F30 328i alternatives

[brianb]

My wife is after a new car, something a little nicer than her current daily Peugeot 308 (which shouldn't be difficult!)

Now the f30 328i lux seems to fit the bill perfect however the only off putting factor is that it's maby a little boring/plain, she owned a rx8 for 6yrs prior to the 308 which she adored however it wasn't really practicle when she fell pregnant, a modern alternative would be nice

Guidelines are as follows:
Something more rare/exciting/different than the 328i
4 doors, standard saloon/family hatch size
Sporty performance, needs a bit of poke
Hoping to keep depreciation low, usually buy at around 3/4yrs old
Max budget of £15,000
Mpg and insurance don't really concern us too much, if we could keep under the £500 tax bracket would be a bonus

Any ideas?

[brianb]

Unsure why the angry face in the title!! I'll blame the iPad

I forgot to add, we have also considered a m135i however it may be a little small if baby number two happens

[brianb]

Cheers for the input it's genuinely appreciated,

She's not keen on the evo/Impreza idea as it may sent out the wrong image being a social worker,

The c350 merc is a fantastic shout, never really considered one, the only slight down point is that's it's not the current model and will likely suffer higher depreciation?

[brianb]

300bhp/ton said:

Really? Isn't that rather nuts?

Not sure what your implying but it's expected that she portrays herself professionally when visiting clients or court ect, turning up in a jap rally rep with a oversized bonnet scoop or rear wing is hardly that

Any further suggestions?