"responsible" 5k to spend

The Golf or Focus is your best bet, but if you want to think about other options:

Hyundai Elantra GT?
Honda Civic?
Nissan Sentra SE-R
Mazda 626?
PT Cruiser?
Saturn SL2?

I agree on the Maxima choice. While looking, also consider the twin-car, the Infiniti i30/i35. These are rare with manual trans but there are some out there. This "rare-ness" will likely translate into a very slow selling car not an "OMG I will pay a ton more for it" type of rare.
I do not know where you are located but here is a sample from Michigan.
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=p&car_id=309638795&dealer_id=66757803&car_year=1999&systime=&doors=&model=I30&search_lang=en&start_year=1981&keywordsfyc=&keywordsrep=&highlightFirstMakeModel=&search_type=both&distance=0&min_price=&rdm=1326132464363&drive=&marketZipError=false&advanced=y&fuel=&keywords_display=&lastBeginningStartYear=1981&end_year=2013&make3=&showZipError=y&make2=INFIN&certified=&engine=&dma=TOLEDO&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&body_code=0&isFlashPlugin=true&transmission=Manual&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=&color=&address=43420&sort_type=priceDESC&model2=I35&max_price=&make=INFIN&seller_type=b&num_records=25&cardist=177&standard=false
The green grass and leaves on the trees in the pictures tells me this has been listed for a long time.

Another in Colorado:
http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=313597529&dealer_id=100024986&car_year=1998&systime=&doors=&model=I30&search_lang=en&start_year=1981&keywordsfyc=&keywordsrep=&highlightFirstMakeModel=&search_type=both&distance=0&min_price=&rdm=1326132464363&drive=&marketZipError=false&advanced=y&fuel=&keywords_display=&lastBeginningStartYear=1981&end_year=2013&make3=&showZipError=y&make2=INFIN&certified=&engine=&dma=TOLEDO&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&body_code=0&isFlashPlugin=true&transmission=Manual&default_sort=priceDESC&max_mileage=&color=&address=43420&sort_type=priceDESC&model2=I35&max_price=&make=INFIN&seller_type=b&num_records=25&cardist=1159&standard=false

corytate wrote: I wouldnt get a subie if you dont want hg failures. they will happen. not bad though

I've been searching for literally MONTHS and looked into each (most) of these cars and seeing what thier owners say. The best reports are from the Vibe owners, a close second is Focus owners and I've excluded P71's but very good ownership reviews for them too. The Volvo's were on my list even with auto's but too many nightmare stories, same with Subies actually.

There are more models price-wise to look at but too-few doors etc. rules them out.

They made plenty of G20 manuals. It might just be a bad week for finding one; the M/A mix on used cars is a crapshoot.

Another good choice is the Nissan Maxima - tons of power, plenty of manuals.

pinchvalve wrote: The Golf or Focus is your best bet, but if you want to think about other options: Hyundai Elantra GT? Honda Civic? Nissan Sentra SE-R Mazda 626? PT Cruiser? Saturn SL2?

Absolute MUSTS are 4 doors and a manual. A great real-life track record certainly helps. Ill look into a few on your list thanks!

BTW, I'm looking in Southeastern MA., Northern RI and Sounthern NH

Boston-ish Infiniti i30 manual.
http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/cto/2788844341.html
Some leaves still on trees in pictures.
'98 w/138k miles asking $3,800. I bet he would take $3k - bargain!
Tell the seller that you really wish it had an automatic. He has likely heard that before.

amg_rx7 wrote: Also check and see if the Mazda 6 is in your price range

18 months ago i paid $4k for an '03 Mazda6 v6/manual with sport package, silver over black leather, with 125k on the odo. had noisy front wheel bearings and a check engine light. DIY'd the wheel bearings. CEL was lean misfires caused by a torn intake elbow between the MAF and throttle body. wrapped it with duct tape. car now has 153k and gets 23 - 25 mpg in 50/50 driving -- but the highway portion is @ 80 mph.

IMHO mileage is not important. What is important is how the owner has cared for it.

EK Civic DX seems to be the way to go. Easy to work on, not desirable enough to be a thief magnet, cheap parts, reliable as gravity and good gas mileage.

Some other quick finds...

'03 Protege Sedan
http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/cto/2768847236.html

'02 Legacy wagon
http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/cto/2770736302.html

'02 Protege5
http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/cto/2790192392.html

Don't get too wrapped up in reading some of those message boards about what owners say. Yes, they're good to look at and can give good info. But also on many of those boards, people only post there if they want to complain. So you may only be seeing the handful of people with bad experiences and not the countless good experiences that never get posted.

Klayfish wrote: Don't get too wrapped up in reading some of those message boards about what owners say. Yes, they're good to look at and can give good info. But also on many of those boards, people only post there if they want to complain. So you may only be seeing the handful of people with bad experiences and not the countless good experiences that never get posted.

Oooooh, great point! thanks

If doing a craigslist search look for G20t as well as G20. The 't' has a few more goodies and can be missed on CL search.

Osterkraut wrote: P71 hater, here. Real low on the fun factor.

Thank you.

I don't get the appeal of the P71 either. Plus, every one has been urinated in at least once. Even if it was never a cop car.

ebonyandivory wrote:

pinchvalve wrote: The Golf or Focus is your best bet, but if you want to think about other options:

Absolute MUSTS are 4 doors and a manual. A great real-life track record certainly helps. Ill look into a few on your list thanks! BTW, I'm looking in Southeastern MA., Northern RI and Sounthern NH

Since you are thinking about a Focus and are in the NE, I would look for one with the 2.3L Duratec in addition to the SVT. The 2.3 was the standard in the "green states" in 03-04. The upgrade to SVT suspension or its equivalent is easy to do and inexpensive.

