wow $3k. yeah the dealer i got mine from had $2k markup. I had complained about them not calling me back as promised before and got sticker price.

I'm 6 1" and I know what you're saying. you can try to lower the steering wheel and recline a little more but it depends on how you like driving. the steering is a little sensitive but it's a fun little car.

 

OK, You're a tall driver that needs a workable seat position, drive in the city, prefer a (decent) manual transmission, would appreciate decent city mpg, and would prefer something fun to drive in hatchback design. Did I mention a low price and easy to find. Oh yeah, and reliable too.

OK, we might have a winner but the downside is it is only a two door hatch so not as much versatility and space as a fit but still not bad for 2 Doors. Not as good for 4 people but great for two in the front plus their cargo.

It's the MINI Cooper Hardtop Base model in 5 speed manual. Either the older new MINI 2005 or 2006 used (quite easy to find in most cities).
Not the automatic, not as good performance or city mpg. Base Cooper in manual transmission can get about 30-32 city and 38 on the highway in real world driving. Skip the 16" runflats and just stick with the stock 15" wheels. If you want fun to drive with a good manual transmission and good seating position for a tall driver and very safe (airbags, ABS, etc). Later year MINIs are more reliable than 2002 and 2003. Lots of standard luxury features.

I do autocrossing and the stock MINIs usually beat the G35s. I think it's easier to drive a MINI and not so easy to do as well in a G35 without having enough skill.

You can put a large amount of stuff in the back seat and trunk area of a MINI. Foldable split seats in the rear and some owners take out the rear seat and put in a flat panel for maximum space. With the rear seats down there is enough room for a boxed SONY 27" TV in the rear.

For 2007 there is a Newer redone MINI with more power and different Renault BMW engine. Cooper S gets turbo not the Supercharger it had before. For best city mpg don't get the Cooper S, it's like the G35 and fast and too fun to drive to get best city mpg. Real world Cooper S owners get about 25 mpg in mixed driving and up to 33 mpg on the highway. If you driver really aggressively expect about 20-22 mpg overall. Premium gas recommended but not required.

Try taking a base Cooper for a test drive and if you are interested in it then send me a PM and I will let you know about things you can do to maximize your mpg and driving pleasure. The MINI is very highly customizable and there is a very active following (clubs with dealer support) in most cities.

 

Due to short supply especially with the manual transmission Sport model, many dealerships can expect very high selling prices. Demand far outstrips supply and doesn't seem to be improving much for 2007.

If there is any jump in oil prices the demand could be much much worse in a hurry. Wait time in my area is about 4 to 6 months depending on color preferred and which model and transmission. We see very few base FITs and very very few manual transmissions. Most are Sport automatics.

$2500 to $3000 over MSRP is normal for my area and Costco buying program brings that down to $2000 over MSRP. The best option is to be able to shop farther away and get one for MSRP which isn't a bad deal. Just email or call around to dealerships far and wide and usually you can find something. Bigger cities are not so good about prices.

 

I'd hope! The G350Z is a pretty terrible autocross car.