Oh no, another What Car thread: Thinking of replacing the DD

As some of you may know, I've been daily driving a 2012 Mazda 3 since taking delivery of it brand new back on October 1st of 2011 (a week before I got married). I have a couple maintenance threads dedicated to it, and while it's been a great car, it's starting to show its age. With it needing thousands of dollars in potential repairs in the near future, I have a feeling that at any time, the car will go south in rapid fashion. In light of that, I need an exit plan ready to go at a moment's notice.

Normally, I'd just buy the next Mazda 3 spec'ed like mine, but to get a stick, you have to surround it in a FWD base-engine hatch that costs $29,000. I am not paying TWENTY NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS for a regular Mazda 3, and no one else should for that matter. I'm also driving a lot less since my job moved my office. Anything can happen in the next few years, but right now, I'm doing less than 5 miles a day to the train station and back.

Requirements:

-My price range is something in the low $20k range or less, if possible.

-Something more fun and with more power than the 3

-I'm a big guy, so something more comfortable would be nice

-No convertibles, and no The Answers, for that matter (I don't fit!)

-Manuals preferred, but something that's cool that's auto-only would be ok as long as it doesn't suck

-I'm getting old, so I want some creature comforts. Heated seats are among those things. My wife's CX-5 has spoiled me.

-Something easy to do regular maintenance on, like oil changes, plugs, brakes, etc.

-HID or LED headlights are preferred; my night vision is getting worse as I get older

-VW and Subaru products need not apply. I've had bad experiences with both, and I am not the biggest fan of the 2015+ WRX after driving one.

-Needs to be at a dealer where I can trade in the 3, so no weird old stuff and no fly-and-drives. Gotta finance it.

Some examples of what I've been looking at:

2018+ Mazda 6 Turbo

Pros: They look nice, fully loaded if you get the turbo, should drive well

Cons: Automatic only, kinda boring, wish it had AWD available

2017 Ford Fusion Sport AWD

Pros: 325hp, twin turbo V6, and AWD! Also comes fully loaded

Cons: Are they reliable? Crap MPG's, resale is awful (these were $40k+ new and now around $20k 2 years later), stupid knob instead of shifter on console, will Ford support it down the road since they are not making sedans anymore?

2014+ Infiniti Q50 Sport (with the 3.7L V6)

Pros: They drive great, they look nice, sweet, sweet 3.7L V6, AWD available which I'd probably get because New England

Cons: I can see that double screen infotainment system being a headache, are they reliable?

2017+ Honda Civic Si

Pros: A new one is right in my price range, seems like the easy button here, LSD and a turbocharger from the factory, in a HONDA?

Cons: Kinda ugly with "MySpace Angles" especially out back, have a feeling like it's going to get stolen at the train station where I have to park now to get to work, halogen headlights only

2017-18 Hyundai Elantra Sport

Pros: Looks great, also looks good on paper (lots of good options)

Cons: I had an AWFUL experience with a previous Elantra we owned (and Hyundai as a company for that matter), hard to find used, 2019 models got hit with the ugly stick and are full of triangles now (seriously, Google one)

Wild Card: 2015+ Dodge Challenger R/T

Pros: It's a V8 muscle car, big and comfortable, one of my favorite cars I've driven, I fit really well in it, would you just look at it!

Cons: terrible fuel economy, barely in my price range, can only afford strippo R/T with the crap stereo and no options

As you can see, I'm all over the place. One car that I thought would be a sure fit was the Focus ST, but after driving my friend's loaded ST3, it's out. While it was plenty quick, I hated the Recaros and it was cramped inside. The ones with the plain cloth seats have Ye Olde non-projector halogen lights and the bad radio. I also did not enjoy the shifter.

Am I missing anything?

I think I read that the only mid size sedan still offered with a manual for year 2020 is The Honda Accord.  As only, that means No Audi, No BMW, No VW, or other sporty sedan offered with manual.  That is for new cars.  For 2015-2019 there were just a few more.

This would be a good job for the Power Search function on fueleconomy.gov because if a car was offered with a manual it got its own MPG testing and rating.  As such, over there you can search only by manual trans.  

