I'm wanting to sell my truck and look at a cheap new or used car. I'm thinking about 17,000 at most. it would be nice to have a sportier car that gets decent gas mileage like around 25, has good insurance rates. it would be awesome if it had good performance too, but i don't want a little grocery getter car. any suggestions?

i already know a Subaru is out because the insurance is sky high
and i don't want a mustang because of the insurance either.

i was looking at the Mazdaspeed 3 for a while, but there are hardly any used ones and i can't afford a new one.

Do you like Honda Civics? Pontiac G5s?
Chevy Cobalts? Toyota has 0% interest on most of their cars right now. If you can negotiate a really good deal and get 0% interest! thats perfect.

Now is the perfect time to buy new, the 08s should have decent deals on them because the market is super slow and people want to move metal. I worked at a dealership next to MAZDA and they sold more cars than we did but didnt make much profit because they were literally just giving cars away lol. If you buy used.... buy off the street, have a mechanic look at it.
U mention your budget is 17,000... are you looking to pay cash or to finance? if your looking to finance, Are you more concerned with the price of the car or your monthly payments? I was a salesman, if you want to keep in touch... shoot me an email and we'll discuss more options if you want.

Im Glad that i helped =) thanks for voting me the best answer.

For that kind of money, you could probably get a 2004 Audi A4 convertible with 25 to 30K miles, but only with a 1.8 turbo engine.

I know it seems small but if you want to get decent MPG, then that would be sufficient for you.

And additionally, you get a German car that is not going to break on you for many, many years.

if you want to keep more of your money in your pocket, I would pick up this guide on this site I found. I found a good running car from an auction. Low miles, one owner, and drives great. I got a good deal so cheap. Good luck.

Go to: impounded-car-auctions.com

Mazda 6 might fit your description. You could pick up a nice used one for uder 15K. They are cool fast little cars that are good on gas.

I have a Ford Fusion and I love it. It's not *really* sporty looking, but I keep noticing more and more of them on the road! :) You should look them up. Happy hunting :)