What sub-$7k RWD midsized sedans besides BMW don't suck?

HappyAndy wrote: were there any manual GTOs?

Yes, but they are not in the 7k range yet.

I'll also throw in a vote for RX-8.

He also said SEDAN, I'm seeing a lot of COUPES mentioned. I'm having a hard time thinking of something. Unless you want to drop back another decade or two, Toyota Cressida comes to mind.

GS300/400 seems to be a viable option, if you're willing to forego the manual as an option.

Oddball time, simply because it hasn't been mentioned here yet - Infiniti J30? Although that's at the oldest end of what you want.

In reply to Nick_Comstock: I think he eliminated almost all the cars that fit his requirements (especially with no BMW, Mercedes)so we had to go to coupes.

Early G35 sedans with manual transmissions seem to hit your price point. I change my answer to that.

I'd say Rx-8 with paperwork or G35 sedan. I own the latter, and it's a blast. Should be able to find a decent one for 7-8K

Will wrote: If you described a BMW 3 or even 5 series to me without telling me what it was, that's the car I'm interested in. However, being a BMW or even Mercedes is a dealbreaker for me. I'm just not interested in them.

Except they're the only ones that fit your criteria, when you start eliminating the few others that there are. Just get the BMW and don't worry about the badge.

My wife hated BMWs and what kind of people drove them. Then she drove my E38 and loved driving it. And then she drove our son's E46 Sport package car and loved that one, too, and now understands why enthusiasts buy them, regardless of the yuppies that buy them for the badge.

An E46 325i Sport or 330i ZHP are exactly what you are looking for. Don't rule them out due to the badge.

Nick_Comstock wrote: He also said SEDAN, I'm seeing a lot of COUPES mentioned. I'm having a hard time thinking of something. Unless you want to drop back another decade or two, Toyota Cressida comes to mind.

Whatever the RX-8 is a hermaphrodite and will be the most fun out of all other choices.

BlueInGreen44 wrote: Infiniti G35 was the first thing that came to mind. Or my requisite oddball recommendation just because someone said Lincoln: MkVIIIs are cool cause they look like spaceships.

I really like these.

iadr wrote: I know he said no Volvo's but you guys didn't serve the make well starting 240 (utilitarian, some stereotypes applying...), then 740 (can't sit upright if you are over 5'11", and while attempting to do so, your torso is exposed to passers-by from slightly above the belly button up, plus the interior is "late 80s" grade brittle plastic). What was the last year for the 940 turbo? The late interior is impressive. Arguably nicer than W124, possibly W210's, for instance. Late S90's, possibly. Swedes certainly turbo the straight 6 with crazy success...but that's irrelevant.. Daily Driver, yeah, I think so.

960/S90 was going to be my response to the 240 suggestion that was shot down, but they weren't offered with a manual in the US.

940, or a later AWD P2 car would be the only way to get a manual Volvo with power to the rear wheels that meet the rest of the OP's criteria.

How cheap can you get an IS250 for?

Jaguar S-Type

Dodge Magnum, how you feel about wagons?

You guys are looking for things that aren't there. Getting back to the initial question, the answer is G35 sedan if you have to have a stick, GS300/400 if you don't.

Will wrote: However, being a BMW or even Mercedes is a dealbreaker for me. I'm just not interested in them.

I'm still curious as to the reasons why. Have you driven one?

There are GS300/400 with R154 swaps done. Some GS300's with a 2jzgte + R154 are going for less than 8k.

I Love my is300s, so much that I bought a second. I think that they are hugely underrated. I personally don't think 14.9 is horrendously slow for a stock car. It's not great on gas, but I can consistently get 23ish mpg over a tank if I drive gently, and 20-21 if I drive aggressively. They're fantastic to slide around in, and respond very well to even slight suspension tuning. I think that they're quite special, and striking in design in and outside.

I'll try to catch up and answer all the questions:

Yes, I know I'm making this difficult because I'm picky about weird things. I do appreciate the help, even if I've eliminated your recommendation.

Volvo: I'm not anti-Volvo at all, but it needs to be relatively new and RWD. I don't know much about Volvos, and I thought all their newer stuff was FWD/AWD. How many 96 and later RWD models are there?

M45: I forgot those even existed, but I'll check them out.

J30: definitely doesn't excite me, but I know nothing about them.

GS300/400: ditto. I know nothing about those.

RX8: I've driven them, they handle awesome, but it's really something I haven't even considered due to maintenance fears and reports of lousy mileage. I'll look into them a little more.

Thunderbird: I have 3.5 of them at the moment. I don't think I need another, and especially not another one with a 16V mod motor.

Magnum: I don't object to wagons, but the newer Chrysler RWD stuff is just too giant for my taste. The V8 cars weigh 800 pounds more than my Supercoupe, which is kind of obscene.

Why I'm not interested in Mercedes: when the depreciation curve is parabolic, I get nervous and wonder why. I also have friends who have them and I've been very unimpressed with the build quality and reliability considering the price.

Why I'm not interested in BMW: the only one I've driven is an E30, mainly because I've always made an effort to avoid them. Something like an E46 absolutely ticks all the right boxes, but I just don't like them, and getting over the badge is easier said than done. I race with plenty of people who own them, so I know that the stereotypes aren't always true.

Since I'm being so hard on most of the sedans mentioned, I don't object to people suggesting coupes. I think I'd kind of prefer a sedan, but I probably shouldn't eliminate coupes outright. My other preferences still apply, though.

Fan Boy’s are annoying so I’ll keep this short and just say that I’ve got nine years and 231,000 miles on my RX-8 and I’d have no reservations taking off on a coast-to-coast road trip in it right now.

Give the G35 sedan a look

How about an F350 dually with the 6.9 diesel? It gots manual transmission and RWD and it seats four and it has loads of torque wich the internet says is better than horsepower anyway.

(Seriously, OP. You want a BMW. Nobody else makes what you are looking for.)

Knurled wrote: (Seriously, OP. You want a BMW. Nobody else makes what you are looking for.)

^This. Since you originally said midsized, you're really asking about an E34

E39 E60

Since you're so picky, you should test drive every car suggested anyway, because you could eliminate the car you like the best based on your own biases. You should also be able to find a good condition E34 and E39 manual for cheap. The E39 M5 is also regarded by some as the best car ever made.

There's no way you're getting an E39 M5 for 7k that won't run you another 7k within a week

Yeah, after looking them up, they still command a nice price. I was just giving him some commentary. Worse case scenario, the OP could get a 540i manual, and install the M5 diff and maybe a couple of suspension components for a good upgrade.

Yeah, the 540 seems like a great deal, and you're right- the E39 chassis is phenomenal. As much as I like to hate on BMW, I know a whole bunch of E46 fanatics who swear by them. TBH, I prefer the E90 chassis, but that's out of the 7K price range

In reply to RX Reven':

You forgot to mention you're on your third engine

Knurled wrote: How about an F350 dually with the 6.9 diesel? It gots manual transmission and RWD and it seats four and it has loads of torque wich the internet says is better than horsepower anyway. (Seriously, OP. You want a BMW. Nobody else makes what you are looking for.)

Yep. I like my BMW's and whenever I try to turn away from them for a change of pace, they always pop up in my Craigslist searches. Sooner or later, I end up searching for them again!