looking for a first manual car, reliable/fun, living in northeast (NJ), around 10k

I'm moving to NJ from NYC, havent been in the office in over a year and the pandemic has shown me that I dont really love the city as much as I think I do, because I dont miss going down there that much. So I'm going to get out and finally start doing some car stuff. I had posted last year about possibly moving to ATL, but then the pandemic hit and things were up in the air, got promoted at work and got another raise, so deciding to just stick in the area. 

For reference I am 28, decent driver but not a ton of mileage due to living in NYC my whole life. I know how to drive stick but haven't owned one, so want to buy one to really learn on. 

This car will be my daily driver and only vehicle (for now) to get around and do errands/visiting family/going out. So I need it to not leave me stranded, and be decently comfortable on NJ roads. I'd prefer something somewhat fun, that doesnt feel completely dead to drive. But I don't need or want to have a ton of power. Something cheap to maintain, and that I can take to autoX/backroads and have a bit of fun/learn to drive hard, but still drive to the grocery store. I don't have HUGE expectations here since this is my first manual so I'm not expecting something mind blowing. Budget can stretch up to 10k but prefer to keep it under that for now. Also would prefer 4 doors/seats. 

All my research thus far has led me to a MK3 ford focus SE (NOT ST). 

• It's cheap for a 2012+ example with 100k miles or less. 
• Decently modern (I can throw in a double din unit with carplay and thats everything I need right there, has a backup camera which is a nice bonus)
• Powertrain seems pretty good (in the 5 speed trim), sounds half decent with an intake, NA power so linear/no lag
• Aftermarket is cheap, easy to get intake/rear sway/engine mounts and other little things to tighten it up
• Small so easy to drive and park
• Doesn't seem to have a lot of reliability issues, all the complaints I see are for the auto trans
• In older motor trend reviews it was sometimes rated above the mazda 3 for fun to drive factor

I could also go for the mazda 3, but it seems to cost a bit more and not sure how I feel about the 2009+ styling (Maybe they look better in person??), and it seems tough to find a good example of the pre 08 ones, especially since I've heard they are prone to rust. 

I used to have a b6 audi a4 with the 3.0 and that car was fun but everything was so expensive to fix, so I want to avoid that. 

Any other suggestions out there? If there is something great a bit more than 10k I am also open to that. 

I'm kind of a broken record but on here about them but a zx2 does a lot of what you are asking and about a fourth of your budget. It isn't newer or 4 doors though.

Mine is a hell of a lot of fun and they are pretty reliable overall, the zetec engine is a good one too.

In reply to remfb :

I think to achieve your goals the Focus is a great choice.  Also, tons of availability and low prices from the commonality of the Focus.  Yes, the auto trans has a poor reputation but the manual will be a good choice.  

Speaking of low prices, I have noticed that the trunk versions with manual trans seem to sell for less than the hatchback versions with manual.  I suspect that this is because the hatch is perceived as sportier and that pairs better with the sportiness of the manual trans.  But, if price is a deciding factor, look at the trunk models too.  

Any reason not to get the Focus ST? As a car person, you will greatly appreciate the extra oomph and excitement that car has over the standard model. Seems to be within your budget. Fiesta ST and Golf GTI are also great cars in the segment.

Pretty sure high mileage fiesta STs are well under 10k these days. Seems like the obvious choice.

Dark horse because I have to: 986 boxster. Fails the four seat requirement but otherwise does everything you want and is a way better driving experience than anything fwd.

Honda Civic Si would be a good fit your needs, fun to drive and quite reliable too. 

FYI not all Foci come with rear disc bakes, which you want. The first two years had some type of sport option that got the rear discs and better seats. Later years you could get manual titanium and the option package changed but discs were available. 

I came to echo that $10k gets a significant amount of civic SI that should have another decade plus of fun left in it. 

330i ZHP, May be work to find one below $10K.

Honda Fit.

LarryNH (Supporter) said:

330i ZHP, May be work to find one below $10K.

Under $10k is easy, under $10k and meeting his requirements for reliability and cost of ownership...maybe a bit difficult.

The focus is probably the most comfortably in your "budget" but TCO might be more than say a Civic SI because resale can be iffy.  I do like the focuses-hatches--available with heated, cloths seats and dynos higher than the mazda3 2.5+geared better. Rear seats extremely small for the class though. Correct me if i'm wrong but I don't think there's anyway to get camber adjustment in the front though even with aftermarket other than eccentric bushings.

E90/E92 with sport package for 6k then spend 4k on deferred maintenance if you don't want to wrench?

8th gen Civic SI can be a good option but clear coat failing during ownership and potentially tanking your TCO is something to be aware of.

Don't sell yourself short you can probably get a much more special experience while fitting your needs for the money than the focus base, but that being said I do like focus quite a bit.  It's just not as compelling now that the 8th gen civic si is widely available in the same price range.