Woody wrote:

Osterkraut wrote: P71 hater, here. Real low on the fun factor.

Thank you. I don't get the appeal of the P71 either. Plus, every one has been urinated in at least once. Even if it was never a cop car.

I don't either. I have driven one and it was completely uninspiring.

93EXCivic wrote:

Woody wrote:

Osterkraut wrote: P71 hater, here. Real low on the fun factor.

Thank you. I don't get the appeal of the P71 either. Plus, every one has been urinated in at least once. Even if it was never a cop car.

I don't either. I have driven one and it was completely uninspiring.

I theorize people that buy them want to grow huge mustaches and get chubbies from people thinking they're cops.

Osterkraut wrote:

93EXCivic wrote:

Woody wrote:

Osterkraut wrote: P71 hater, here. Real low on the fun factor.

Thank you. I don't get the appeal of the P71 either. Plus, every one has been urinated in at least once. Even if it was never a cop car.

I don't either. I have driven one and it was completely uninspiring.

I theorize people that buy them want to grow huge mustaches and get chubbies from people thinking they're cops.

Or they want to put on 26" rims, a paint color not found in nature, and the word "Hater" somewhere on it.

I still think the Vibe GT is totally underrated. Toyota 2ZZ-FE, 6-speed, and none of the Toyota tax. They are priced at about $3500-4k with the 6-speed around here. Corolla/Matrix performance bits bolt right up. Maybe some Celica stuff?

93EXCivic wrote: IMHO mileage is not important. What is important is how the owner has cared for it. EK Civic DX seems to be the way to go. Easy to work on, not desirable enough to be a thief magnet, cheap parts, reliable as gravity and good gas mileage.

I have one of those. That is a "NO". I can tell you that the coupes and hatchbacks are decently built, but the sedan sucks. I've never seen so many plastic bits break. Like other civics, dead reliable but you just wish someone would crush it so you can continue on in life. Go the LX or EX model route if you choose this path. You will be rewarded with bigger brakes, power windows, locks and rear doors that open more often than the DX models.

My pick is:

Nissan Maxima/ Infiniti I35

Honda Accord/Acura TL

Toyota Camry/Lexus ES300

Toyota Avalon

Toyota Corolla

Mazda 3 and 6

Toyota Matix/ Pontiac Vibrator

Mazda Miata

All dead reliable but not all come in manual.

amg_rx7 wrote: Out of those cars, the Maxima is your best bet. Add some shocks and springs and further increase the fun to drive factor. The rear seats are pretty roomy to fit your 3 kids. The Impreza is tight in the back seat - as is the Corolla, Protege and Neon. Stay away from the German crap and put the $ you would have spent fixing random crap into a savings account for the kids education. The Infiniti sounds like a good option as well. Also check and see if the Mazda 6 is in your price range or one of the Acura sedans. A Subaru Legacy may work as well.

I couldn't agree with any of this more.

3 kids + no time on your hands = skip the Subarus, take it from a dual Subaru owner with two kids and who works a lot of weird hours. Anything in the price range is likely to be a year or less away from a timing belt redo($$$), a pair of rear wheel bearings($$$$), and a head gasket do-over($$$$!), on top of normal maintenance and wear items. The same financial outlay can be said of anything newer than mid-90's from VW, the initial buy in is only half the game.

Chalk up another vote for the 2000+ Maxima. They're available in your price range with reasonable miles, have enough room for three little ones out back, can be had with a stick, feature that honey of a VQ35, and sport one of the more dynamic chassis of the big front drivers... Without the 30 weakling ball joint front end setup of the Passat. Seems like a safe bet, enough so that I'm keeping one in mind for the wife when she finally tires of her Forester. Plan on replacing a few coil packs and struts on a Maxima, that's about all that ever seems to fail on them if they've been cared for.

Looks like I'm going back and forth between a Focus hatch (I've now seen how much room there is when the front seat flips forward) with a 5 spd and a 5th Gen Maxima with a manual.

Very different rides to be sure but I really like them both. The inherent longevity of th VQ35 is pulling me one way while the lower purchase price and the hatchbackness of the Focus is pulling me the other.

The Vibe is really cool, I just don't find much near me and I'm getting close to zero hour. I'm giving myself another week or so.

Since no one else has................why spend the money on another vehicle to move 5 people when you say in the first post you've already got a minivan?

You can get a pretty nice Galant VR4 for $4k with $1k left over to fix a few things.

Yeah its 10 years older than your target but it checks all the boxes.

Fun to drive - Turbocharged and all wheel drive.
Manual trans - they all have them.
Roomy back seats - Yep. 4 big adults no issues, kid seats would be easy.
Reliable - Stock ones or tastefully modified ones are reliable.
Owner support - Huge. For a car that only 3000 were imported, they have the best forum out there.
Comfortable - Yep. Decent leather seats all the way around, suede door panel inserts, power windows, power locks, A/C, power moonroof optional, but still stone simple. Manual seats, no body control modules, no ECU coding, no funky stuff.
Mods - Its a 4 door DSM. The sky is the limit.
Pre-95 so it doesnt have to pass emissions in most states.
Collector status - The newest ones are now 20 years old. Collector plates/insurance/registration.
Value - Pay $4k, drive it for 2 years, keep it nice, sell it for $4k.

I concur with 93 gsx above. I would.

I'm currently e-mailing this guy, seems really nice and knows his stuff.

'02 Protege5

http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/cto/2790192392.html

Does this seem like a good price? All the Maxima's and Focii are very close to or more expensive in my neck of the woods.