Do you hate small cars?  Have you driven a FiST?  Can be had new for less than your target price, used significantly less. 

Also note, it's only really small on the outside, inside is surprisingly roomy.  Weirdly enough, I found it felt roomier than the FoST and it was WAAAY more fun to drive (IMHO).

In reply to John Welsh :

The Accord Sport is an honorable mention. I like the way the new ones look, and they have favorable reviews, but I'm stuck with the 1.5 car in my price range. The 2.0 cars are around $30k. I think that 1.5L drivetrain would be more fun in the Civic Si, and the Civic has heated seats where the Accord can't have them unless you get the bigger engine. 

In reply to kazoospec :

I don't fit too well in small cars. I'm 6'1" and 300+. I've driven a couple regular Fiestas and didn't like them. The FiST is probably more fun, but not for me. 

I know they're auto only, but the Optima 2.0T is a lot of fun to drive and they have a crap ton of creature comforts for the money. 

Tony Sestito said:

In reply to John Welsh :

The Accord Sport is an honorable mention. I like the way the new ones look, and they have favorable reviews, but I'm stuck with the 1.5 car in my price range. The 2.0 cars are around $30k. I think that 1.5L drivetrain would be more fun in the Civic Si, and the Civic has heated seats where the Accord can't have them unless you get the bigger engine. 

I'd be willing to bet that you could get a pretty heavy discount on any Accord with a stick. I'd email a few dealers and see what they say. You might be surprised.

Woody said:

Tony Sestito said:

In reply to John Welsh :

The Accord Sport is an honorable mention. I like the way the new ones look, and they have favorable reviews, but I'm stuck with the 1.5 car in my price range. The 2.0 cars are around $30k. I think that 1.5L drivetrain would be more fun in the Civic Si, and the Civic has heated seats where the Accord can't have them unless you get the bigger engine. 

I'd be willing to bet that you could get a pretty heavy discount on any Accord with a stick. I'd email a few dealers and see what they say. You might be surprised.

This would be my advice too. Though I've been pretty smitten with the current Civic and Mustang. Which puts me in a very uncomfortable fanboi demographic. In the future If I turn into a pedestrian mangling V-tec bro you all saw it coming.

Go drive your whole list. Then buy an Accord.

The Infiniti gets my vote.

"Normally, I'd just buy the next Mazda 3 spec'ed like mine, but to get a stick, you have to surround it in a FWD base-engine hatch that costs $29,000. I am not paying TWENTY NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS for a regular Mazda 3, and no one else should for that matter. "

Do live in Canada?

I'm looking at the Mazda website right now:

Base 3 sedan starts at $21,000

Base 3 hatch starts at $23,600

Base 6 sedan starts at $23,800

In fact, according to Mazda's website, of the 8 vehicles (counting the Miata RF as different) they sell, only the CX-9 and Miata RF have a starting base price higher than $25,730.

The Accord and the Civic Si are basically the same price (right around $23k). The Civic is faster and has heated seats and a sunroof. The Accord 1.5 Sport is bigger and looks better, but has less options that I really would like and is likely slower than my Mazda. They are both great cars, though, and will hold their value in case I get bored, so they will be on the list.

Another car I've sampled previously is the 2015+ Mustang. I have been in an Ecoboost Premium, and driven a GT Premium. I liked both. The GT was especially fun, but I still liked the Challenger I drove better. They are tough to find around here right now, though.

In reply to z31maniac :

I live in Massachusetts. The 3 can only be had with a manual transmission in hatchback form, and it needs the Premium package which starts at $27,500. After various charges, like paint upcharges and delivery fees, it's around $29k. My local dealer has one, and it's even silver with a red interior which is HAWT, but it's damn near $30k.

Tony Sestito said:

In reply to z31maniac :

I live in Massachusetts. The 3 can only be had with a manual transmission in hatchback form, and it needs the Premium package which starts at $27,500. After various charges, like paint upcharges and delivery fees, it's around $29k. My local dealer has one, and it's even silver with a red interior which is HAWT, but it's damn near $30k.

