Here's a question...if your Lincoln had a manual do you think you'd have a different opinion of her and maybe keep her?
I think the Accord is a decent choice, but I tend to think it has a more luxury feeling than some of the others you listed.
Obviously the two VWs make a a lot of sense and I know the Golf R put a smile on your face when you drove mine. The GTI is also very good but as you stated they will be replacing it with a new one in a year or two. I'm not sure the Golf R will be stopping production as you stated only because it's pulled from the eGolf line and that vehicle will likely continue on being produced for the 2020 model year.
I get why you wouldn't like the styling of the Civic Type R but the normal Civic Si in sedan form is fairly subdued. It has enough performance to be fun, is very fuel efficient, and is one of the cheaper options (meaning you could buy it in your 3 year timeframe, trade it in, and the resale is strong).
The Hyundai Veloster N might not be as garish as the Type R but it's definitely more boy racer than a GTI. I've read it's a very good vehicle indeed, but if you don't like the styling then that's hard to change.
It's too bad the Suabru WRX isn't on the newer Imprezza platform because that might have been a decent choice. It's not as boy racer when you delete the rear spoiler.
Hi John. I was hoping you'd weigh in as one of the resident experts on the Golf R. And yes, I most certainly did have a wide grin after driving your R. Thanks for that.
To modify your question a bit, if Ford offered a 400HP sport sedan with a manual transmission would that have been the better choice for me? Absolutely. It may be that even the Fusion Sport would have been the better choice. I put a lot of thought into that car but I guess I didn't take into account that I wasn't ready to give up on finding something a bit more raw... or at least less isolating.
Based on a yours and another recommendation I took a deeper dive into the Honda website and then watched some YouTube reviews. I think the Si deserves a spot on my shopping list. It's styling is still a bit over-the-top, especially compared to the R, but if I spec it out in black that tends to cause the the black trim pieces to blend in better. And the spoiler isn't too bad either.
Until last night I hadn't considered a WRX as a possibility either. The lower-trim, non-STI models, are relatively subdued. As you note, they are getting along in age but by the time I'm ready to swap cars the Golf Mk7.5 will be quite dated too and many parts of the world will already have the Mk8. That doesn't bother me about the Golf though. The Golf is a great car and it's styling over the years has been evolutionary. I really like the styling of the current Golf and I think I'd rather drive an R with the current engine technology rather than wait and get into a Mk8 with the mild hybrid drivetrain that seems likely.
The primary reason that the Accord is on my list is that it is available with a manual transmission and has decent power and torque numbers. But I admit that the only reason I'd consider it is for the manual transmission and that probably isn't enough.
I hope you're right about the Golf R remaining available even after the Mk8 starts production in June. If that's the case it takes away any concerns I have about timing. My worry was that if I arrived in October or so and was about to pull the trigger that the R wouldn't even be an option unless I could find one left over on a lot. (Oddly, SJ VW has two Rs in on spec. The salesman I've dealt with there since 1998 told me that's a first. They have a red one with the DSG and more recently they brought in a manual with one of the $3K paint options - Bordeaux Red Pearl. It's a beautiful car. Given the market for the R is quite small, that car could still be available later in the year.) But if there will be a 2020 available that means I no longer need to worry about timing. I was going so far as thinking I could order an R at the last minute knowing that delivery would take three or four months and then I'd have a couple of months where I'd have the MKZ and the R.
(As an off-topic aside, having no timing issues on my next car will also allow me to solve another problem. I ordered my MKZ in early August 2016. The dealer figured it would be delivered in a month. I got it just before Christmas. I'd much rather take possession of a new car in the spring rather than when I get it the winter tires have to go on immediately and it has to endure a harsh Maritime winter. When the Lincoln goes back in mid-December this year I could just take a monthly rental on something for a few months letting me hit the 'reset' button on delivery times.)
Thanks for responding. I'm glad I posted this thread because some options have been mentioned that I hadn't considered. Which was the entire point, I guess.