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I thought I'd start a thread seeking advice for my current car shopping, since there seem to be quite a few fellow "driving enthusiasts" here (I discovered "Top Gear" from this forum, and now I'm hooked). So, first, some background:

I love to drive and have often used something akin to "speed therapy" to just head out into the night to listen to the mingle of an engine, wind and crickets to help make sense of things. However, a few years ago I shattered my left leg and had to switch to driving automatics. I can finally go back to getting a standard. So, here are my criteria:

-Handles well
-Reliable
-Hopefully not a ticket magnet (I live in Ohio)
-Under $25K, preferably closer to $20K or less
-Manual transmission.

I first looked to Honda (and Acura). It's a sad state, really. The Preludes, Integras and RSXs are all gone, the S2000 is going away, the Accords have become bloated and the Civics are now smooshed minivans. I tried to find a manual Accord Coupe, but no one has one in stock. In short, I felt like I went to visit and old friend, one I remember as being active and full of life, but found that she has lost all of that and now just sits at home, watching TV and eating cheese puffs.

I looked to Mazda, and the 3 seems like a great car. I even test drove one and, while I got stuck behind a minivan on the curved road, it handled well and was pretty sporty. The amenities are pretty impressive, as well. I also looked at the 6 and even glanced at the RX-8.

And Subaru. Is it just me or have those cars changed quite a bit in the last few years? They seem like they're becoming fairly Toyota-ized, which might not be a bad thing on much of the line, but not the WRX.

I seriously thought about going ahead with the Mazda3, but the S models run around $20-23K when optioned (and you can't get a moonroof without the Bose stereo, etc.). A favorite line in reviews of this car is that it's the one to get if you can't get a BMW.

But for that much money, I can get a used BMW. I then realized that I can also find a used RSX for that, and even an S2000 (although, again, I live in Ohio, and being 6'2"/250lbs, my getting in and out of a roadster could become an embarrassing viral video).

So, anyway, if anyone's read this far, what do you think?

Used RSX-S (There are a couple with under 40k miles for around $16K