Fair enough, but there appears to only be one engine for the 3 this (the 2.5L) and you have to get the top trim level...................that doesn't exactly sound like "base-engine hatch"

Sure the 6 gets the turbo engine, but it's a different car. Also, I would also never pay nearly $30k for a Mazda 3.

Wait til the new model comes out, and down around here, you can find base Mustang GTs for nearly MSRP of that car. 

What's also very strange, the Mazda 6 has to be one of the few cars in recent memory where the newer cars are GETTING WORSE MPG than before. Even for the non-turbo engine. 

My ex's '15 Mazda 6 with the REGEN thing, was rated at 41 highway.

Mentioning the Mustang, for 2014+ the Mustang got the 300 hp V6 rated for 30 mpg.  Mated with a manual trans, this seems like it could be fun commuter car and generally a good all-around-er.  

Just for kicks:

Unless you can't get past the looks (and even if you think you can't) you may want to give the 2017+ BMW i3 a try. Every car I owned prior to my 2017 i3 BEV was a manual, but now I'll take the i3 over my S2000 (my previous DD) almost every time. Here are the things it checks on your list: 2017+ (with the bigger battery) starts in the low $20s, fun to drive, plenty of room in front (not so much in back), not a vert, creature comforts, low/no maintenance, LED headlights, dealer network (although this could also be a negative). Snow in Ohio isn't like Mass, but running Blizzaks on the i3 I've never had any problem in the snow. The motor is over the rear wheels so there's plenty of traction. Good luck with your DD search!

My go-to answer for this question is a Lexus GS or IS--IS if  you NEED the stickshift. However, they're not as roomy as their size would suggest--however, I think most of the issues are in headroom rather than hiproom. 

Other options you may not have considered that vaguely meet your requirements: C5 and C6 Corvette, Lexus LS of various generations, Jaaaaag XJ, used Kia K900, Hyundai Genessis (coupe or Sedan), and the Buick Regal.

On the V6 Mustangs: a friend of mine had a 2014 with the Performance Package. It blew up at around 75k, bone stock. That sorta soured my taste on those.

The recent BMW offerings don't do much for me. I watched another friend deal with all sorts of issues with his 1-series in the past few years. That said, when they are working, they are excellent driving cars. Just not for me.

I'm leaving hybrids and electrics off the list as well. Only one I've driven that I liked was the Tesla Model S P90D. That thing was nuts! 

Another vote for the Infiniti.  I really like my '13 G37.  My only wish with it was that it had better technology inside.  I think the Q50 cured that, and has the same powertrain (in '14/'15) as my car.  The VQ is a workhorse, and is damn fast.  Not sure if the Q50S had a manual trans, but if you can find a G37/Q40S, they had manuals.  I looked recently at buying the Q50, one nice thing is the AWD model has a heated steering wheel.  MPG sucks and it requires premium, so keep that in mind.

In reply to mtn :

I do like the Lexus IS. They don't offer them with a manual transmission anymore, though. Dealer where we bought the wife's CX-5 has a used 2016ish IS350 F-Sport AWD right now, and I even like the color (white with a red interior). They seem a little pokey on paper though. Newer ones got more HP, but those are out of range. 

In reply to Klayfish :

My parents have a 2014 Q60 AWD (aka a G37 Coupe). Theirs has the 7-speed auto, which I don't hate. What I do hate is the clunky infotainment system. Those were the last ones offered with a manual transmission (RWD only), and they are extremely rare. I think 2011 was the cutoff in the sedans. 

I think a Hyundai Elanta GT hatchback would be something to look at here..

...and stick the other $10k in the bank. Or buy 2! Or buy my V2 for $20k, so I can buy a THIRTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLAR FOCUS lol. Either way you’ll gap & lap the berkeley out of every other car you posted, including that piece of E36 M3 dodge that every brotato and his cousin drives...from the comfort of your heated leather seat...with the kids waving out the back windows.

There are still plenty of 2018 manual 3s around. But to go bigger,

..

Genesis G70

Honda Accord

2018 Mazda 6 sport