It's not that the engine or trans in the M3 is fragile, it's that ordinary parts/labor for these cars is about 4x what you would pay for a Honda or something similar. Welcome to the world of $4500 clutch replacements, and $650 alternators. No thank you.
So... I would say no. 17k though and a fun 4 door...
FA5 is good, you know what your getting already...
2004-2005 Cadillac CTS-V - has corvette running gear so not terribly expensive to repair, and is quite quick. Looking on Autotrader for 5 minutes I found several for under 20k, and a few under 17k, so look in your area for hopefully similar pricing. As with any car such as this, tires are a lot more expensive than what you're used too : )
4x4 extended cab pickup - different kind of fun, but you could rock an 2003-2006 4x4 Tacoma V6 in that range, almost bought one instead of the Si. 4 wheeling is fun, and a truck is useful. AND you know that under 100k for these trucks, your still pretty much fine.
Acura TL - great car, if you can get one in a manual REALLY great car, and you should be able to haggle to 17k with under 50k miles for a 2006 and prior.
Lexus IS350 - over your price range, but great car. Rear wheel drive too. Like a BMW, but reliable, and inexpensive to fix (relatively of course). I found a few for close to $21,000, so haggle room to $18,000, especially if you have check/pre-approval in hand.
That's my list. I would personally lean more towards the TL or the IS350, from a reliability standpoint, but the CTS-V, if you can get a good one at that price point, would be sick.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
