I Need A Manual, Great Handling And Rear-Wheel Drive! What Car Should I Buy?

Nick sold his RX-8 that he used to race regularly before the pandemic. Now that he is relocating to North Carolina with some sweet driving roads he wants to get another sporty car. He prioritizes balance and handling over horsepower. What car should he buy?

The 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R Is Here

(Welcome back to What Car Should You Buy? Where we give real people real advice about buying cars. Do you want us to help you find a car? Submit your story on our form.)

Here is the scenario:

I recently sold my beloved RX8 race car. The pandemic interrupted racing for me, and I found I valued the time I was spending with my family more than I did bombing around race tracks across the Midwest. Now we’re moving to the mountains of North Carolina, which have practically nothing but great driving roads. I am still a driver, even if I’m not racing anymore, and I find I want that sports car feeling again. I don’t need a very powerful car. Honestly, I like wringing the most out of a car at relatively safe speeds more than I do having my breath taken away by brutal acceleration. I raced an RX8, after all.

I do a lot of cycling. I’ll probably keep my truck to haul bikes around, but I do have in the back of my head this dream of having a fun car to drive to and from the trails. But that’s not really compatible with the list above.

I’m fairly open but the must-haves are a manual and rear drive. The only thing I really don’t want is an American car, they all seem too heavy. My budget is fairly open, if I can get a great car for $25k that would be ideal, but if I have to push up to $50k for the perfect ride I might be able to swing it.

Quick Facts:

Budget: up to $50,000

Location: Asheville, NC

Daily Driver: sort of

Wants: Good handling, RWD, 6MT

Doesn’t want: Anything American

Expert 1: Tom McParland – Did You Say Good Handling?

Image: Autotrader.com

If your priority is a car with balance over raw horsepower, there are a number of good options. Naturally, the Boxster/Cayman is the go-to but the Porsche market has gone absolutely bonkers so it’s hard to find the values that were once there. If creature comforts are not high on your list, I say go right for the Lotus Elise.

While the Elise is a pretty bare-bones car, what it lacks in amenities it makes up for in cornering ability. With a Toyota-sourced 1.8-liter motor sitting behind your shoulders and a chassis tuned to tear up an autocross, this car goes for maximum engagement. The only real issue is they are not super common, nor cheap. A quality example from 2005-2006 is going to run in the $40,000 range. The good news is that these cars have been hovering at that price point for so long, any further depreciation will be minimal. Here is one in Ohio with the correct color combo for a British sports car.

Expert 2: Lalita Chemello – Again, The Answer Is Always Miata

Photo: Mazda

Well Nick, at first, before seeing the rest of your specifics to your wants and needs of this fun-driving vehicle, I thought something like a V6 Mustang would be quite fitting and affordable. And since you are moving near NASCAR country, you would be a hero on the road. You don’t necessarily need the V8 power, but a Mustang can handle the windy roads without making you feel like you’re in an ocean liner on the rough seas, like many other American sports cars.

But you threw in the “not American” specific and a little (and almost missed) note about a 6-speed manual. This really narrows the options. So, I’m going to take up the honorable torch from my writer brethren, and suggest the one and only, Miata.

I could wax poetically about how this is the driver’s car – how you’re guaranteed to be planted in your turns, how rowing through your gears will ensure you never cross a mountain road without a smile. But we’ve done this before. A lot. And that’s why it is the answer 99.9999 percent of the time.

What’s even better about this option is you will easily hit closer to that $25k price tag. Hell, you can get a brand-spanking new one because those babies start at $28k. Do you want two? Build what you want. I even found this used 2022 red RF with only 662 miles on the clock for $34k, which feels steep, but car prices are still having some moments. You can obviously find cheaper.

Nick, just do it. Buy the Miata. You know you’ll love it. Everyone does.

Expert 3: Steve DaSilva – Get Your Knuckles Greasy

Photo: Toyota

Nick, you’ve got good taste. Within your specs and budget, you could end up with any number of cars — used BMWs, Lexuses, a Supra or two. But you want something that’ll hold a bike, and I can tell you that is compatible with your desires. You just need to know where to look.

Specifically, you need to look at the GR86/BRZ platform. I owned one of these (an FR-S) before working at Jalopnik, and I can confirm that a large frame, 29″ wheel mountain bike will fit in back with only the front wheel removed — no roof rack or SeaSuckers necessary.

My actual mountain bike in my actual FR-S, fitting perfectly fine. I did this regularly for a full summer with no issuesPhoto: Steve DaSilva / Jalopnik

With your budget, you could pick up a new GR86 (like this one for $33,565 in Hickory, NC) and call it a day. They’re incredibly fun cars, whether you’re taking them out to track days or sliding them through the snow. But if you want truly unbeatable handling, that too can be arranged within your budget.

First step, you’re going to reach out to Feal Suspension. Get yourself a set of adjustable coilovers, and set them up based on the advice of their in-house suspension wizards. Grab some adjustable sway bars and end links while you’re there.

Next, you may realize that you want more power. That too has a solution: Put a K24 in there and call it a day. This step could get a little tight for your budget if you’ve bought a new car, but there are plenty of used Toyobarus nearby that you could grab instead. With that, you’d have a dead-reliable high-revving engine to complement your exquisite chassis and fantastic suspension. All with room for a bike in the rear.

Expert 4: Rory Carroll – This Could All Be So Easy

Photo: AutoTrader

Look, a lot of sports car people have a natural bias against American cars, because half a century ago they were heavier than an MGB or whatever. But, times have changed. If I were you, I would buy this Camaro SS 1LE.

The ND Miata is about as fun as modern cars get, the Elise is an all-time great handling car. But the Miata comes with some limitations as far as interior space/practicality. The Elise has similar limitations while also being a twenty year-old Lotus. And a Toyobaru with a DIY suspension might work out well, but you’ll be futzing with it for the whole time you own it.

The SS 1LE is massively fun to drive, an all-time great handling car and it has a healthy V8 between the front wheels. You said you don’t need a lot of power, but does that mean you don’t want it? It’s right there. It is heavier than the other cars on the list, but you wouldn’t know it unless you put it on a scale. The power and the MagneRide suspension just eat the weight up. Listen to Randy. He knows.

Do you get to pretend you’re some elite, foreign car snob who would never set foot in a Chevy dealership? No. But you said it yourself, you’re a driver. This is the car you want to drive.