Good Car for College Student?

So after keeping a clean driving record for 4 years and earning scholarships to cover tuition, my dad agreed to buy me a new (or new-ish) car, with a cap of $35k. My only requirement for the car is that it's 250+ hp V6 and is part of a newer (2011+) model line (ie. No '12 Accord because it looks like an '08); I don't care about luxury like leather seats and navi. My dad's requirement are that it's a compact sedan/coupe or mid-size coupe and not American; no mid/full size sedans/SUVs. Also, it must be reliable, as I plan on driving this car for many years (10-15 years).

My car range seems really limited. I like the Camry SE V6/Acura TL, but they're too big. BMW 328i/Audi A4/Mercedes C250/Lexus IS250 are all too sluggish (I've driven a 328i before), but 335i/S4/C350/IS350 are all out of my price range. With the Acura TSX being discontinued this year, I think it's not a safe buy. In my opinion, the new Infiniti Q50/Honda Accord Coupe don't look nice at all. And though I like the Infiniti G37 coupe, its current model line was started in '09 and I want a newer model line ('09-'13 G37's are Really common at my school).

Is there any car I'm not considering? I'm honestly just thinking about keeping my '01 Civic with 295k miles on it for a bit longer while I shop around, but it's starting to have problems. The only thing is that even if a new car I like is put on the market, it will almost certainly be out of my price range for a while. Any recommendations?

Added (1). Just for clarification, I live in the US. I saw that my question is in the Australian forum and know that car prices are different there.

Combustion Leak (Block) Test: False Positive?

I recently had a blown head gasket repaired in my 2001 Honda Accord LX (4 cyl). New radiator also.

The only problem afterwards was that the car idled rough -- sometimes stall when stopping.

Took it back to the mechanic (he told me it was idling rough before he gave it back to me) and he replaced the idle control (idle regulator?). This made it better, but did not solve the problem completely. The car then would idle a little rough, but smooth out. If you UNPLUG the CT sensor, the car idles rough when cold, but then runs smoothly when warmed up. If you PLUG IN the CT sensor, it starts smoothly, but rough when in Drive. Check engine code = Idle Error Metering

My mechanic couldn't figure this out. He replaced the CT sensor, and some other parts in the electrical system, and it didn't help. He told me I needed to find someone with more knowledge about the electrical/computer system. (He didn't charge me for any of this electrical work.)

I took it to someone else (Firestone mechanic) and they did a diagnostic and tole me I have a blown or cracked head gasket!

He apparently did a Block Test, and it came back positive (for emissions in the coolant). I took it back to the original mechanic and he has done a compression check (all cylinders are at the maximum PSI of 125), checked the spark plugs (clean with no discoloration), and checked for overheating.

Is there any way the Block Test could be giving a false positive? Could emissions be present from before?

Does this mechanic bill look dishonest?

This is not my car. The car is a 1999 honda accord lx with 81,500 miles in good overall shape/strong engine. The shop replaced the ignition switch stating poor contacts inside the switch (the car never had any ignition problems) and the guy said told my mom the car could switch into neutral while driving if the switch was bump a certain way. The shop also replaced the oxygen sensor (the old one was previously checked and no codes were found, there was also continuity in the wiring and the engine light was not on. The shop added 3 quarts of new oil (there had been no signs of blue smoke or any oil loss plus it's a good running car and had an oil change 4250 miles ago with 4 quarts of oil added.

The cars problem when is went into the shop was it ran jogging speed without any gas and it made an odd sound which did not sound engine related. The only light on was the matenance light (the engine light was not on) . After the "repair" the noise is gone but the other problems still existed and the matenance light is still on.

heres the bill (roughly)

hourly rate - $100.00
replaced parts -
o2 sensor - $180.00 (I'm assuming it's oem/honda)
ignition switch - $90.00
3 quarts oil added 5w-30 - $10.00
total - $280.00

labor
upstream o2 sensor replacement $54.00
ignition switch replacement - $100.00
oil refill?
rack and piñon replacement? - $100.00
total repair cost - $459.00?

Car radio won't turn off after the ignition is off and key pulled out?

I have a 2008 Honda Accord and just recntly realized that the car radio stays on after the car is completely off. I turned the radio off manually but the led display still stays on. It has the factory radio. I also just got a new battery 2 days ago. Help please, what could it be and how do I fix it?

2003 honda accord coolant?

I drive 03 Honda accord and I put the wrong coolant in it which is green coolant. The question is: if I drain it out and can I just put the right coolant in it

Why is Honda stereotyped as 'slow'?

As slow as a Honda, as I always hear.

Honda has Civic SiR, Integra, Accord V6, turbocharged v-tec, etc. It is an excellent brand and is NOT slow.

Why are people so ignorant these days?