What car 15k manual, 4 door or wagon...

My buddy is looking for something sporty that is a sedan or a wagon, has to be a real manual and cost 15k or less.

Right now he is leaning towards a WRX, but what else is out there? I suggested a cts-v, a ZHP e46, a 335i, or a nice e36 M3/4/5. He is going to drive it everyday and possibly get back into autocross and track days. The newer the better, since he isn't the most mechanically inclined, and pays someone to do his maintenance.

He has had some cool cars in the past, 1998 240sx se, e36 m3, m coupe, trailblazer ss, etc...

What does the collective think? What am I missing?

What are regular CTS wagons going for used?

In would look at e90 BMWs, 06 and up, sedan and wagon available

In reply to Appleseed:

Not available with a stick and probably over 15k. They are in the low 20s though.

Really? I thought the stick was available with all 3.6s.

e39 540i/6speed.

Great all around car.

He should also look at a Mazda 3 hatch, GTI hatch, and a Jetta TDI Sportwagen. Hatchbacks technically aren't wagons, but they're close enough. These cars on my list are sporty, they're not high performance cars.

Ms3/6, evo, e36/46 m3, sti, r32 golf if he's a sadist towards his wallet....

m4ff3w wrote: e39 540i/6speed. Great all around car.

One of my first thoughts but, he doesn't do his own maintenance and one of those would eat him up if you pay a shop to work on it.

Mr_Clutch42 wrote: He should also look at a Mazda 3 hatch, GTI hatch, and a Jetta TDI Sportwagen. Hatchbacks technically aren't wagons, but they're close enough. These cars on my list are sporty, they're not high performance cars.

From a maintenance standpoint he should probably avoid VAG cars. He had two bad vw experiences and both were bought new (95 gti, and 2000 Jetta vr6)

I didn't even think of a MS3, great suggestion. What's a focus ST go for these days?

More than 15k... They're still too new. Ms3s are holding strong but they're closing on the 10 year mark fast (I've had mine for almost 8!) And there's a surprising amount out there. Other things I would look at in wagon land, Volvo v50 turbo, Saab 9-whatever wagon.... The Saab 9-2x aero (saaburu) hell if he liked his tbss, the Saab 9-7x aero.

Appleseed wrote: Really? I thought the stick was available with all 3.6s.

ive seen a few early year cts's with manuals, not real common though

Acura TSX Wagon?

If more new and more wagon is more important than fast then Mazda5 manual can be had new for $19k or less. Sure, that is over budget but warranty and cheap financing could be cheaper than used. Especially good if kid moving is part of the equation.

I know a guy in FL who might be able to find a used one for half that price.

Abarth? Fiesta St? Cheap new.

IS300 sportwagon or whatever they called it? I don't know if it was sold as a stick, but the IS300 is very reliable, has a decent aftermarket, and would do okay on the track as well.

Bam!

Previous gen Audi A3, the 2.0T was available with a stick shift but only in FWD configuration. Otherwise DSG but the 3.2 VR6 was an option

my current kick, V50 wagon, T5, AWD, 6 spd manual.

When I find them they're between $6-10K leaving funds left over for IPD upgrades.

DaveEstey wrote: Acura TSX Wagon?

Fwd automatic only with the 2.4 liter four cylinder, so probably not that sporty. Didn't know they actually made a wagon until now though so thanks.

In reply to captdownshift:

What's the reliability like on a turbo AWD Volvo wagon?

I recently aquired a 05 Acura TL with a six speed. it is a front driver which is not ideal. It is a Honda at heart so maint hopefully won't be too bad. other than torque steer it drives pretty well.

Just picked up a G37 as a solution to this question. 337 hp, 6spd, less maintenance that the 335 that make similar hp, way more hp than E46's. Front engine, rwd, lots of aftermarket, good interior. Can get them with lower miles than the CTS-V at the price point. I picked up an off lease with full dealer maintenance history for 15k with 80k and did not have to look hard to find it.

In reply to former520: The G37 looked like a smoking deal to me also when I was shopping around for sedans with sporting intentions. Reliability seems to be better than their German counterparts as well, which makes the significant depreciation a little weird. That said, I couldn't really find anything particularly wrong with them.

In reply to Petrolburner:

T5's are stout, Haldex units are reliable in terms of not failing, but are maintenance heavy, fluid every 30k. The gear box is reliable to up to 400hp. For about $3500 in RS turbo setup (includes OEM turbo and manifold), fueling and ECU flash upgrades you can have a 350hp sleeper wagon using OEM bits except for injectors, fuel pump and reflash. (I'd open up the exhaust and add some cooling support as well).