Seems to me that the Mazda 6 is the answer here. Dependable, decent mileage, probably have enough space. You could go for the wagon for more space too.
I haven't driven an auto yet, but the first gen is pretty fun and could be even more fun with some stiffer springs or better shocks. It's got a double wishbone front suspension...that's a nice starting place for a fun car.
The new ones have a fantastic automatic trans, but they are out of your range.
wrx sti?
As a Lexus GS owner i thought i'd throw in .02 on that.. It's mure luxury and less sport oriented than either a TL or g35/37. I think the quality is better than the G and probably a bit above the Honda as well. If you get a GS300 it would be slower than either, but a gs350 would be comparable and a 430 would probably be minorly faster but feel gruntier. I own a 450h but i wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't go out of their way to drive/buy hybrids already. It may make you a believer but fundamentally it's not much more of a car than a gs350/430 other than the torque surge.
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