I like that your wife is comfortable using "LSx" as a verb.

I think the Used 2000 Dodge Viper RT/10 Roadster for
$25,000 in black isnt a bad deal but I think its less car than what my '06srt8 Hemi was and the Viper has more mileage.... again, it is old. Its soon to be a 12 year old car. When I sold my foxbodys i said NEVER AGAIN!. I do like some refinement in a vehicle, I do like A/C and ---- not to fall apart every time I drive it.

The Elise. Yes, that car is pimp. I am a big boy though, perhaps a bit too big for that. Not sure how it compares to the Miata but I dont fit well in a Miata (no long trips for me.. lol). Question, the Elise ever come in tiptronic? I could see my wife rocking that. Downside, our son is 2.5 and still requires a baby sit so its a no go. They are priced very competitively IMO.

Mustangs over all.. i have been there and done that although all with Foxbodies. For me I am more drawn in by the community than the car itself, or at least in this instance pushed away more. Locally speaking, many Mustang owners are complete dickwads. It is as if they have something top secret and valued like gold..... that was how it used to be. I put so much distance between them and me that in the end it ruined the whole car experience anyhow. I didnt want to drive it cause i didnt want to speak to a Mustang enthusiast because i had become so tainted that i never gave a ---- and anything I had to say was nothing but negative bs.

All of what I didnt want pushed me to buy the SRT8. But it sat around and was used to daddy duty once in a blue moon. If the car is going to sit it might as well be more bad ass and exotic.

350z is lame. I dont like anything about them.

There is so much appeal to big HP. LSx Miata would be sweet but how many heavy modded cars have characteristics like a new car? Almost none, or at least none that I have owned. I am being picky. I am being picky cause i say i will wrench but i wont. I want to buy it and be made fun of for paying for it instead of busting knuckles (lol). This is Canada, there arent many 'real' shops so going to a real custom car is not the road I want to venture down again unless I get good with the v8m Miata crew and I start buying beer and pizza + wings and have everyone come over and educate me.... I would then kill the first person that says "should have bought a new car Rick". lol

go with the stang, cast your net down toward Tennessee\Georgia area. the cars from that area have less rust then up our area.

I've heard that the Viper the the polar opposite to refinement, I do not think the Elise ever came with anything other then a normal manual, and an abnormally large percentage of Mustang owners everywhere are douchbags, this is a fact.
You get a non-Z06 C6 for around 25K (American $) w/ less then 50K miles, I saw a 05' on autotrader for $26,9xx with 25,xxx miles.
There are 1st gen CTS-V's, LS2 (400hp) GTO's, BMW M3's/M5's, RX-7's, Supras, EVO's and WRX STi's to be had for around $25K, maybe NSX's, and Pontiac G8 GT's too.
It's good to be picky, it helps make sure you'll be happy with what you get.

For 25k and a 4-door with low(er) cost of ownership, I'd go with a really nice EVO. Basic mods puke out reliable power. Sure a E39 M5 would be fun, but for what it'll cost you to put a decent intake and exhaust on it, you can run circles around it with an EVO.

lol, my next car is going to be an E39 M5. Ever since I drove one around a year ago I've been in love.

(coming from the guy who used to build evos for a living, too.) :)

As much as I would like an EVO/C5 Z06/C6/STi/Supra Turbo, I have a sneaking suspicion that these aren't what Rick is after.
I think for reliability, comfort, fun, family hauling etc. the CTS-V or GTO would be the way to go. The M\\\ cars are have all of the above but they would be more expensive to insure & maintain. The EVO might be a little harsh, but it does have 4 doors. The STi I've heard is less harsh, so that might be worth looking into, it also of course has AWD which would be nice during the winter.