Easy solution---- Buy an E36 M3 4-door manual, or a 330i ZHP. Replace the whirling propeller emblem with a Ford, Cadillac, Dodge, Honda or any other badge that doesn't turn you off. Drive the wheels off the thing, and enjoy yourself.
Hating a car because of it's badge is as silly as thinking you are better than someone else because of your car's badge. You are only robbing yourself by not considering what appears to be the most logical choice.
Don't worry. In a lot of the E46, the badge sticker on the front has already worn off so you won't even notice it's a BMW.
Honestly, There are only 3 real horses in the race if you really want a stick. G35, 330I, or V6 Lincoln LS if you can find one with a stick.
I chose Infiniti personally because of the reliability of the platform and it was the best example I found in my price range.
bmw88rider wrote: Honestly, There are only 3 real horses in the race if you really want a stick. G35, 330I, or V6 Lincoln LS if you can find one with a stick.
There's also the Jaguar S Type that the Lincoln LS is based on.
But not many combinations out there of midsized, four doors, rear wheel drive, and a stick.
Obligatory question? I enjoy joining a RWD car about as much as anyone but in the real world (read: less than perfect conditions) AWD offers better performance. Have you considered the offerings from Audi or Subaru?
Jeff wrote: In reply to RX Reven': You forgot to mention you're on your third engine
Hi Jeff,
I wanted to keep my post quick but in the interest of full disclosure, I am on my second engine.
The first one blew its brains out at 86,000 miles and the fine folks at Mazda replaced it at no charge.
Here’s the thing, I had front end damage from a hit and run at around 75,000 miles and shortly after that, I began getting low coolant warnings. At first, I’d diligently check the cooling system when I’d get the warning but after many experiences of finding nothing wrong, I began to ignore them…I know, I know, bad rotor parenting.
Anyway, we’ll never know if my engine failure was due to cooling system damage or if it legitimately is an example of short rotary engine life.
What I can say is that I’ve now got 145,000 miles on my second engine which isn’t even a fresh one from Hiroshima but rather a rebuild from Kentucky and it’s running perfectly.
Additionally, I put 286,000 miles on my FC RX-7 and sold it with its original engine and although the compression on the rear rotors was getting low, there was still a fair amount of life left.
Anyway, my apologies for being a rotary fan boy…couldn’t resist countering the internet haters (not you Jeff, I mean in general) with 517,000 miles of real experience.
In reply to Joe Gearin:
And they are the most logical choice in this quest.
Sorry dude. BMW is your answer. Case closed.
In all seriousness there is a desperate lack of choices in this segment.
If you can look past the manual part, I think a 300C might be up your alley:
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=19030&endYear=2016&modelCode1=300&showcaseOwnerId=70760&startYear=1981&makeCode1=CHRY&searchRadius=25&maxPrice=8000&mmt=%5BCHRY%5B300%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&listingId=395144293&Log=0
Nick_Comstock wrote: In all seriousness there is a desperate lack of choices in this segment.
Truth.
So far the IS300, Lincoln LS, and RX8 are the ones I find most interesting. And an interesting car might win out over a good one, the same reason some people buy Alfa Romeos. We just find different cars interesting.
300C: again, the Chryslers are just too gigantic to appeal to me.
Joe, I'm not even going to pretend my dislike of BMW is rational. Yet when I look at them I just can't drum up any interest, and as I said, interesting goes a long way.
I feel like people sleep on the IS300. Even though my old Mazda6 V6 could dust one (blame the short gearing of the IS and the lack of decent power), they're great cars. 9/10ths of the E46 with Lexus reliability and build quality. They look great, and once you swap out the dash you're good to go.
Why the BMW hate?
In reply to Will:
So they don't look interesting to you, but have you driven one? In anger? Might be worth trying if you haven't. There is a reason why they are the go to answer and why so many cars fall short of them as a target. The Pontiac GTO and G8 came closest it seems, along with the IS-F, but those are all out of your budget.
Will wrote:Nick_Comstock wrote: In all seriousness there is a desperate lack of choices in this segment.Truth. So far the IS300, Lincoln LS, and RX8 are the ones I find most interesting. And an interesting car might win out over a good one, the same reason some people buy Alfa Romeos. We just find different cars interesting. 300C: again, the Chryslers are just too gigantic to appeal to me. Joe, I'm not even going to pretend my dislike of BMW is rational. Yet when I look at them I just can't drum up any interest, and as I said, interesting goes a long way.
Looking at them is not DRIVING them. You are trying to come up with all sorts of excuses and justifications for not getting the car that ACTUALLY meets your criteria. DRIVE one in a performance setting. They get VERY interesting, ina good performance way. Precise handling, excellent power delivery, great ergonomnics, etc. As was said, there's a reason they are the benchmark. They're that good. As I said, my wife was similar to you in having an irrational hatred of the cars, then she drove one and she got it.
Anyhow, buy what you want. We're just giving you the actual answer to your question. if you don't want to hear the answer, don't ask the question. 
lol!
Wizard_Of_Maz wrote: 9/10ths of the E46 with Lexus reliability and build quality
I am not quite sure that is always as good of a thing as people think.......
Don't do the Lincoln LS they are not fun and they suck E36 M3 to work on. That is all.
Also, have you thought about looking for a SBC swapped Volvo? As picky as you are I think we can try looking at cars that were modified to meet your requirements. Or you could buy a BMW 
Will said:
Joe, I'm not even going to pretend my dislike of BMW is rational. Yet when I look at them I just can't drum up any interest, and as I said, interesting goes a long way.-----------
I understand--- there are certain marques turn me off a bit as well. It's irrational, but sometimes that doesn't matter. If BMW isn't an option, as others have said, the G35-- G37 Infinitys are good cars. A little more coarse than a comparable BMW, but nice machines that hold up well over time. I bet you'd like a GTO as well, if you can swing the extra dough. They are a lot like a Mustang / Camaro but with a much nicer interior, and a higher-quality feel.
Will wrote: Joe, I'm not even going to pretend my dislike of BMW is rational. Yet when I look at them I just can't drum up any interest, and as I said, interesting goes a long way.
Why do we have to beat him up on this? If he doesn't want a BMW, that is that. With all the alternatives mentioned in this thread BMW isn't the only game in town.
I personally just sold my E36 and replaced it with a Lexus. Although my BMW never left me stranded, I was sick of random dashboard lights and hoping that things would hold out until I could fix it on the weekend. It was a nice driving car and fairly easy to work on, I just felt that I was working on it a little too often.
In reply to yamaha:
Forgive the blanket statements, but I have found the build quality of old Lexus and Toyota products to be superb. In fact, I looked at IS300s when shopping for me G35. The greatest threat to the IS is the Fast and Furious crowd that, too often, seems to end up with them and modify them in horrid ways.
Gen 1 CTS?
what this thread does illustrate.. there are not a lot of mid-sized RWD sedans out there.. and especially few that are truly sporty. That was a market ze germans had to themselves for a very long time
G_Body_Man wrote: Gen 1 CTS?
I had a CTS-V, and without the drivetrain & brakes there's nothing to recommend it.
As for Lexus quality: after my experience owning my MR2 I'd be inclined to give Lexus the benefit of the doubt.
drdisque wrote: Merkur Scorpio? (I know, no manual in the US).
I am fairly sure 200 manual Scorpios were brought in.
Here's the answer for good handling RWD with a manual that isn't BMW:
In reply to m4ff3w:
Other than an Alfa Romeo I don't even know what that is. But I'm going to assume it's as rare as a unicorn and as fragile as Kanye West's ego.
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