Food for thought:

1. https://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/d/sewell-2008-honda-civic-si/7294486836.html
2. (328i manual sport package  105k miles) https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2808225262752848?ref=category_feed&referral_code=undefined&referral_story_type=listing&tracking=%7B%22qid%22%3A%226950143917266969824%22%2C%22mf_story_key%22%3A%223594100860669219%22%2C%22commerce_rank_obj%22%3A%22%7B%5C%22target_id%5C%22%3A3594100860669219%2C%5C%22target_type%5C%22%3A0%2C%5C%22primary_position%5C%22%3A35%2C%5C%22ranking_signature%5C%22%3A1792470142462984192%2C%5C%22commerce_channel%5C%22%3A504%2C%5C%22value%5C%22%3A0.00017793705764293%7D%22%7D 

2004-2005 Focus ZX4 ST. 4 doors, 150hp 2.3L Duratec and a slick Getrag 5 speed transmission. Also had sport suspension, disc brakes on all 4 corners, an exhaust designed by Borla and a cool set of two tone red stitched seats. There are a few out there for under $3000 with relatively low miles.

Yaris (real or the mazda), Fit, Civic

Fiesta ST is some of the most fun I've ever had in a car lol

At that budget, you should really look at the Fiesta ST. It is small, easy to park in the City and navigate through traffic. It works as a 4-door hatch, with plenty of practicality. It will be way more fun to drive than anything else at that price point and has tons of aftermarket support. They are tough and reliable and will hold up well to learning to DD a manual and on the back roads of Upstate NY, you will smile like you have never smiled before.

If you don't need a hatch, a 8th Gen Civic 4-door is another amazing car to consider. Even the base model is fun to drive, but get the Si. It is super-capable stock, and responds to mods very well. It runs like a Honda, so just put gas in it and go. The Fit Sport is another great option, you can raid the B-Spec catalog for go-fast and handle-well parts.

Dark-horse options include the base Veloster (not as good as the newer N models, but not horrible either) a Scion Tc (they look sporty) a VW GTI (reliability?) Mini Cooper (lots of potential, not sure about repair costs) the Dodge Dart (please don't) a Chevy Sonic (Don't laugh, there is a lot of love and support for the platform) and a Cobalt SS (seriously fast, can be found in 4-door). 

How am I the first poster to suggest the Answer?  $10k can get you a clean NC car and leave a bit for upgrades.  It's not ideal for hauling people and things around, but will be fine for 95% of your trips to the grocery or Target.  Instacart is also a thing.  

Thank you everyone for the responses!

Looks like I can actually get something a bit more interesting than the base focus. 

The FiST looks very interesting, but it's actually pretty difficult to find a Fiesta ST for under 10k, atleast everywhere Ive been looking. Seems like theyre getting that sought-after-performance-car tax. I'll keep looking. 

Thanks @InIds for those two listings:

Looks like Nice E90 328is can be had well under ten grand, and I hear the maintenance on the manual NA n52 cars isnt as bad as other beemers. But it's still probably a lot compared to a honda or ford. More so than the money would be that feeling in the back of my mind that something may stop working and the car has to stay at home for awhile. 

The Civic SI I forgot about, honestly I think if I can find a clean example that is near stock I might go with that. Revs to 8k!!!!! And probably bulletproof. I will inquire about the one you posted. looks like the sedans have great visibility too, which I really like in a car.

In reply to ShinnyGroove (Forum Supporter) :

This is also true, I probaby won't be hauling people all that often. I will look into the NCs

Rather than pile on and say FiST (which I want to), a more cost effective fun idea might be to a Fiesta 1.0L Ecoboost manual and apply FiST suspension bits. 

You may be able to get a Scion FRS/Subaru BRZ towards the top end of your budget. It kind of has rear seats.

As an owner of one I will also vote 8th gen Civic Si. It has a limited slip differential which comes in handy... All the time. 

Snrub said:

Rather than pile on and say FiST (which I want to), a more cost effective fun idea might be to a Fiesta 1.0L Ecoboost manual and apply FiST suspension bits. 

You may be able to get a Scion FRS/Subaru BRZ towards the top end of your budget. It kind of has rear seats.

I can't imagine bolting a fiesta st suspension to a 1.0 car is going to be noticeably cheaper overall, especially if time is worth anything. Plus you still end up with the lesser engine.

Early frs/brz are starting to pop up for under $10k. But with the first year engine issues I'd be hesitant to buy a bargain basement example and expect it to be incredibly reliable.

I'd take a look at an E36 or E46 BMW 3-series.  There's a fair number of manual shift four-door cars out there, and your budget would let you buy a nice, lower mileage example with a little left over for when the time came for repairs.

I'd try to find a car from outside the rust belt, so that does make an older car like these more of a challenge, but I think the driving experience would make it worth your while.

I'd vote Mazda3 hatch or Honda Fit. 

Not to be "that guy" that is answering a different question than asked, but do you have room for 2 cars? Is registration an issue with that? Because I would buy that E30 in the for sale forum, and a $3k Prius.