Car choices for parenting duty

Having a pair of demanding toddlers has seriously dented my 'fun car' time as I unfortunately cannot fit two car seats in my corvette but still need to do dropoff duties in the morning or do ice cream runs with the family on the weekends. 
 

My requirement would be a manual transmission with ability to hold two car seats forward facing.  Budget is not a great limitation but a great (raw/driverfocused etc) driving experience is as the girls love when they ride in the front seat and we can go for some fun loops in the city. 
 

So far I have eliminated some obvious choices as the girls could not stand to be in the back in a little cave back there like in the camaro and mustangs. I have also looked at a 911 but to order will be end of next summer which is no good (if I'm going to spend 100k it's going to get ordered exactly as I want it)

I think my next stop would be checking out the m2's but I have a feeling they will be just as claustrophobic as the pony cars and bmw doesn't have a m3 with a  stick currently.

A civic type r maybe? If it has the driving experience I know I could get over the wing and at least it should be good to go for the rest of the requirements.

Any cars worth checking out in GRM opinion I am missing?

Genesis G70 / Kia Stinger

If you were to consider an automatic transmission a Golf R with DSG could be fun for randomly launching off of stoplights. Can also be purchased with a manual but I don't think the launches are as brutal.

Focus RS.  My kids love it and it's pretty entertaining and with 4 real doors it's useful for kid drop off/pickup.

CTS-V sedan or Wagon would also provide lots of fun and comfort and can be had in manual.

In reply to MrFancypants :

Ooh yeah forgot about VW, the R could be it!

for the g70 I looked and apparently I live too far away from their 'home service' area so would have to use Hyundai and there is no way I would walk through those doors again

the ctsv I have driven the coupe with a stick before and honestly would rather pick up a challenger first but realistically both are more 'land yacht' than I would like

Mazda6?

Jav? Javelin!

Wheres Javelin? Anyone seen him?

Anyway. Mazda 5. 

E92 M3 sedan? How about a convertible? Kids love riding with the top down.  Could go 997TT vert for around 65k or e90m3 droptop.

2014-2016 S4. My toddler daughter loves it and constantly tells me "Drive faster, Daddy!"  

MrFancypants said:

If you were to consider an automatic transmission a Golf R with DSG could be fun for randomly launching off of stoplights. Can also be purchased with a manual but I don't think the launches are as brutal.

Just have to remove the clutch delay valve, unless they just use a smaller port in the master cylinder these days, and you'll have plenty of clutch-dropping, part breaking madness.

P71 with a divider between the front and rear seats. Put a manual in it if you really need it, but I find the divider to be the most important part of a child transport.

Well yeah, Mazda5, but if you're looking at new 911 money I don't think you'll be impressed with it. Last gen Chevy SS, which is really a Holden Commodore, is literally your Corvette as a 4-door. Taurus SHO packs a 365 HP twin turbo with AWD that's a tune away from 12's. WRX STi could be a lot of fun.

I answered this same question with a WRX.  After five years of ownership I'm still happy with it.  That said, if you're looking at $100K Porsches it may be a little low rent for you.  If they made the Guilia in a manual I'd be real tempted to trade the WRX, but right now I'm enjoying it so much I can't really rationalize getting into another car payment.  That said, I like a lot of the other suggestions in this thread.  The Focus RS and E92 4-door M3 are especially tempting.

You WILL own a minivan one day. 

Since when do toddlers have the slightest clue about what a driving experience is??

They'll giggle if you take them for laps around the neighborhood on the lawnmower. 

My V sedan does good Dad duty for me.  Roomy, fast, engaging (manual), and enough trunk space for two kids bikes, helmets, lawn chairs etc.

RevRico said:

P71 with a divider between the front and rear seats. Put a manual in it if you really need it, but I find the divider to be the most important part of a child transport.

No!  A divider will separate you from the joyous 4-dimensional experience of transporting your children--the sights, the sounds, the smells, and the occasional spray of various fluids.

PMRacing said:

2014-2016 S4. My toddler daughter loves it and constantly tells me "Drive faster, Daddy!"  

Same motor as in my 3.0T Q5.  With APR tune I love this thing

SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:

You WILL own a minivan one day. 

Truth. We also have a minivan.  I see other parents struggling to fit everything in their SUVs because they were too proud and subsequently drive off chuckling in a one-wheel fwd peel. 

SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:

Since when do toddlers have the slightest clue about what a driving experience is??

They'll giggle if you take them for laps around the neighborhood on the lawnmower. 

My 5 year old daughter kept commenting about how fast my 2.3 powered Ranger was. What she was really picking up on was that I had to flog that motor unmercifully just to keep up with traffic.

Matt B (Forum Supporter) said:

SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:

You WILL own a minivan one day. 

Truth. We also have a minivan.  I see other parents struggling to fit everything in their SUVs because they were too proud and subsequently drive off chuckling in a one-wheel fwd peel. 

King Solomon had just this scenario in mind when he put to paper the words found in Proverbs 16:18. 

'Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall."

Matt B (Forum Supporter) said:

SVreX (Forum Supporter) said:

You WILL own a minivan one day. 

Truth. We also have a minivan.  I see other parents struggling to fit everything in their SUVs because they were too proud and subsequently drive off chuckling in a one-wheel fwd peel. 

Its funny, my wife went from a 2.5rs Impreza with an autotragic to a Mazda5 autotragic and while its utility is great she really misses the impreza for all areas driving dynamics. Next vehicle for her is not allowed to be FWD.

z31maniac said:

MrFancypants said:

If you were to consider an automatic transmission a Golf R with DSG could be fun for randomly launching off of stoplights. Can also be purchased with a manual but I don't think the launches are as brutal.

Just have to remove the clutch delay valve, unless they just use a smaller port in the master cylinder these days, and you'll have plenty of clutch-dropping, part breaking madness.

Sure, but the benefit of the computer controlled launch system is that it doesn't break parts so often that you won't use it.

To the OP, what I've learned about driving little people around in the back seat is that they can be prone to getting car sick if you get a little too frisky in the corners. Because of that I tend to prefer a more "muscle car" approach to family fun with the car, hence the Golf R recommendation. 0-60 is just under 4 seconds with just a tune and 1/4 mile in just under 12 still in a nice handling package.

In reply to Apexcarver :

I get it. I enjoy what the minivan provides partly because I have a fun alternative (that can also transport the family).  They're both excellent at their respective use cases.

I'm not totally clear on the requirements, but inferring that it needs to be new, manual, fun, and under $100K?

The back seat size requirement is unclear, because you suggest a 911 is OK, but a Mustang is not, and I'm pretty sure the Porsche's back seat is smaller.

C&D has a list of every car you can still buy new with a manual (yes, there are so few that you can actually do that):  https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g20734564/manual-transmission-cars/

The ones on the list that seem like they might fit are the M2, M4, Camaro, Challenger, Mustang, Genesis G70, Accord/Civic, Veloster, Evora GT (back seat probably too small), 911, and GTI.