What is the best recent sportscar between 20K and 30K?

you like the massive hoodscoop and spoiler? doesn't make you think a 16 y/o trust-fund kid is inside? Giant hood scoops and wings are fine, so long as you actually race the thing. If it's a tarmac-only commuter, you get it without the enormous fucking wing, relocate the intercooler and put on a scoop-free hood. The thing is, looking at his list, I see: Nissan 350Z - pro: affordable, con: can't double as a practical car, a bit boring to drive, IMO. Mustang GT - pro: fast, easily upgraded. con: handling bites it. It's basically a straight line machine unless you do way too much work. Subaru WRX - pro: really fun, handles fantastic, can take a fair bit of punishment, somewhat practical. con: I don't really see one. Jetta GLI - pro: practical, easy to drive. con: doesn't feel fast, isn't really fun. Mercedes SLK convertible (used) - I've never driven an SLK, but I do have a Mercedes. The maintainance costs (for mine, at least) are high. I've never been a fan of the low-end Mercedes though. Mazda RX-8 - I like this car in theory, but in practice it doesn't pan out. Acura RSX type S - I don't have any objective commentary in either direciton. and others... Honda S2000 - I wouldn't want one as my only car. Mazda Miata - They're supposed to be fun, but they're like little homosexual go-carts. I know that's not kosher to say, but they are. Mini Cooper - I'd love to get one to race in a cooper spec series, but as a daily driver, it's so.... cute? I don't mean that as a good thing. Pontiac Anything - It's a pontiac.

I owned a late-90s 540i which handled like a cow and I drove it into a tree almost immediately upon buying it, so I don't recommend that. I test drove the M coupe around the same time period and it was kinda crappy for a BMW (e.g., no keyless entry). My last car was a 350Z which was very nice except for a lot of rattling and many warranty maintenance issues (it was a 2003 model, the first year available, so to be expected). I was once badly beaten by a WRX on cornering, and the few times I raced other cars I usually came out ahead, so I'd at least check out the WRX.

Audi S4 owner here. Mine is a 2000 - the B5 series. It's a fantastic car, but it's a GT, not a sports car in the "light and flickable" sense. I've driven my S4 back to back with an '01 WRX, and found the Rex felt too tinny and, as noted, anemic under 3K rpm. OTOH, at $3.25/Gal, I am already getting tired of feeding my Audi premium gas for 20 mpg combined. Other suggestions: There's nothing like a mid-engine car for handling: A used Boxter S, or an '04 Toyota MR2 Spyder. If you are in a non-smog state, you can put a hotter head on the MR-2. The new Miata (er, MX-5) looks like good stuff. Ford Focus SVT - Cosworth, baby! Revvy, serious getrag tranny, and fast. A friend w/ an SVT runs laps with the P-cars & E46 M3s. A serious sleeper - if you don't mind the front wheel drive. If you care about handling, cross the truckstang off your list. blech. But if you want a *real* sports car? Buy the nicest http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M3you can find. Yeah, it'll be 15 years old. It will require mechanical attention. It will be beaten off the line by V6 Camrys. All that matters not a whit. Driving the E30 M3 is like dancing with Fred Astaire. You will have plenty of opportunities to dream about it from behind the wheel of your Corolla while you are stuck in commute traffic. Plus, an E30 M3 will depreciate a tiny fraction of what anything else on your list will. Like the 911, a decent M3 will not drop below $15K, no matter how old. Along similar lines but newer: The BMW M Coupe.

Whatever car you get, if you want it to be fun and fast you should figure out how to drive manual and get it in manual. It is WAY more fun to drive. Automatic is good for driving while you talk on your phone and eat your 7-layer burrito.

Subaru WRX Sti. I recently bought a new one for 30 grand. Extremely fast and amazing AWD handling. 0-60 in under 4.8 seconds stock, maybe faster if you learn how to launch it. It will also outrun any of the other cars in your list in the 1/4 mile. Exiting a corner with AWD lets you stomp on the gas without worrying as much about loosing traction. If you eventually want more power, simply upgrading the exhaust and getting the computer tuned will put you well over 300 hp/tq at the wheels. Drawbacks: The spoiler on the trunk is large. Insurance is expensive. I have a great record, and my premium more than doubled when compared with a Jetta TDI. Road noise from the low-profile tires. Comes with performance summer tires. Absolutely do not drive them in snow.

I've only been a passenger, but a friend of mine bought a http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Followup/articleId=108776 and absolutely loves it. It's certainly in your price range. And, from the times I've been in it, I can say it's got quite a kick. He's doing autocross racing in it, and he's even convinced two other friends to get tCs. So maybe it's something you might want to consider.

ILT, I seriously have to contest your claim that the handling on the Mustang sucks. I've spent some quality time on a race track in the WRX as well as the S2000, 2 cars considered to be excellent in the handling dept, and I'm not at all disappointed in the GT. Yes, it's heavy and not lightning quick to react, but I would put it on par with the last 330i coupe I drove. Although it is an ancient technology, the solid rear axle does do a lot to keep body roll in check, and the weight distribution of 57/43 bests the WRX's 60/40. If you're basing that on previous Mustangs, or even the V6 version of the new one, then yes, I can see what you mean. The previous versions were genuinely horrifying. The new one is exponentially better.

Audi's don't appeal to me that much, I've heard they need a lot of money for upkeep (a con that is shared with the VWs, to be fair), which I'm really not keen on. I'm already dropping what for me a good chunk of change, I don't want routine expensive repairs on top of it. Plus there lower end options seem like someone took a perfectly fine VW and threw on a bunch of options I don't need and upped the price $5,000-$10,000. I'd have to go back to an '02 to afford an S4, for example. I'm also not into modding much, so it looks like the Mustang maybe out (it may be straight pavement from here to the horizon where I am in the midwest but I do like to have the ability to turn, should such a thing be necessary :-) )

I wonder if a used S4 or RS4 is in your price range...