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FWD is a complete non-starter. I'm not entirely opposed to AWD, but it's not my first choice. Anything Ford is also a complete non-starter from extensive personal experience, and also being aware of events in the automotive world and how Ford consistently handles them by throwing their owners under the bus.
Reliability, to me, mostly just means ability to get parts, no special factory tools that require licensure and whatever other nonsense, and no stupid engineering/cost cutting mistakes. I like to wrench, and I like building engines. I just need to be able to get parts. For many years, I exclusively drove air cooled VWs. They're insanely unreliable UNLESS you maintain them, then they're nearly bulletproof. Treat an ACVW like a modern car, and you're guaranteed to be done with it in under 2K miles, because it'll pretty much stop running when the valves stop opening. Maintenance includes engine rebuilds every 80-100K miles, and makes for a nice and genuinely pleasant weekend project. Kinda like a rotary, only no valves to adjust, and longer oil change intervals.
My third choice, that's barely on the radar at the moment, is a N55 335i. Full rear seat, rear doors, and trunk. They're boy racer darlings (just like the other two options), but finding a clean one with adult ownership is more likely than with the RX8, and obviously less than a new BRZ. Capable of big power, but heavy and not super tossable. Also, for all the complaints about oil consumption on rotaries (where it's intended), BMWs are some of the thirstiest cars I've ever come across in that regard; more than even a sick rotary in many cases. It's not NOT an option, just kind of at the back of the line there...
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