have you considered a used BMW? they're fairly cheap but not that reliable. i would look for an e90 with an n52. they handle good, have enough power, pretty good fuel economy, and the non turbo inline 6 is complicated but not extremely so. and YouTube can show you most all the steps to fix it when it breaks.
my friend bought a 2008 328i a few years ago and so far he's done shocks, struts, a coolant hose, plugs, coils, and a new battery, and a new radiator and core support and condenser because he rear ended a truck and impaled the cooling stack and radiator fan. his is an N51, which meets tighter emissions spec, has an air pump and a special radiator and fan that are supposed to "clean ozone" but the special radiator is like $500 instead of just $150.
this friend also has a lead foot and has probably payed more in speeding tickets and impound/court fees than he has for the car and all the repairs