I didn't find the is300 to be bad with blind spots. I haven't driven a hard-top 330, but the convertible is horrible with the blind spots (top up). The A4 isn't the best, either, I don't like the tiny rear view....it's like looking out a peephole compared to my Honda.
How long do you think your expenses will stay low? Also, how much have you thought 'bout insurance? For M < 25 and a nice ride you're looking at a good 200-300/month on insurance alone.
If your expenses will stay low for a while, and insurance isn't a problem (like, 'rental units paying for it), then you can afford quite a bit. If it's something you plan to mod heavily, I'd probably say go used. If you don't plan on doing lots of mods, you could afford a pretty nice new car.....that is, if you're gonna be having low expenses for the next 3-5 years.
I financed slightly less than 10k for 60 months @ 5.25% with a minimum payment of ~$190/month. Of course I pay much more than that, I don't wanna run for 5 years of this crap....but that's just to put payments into perspective in case you hadn't seen how much it really would cost on a monthly basis.
I think you should ditch the RWD and go for a new Mini. Oh yeah....ok, ok, so I want a Mini.
b