may grab one for a winter beater in the future.  But in this case I'm looking for a manual.

I gave serious thought to buying a jag to commute and building the truck to do track day things.  That's a horrible, horrible idea though.

RedGT said:

Adrian_Thompson said:

11+ V6 Mustangs may be a bit too pricey, but what about an 05/06ish V8 GT?

Around here they still seem to be a $10,000 car as well.

Then look elsewhere!

https://dayton.craigslist.org/cto/d/dayton-2005-mustang-gt/6824665124.html

Still a bit high but worth it for those sweet V8 noises. I assume by now simmons managed to sell his 330? That seems like it would have been the easy button.

In reply to Wizard_Of_Maz :

I don't particularly WANT an e46 or I'd have one already, it just seems like the thing that hits all the buttons and that's where I may settle.

Thanks for the G35 info, especially the year split.  I have seen them in the price range in the past because nobody wants the sedans.  But finding them with a manual is super rare like you said.  I think one of these is the closest to what I do WANT/can get excited about.  With the possible exception of finding a $5k 2011 mustang which isn't gonna happen.

In reply to dps214 :

I drove that 330 a bunch but 2 door, hideous (to me) greyish interior, topping out the price range and had a bunch of little quirks.  If i settle on an E46 it'd have to be the 'right' one.  And yeah it's sold, he got $6k or whatever out of it because low miles.

I like that mustang.  I'll just start shopping in Ohio and make you drive it back k?

In reply to RedGT :

Yeah, and like you said, they are a tad on the heavy side. I had mine at Summit twice and did some brake work, but still didn't want to push for more than 15-20 minutes at a time. That would be my first concern if you went that route.

In regard to the earlier cars, if you do check them out, row through the gears spiritedly to get a sense of where the transmission is at. The cd001 synchros aren't super strong, and some cars will grind into 2nd, 3rd, or 5th (I believe this is the most common). 

2003 6MT
Double cone synchronizers in 1st and 2nd. No triple cone synchronizers

2004 6MT
Double cone synchronizers in 1st, 3rd, 4th. Triple cone synchronizer in 2nd

2005 CD008
Double cone synchronizers in 1st, 3rd, 4th. Triple cone synchronizer in 2nd

2005/6 CD009
Double cone synchronizer in 4th/.Triple cone synchronizer in 1st, 2nd, 3rd

From anecdotal evidence, the coupes seem beat on more often, but that's probably just a product of them being more available. I drove a coupe and sedan back to back and actually liked the sedan a bit better. Oddly enough, the early 6mt sedan is actually the lightest G35 made. Go figure.

Other than the synchro stuff, the early cars are pretty solid, and most concerns are more just with interior quality. The CD players are also terrible, and window regulators are consumables. But I still liked mine a lot. The nice part is that there's such a wide aftermarket for these cars, and you can find a lot of parts for them on the cheap. 

John Welsh said:

They made Gen1 Caddy CTSs with V6 manuals? 

Interesting.  Will have to look.

I read your whole penfed loan thread and will likely do that in 2-3 years to finally get myself something 'really nice' in the 15k range.  But not for this buy at this time.

Two hundred lap dances?

Daaaang, I could consider stretching the budget for this if such a thing exists mid-summer when I am ready to buy.

https://annapolis.craigslist.org/cto/d/odenton-2005-cadillac-cts/6817774888.html

CTS-V, G8GT, GTO would all be great candidates, but generally are hanging around $10k+ even for an early GTO.  That's the kind of thing I figured I'd get in a few years with a small loan.

I did come across a couple of $4k 5spd/v6 CTS's with a quick look just now, but very beat and very far away - thanks for the suggestion, will have to keep an eye out for those.

Actually, forget my 05 S197 Mustang suggestion.  E46 has been mentioned.  That should be /end thread.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2108169352827214/

In reply to KyAllroad (Jeremy) :

I like everything about that except the legendary timing chains.

In reply to RedGT :

Fair enough.  I figure most of them don't ever have a problem with their timing chains.......it's just that 1% that do and make them internet famous for their lack of durability.

How about a 2-JZ engine in a 4 door body and a stick shift?  Nobody thinks of the poor is300 anymore.

https://dayton.craigslist.org/cto/d/dayton-2002-lexus-is300/6809266445.html

Older than what you're looking for, but you want an F2T motivated MX-6 GT 5 door.