I think with your budget and requirements, the Lexus IS250 is the best choice - but that's before factoring maintenance. I have not driven the stick shift, but I found the car to be extremely smooth and well put together (i.e. no creaks and squeaks that are very common for japanese cars). Subtle looks, progressive power delivery and quiet/comfortable drive - which is what I look for in a daily driver - no added drama. With RWD and stick shift, I'm sure you can have some fun with it too.
Edmunds has a good car maintenance review if you want to have a peek:
http://www.edmunds.com/audi/a4/2010/tco.html?style=101186696&zip=90210
2010 Audi A4 2.0L 4-cyl. Turbo AWD 6-speed Manual
[TABLE="width: 618"]
[TR]
[TH="align: right"][/TH]
[TH="align: right"]Year 1[/TH]
[TH="align: right"]Year 2[/TH]
[TH="align: right"]Year 3[/TH]
[TH="align: right"]Year 4[/TH]
[TH="align: right"]Year 5[/TH]
[TH="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]5 Yr Total[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="class: first"]
[TD]Depreciation[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,773[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,434[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,141[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$1,899[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$1,703[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]$10,950[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]Taxes & Fees[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$1,688[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$132[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$116[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$102[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$90[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]$2,128[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]Financing[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$658[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$523[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$383[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$236[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$85[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]$1,885[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]Fuel[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,436[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,509[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,584[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,662[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,742[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]$12,933[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]Insurance[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,050[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,122[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,196[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,273[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,353[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]$10,994[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]
Maintenance[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$1,484[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$602[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$589[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$1,402[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$704[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]
$4,781[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]
Repairs[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$1,356[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$1,462[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$1,574[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$1,693[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$1,821[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]
$7,906[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: tco-detail-total"]
[TD="class: first"]True Cost to Own ®[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$12,445[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$9,784[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$9,583[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$10,267[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$9,498[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, colspan: 6, align: right"]$51,577[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
2010 Acura TSX 2.4L 4-cyl. 6-speed Manual
5 Year Details
[TABLE="width: 618"]
[TR]
[TH="align: right"][/TH]
[TH="align: right"]Year 1[/TH]
[TH="align: right"]Year 2[/TH]
[TH="align: right"]Year 3[/TH]
[TH="align: right"]Year 4[/TH]
[TH="align: right"]Year 5[/TH]
[TH="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]5 Yr Total[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="class: first"]
[TD]Depreciation[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,060[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$1,807[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$1,590[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$1,409[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$1,264[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]$8,130[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]Taxes & Fees[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$1,438[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$118[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$107[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$96[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$87[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]$1,846[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]Financing[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$558[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$444[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$324[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$201[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$71[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]$1,598[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]Fuel[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,647[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,727[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,808[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,893[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,979[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]$14,054[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]Insurance[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$1,912[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$1,979[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,048[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,120[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,194[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]$10,253[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]
Maintenance[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$742[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$783[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$400[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$1,153[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$569[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]
$3,647[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]
Repairs[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$576[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$620[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$668[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$719[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$771[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]
$3,354[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: tco-detail-total"]
[TD="class: first"]True Cost to Own ®[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$9,933[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$8,478[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$7,945[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$8,591[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$7,935[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, colspan: 6, align: right"]$42,882[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
2014 Lexus IS 250 (2.5L V6 6-speed Automatic)
5 Year Details
[TABLE="width: 618"]
[TR]
[TH="align: right"][/TH]
[TH="align: right"]Year 1[/TH]
[TH="align: right"]Year 2[/TH]
[TH="align: right"]Year 3[/TH]
[TH="align: right"]Year 4[/TH]
[TH="align: right"]Year 5[/TH]
[TH="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]5 Yr Total[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR="class: first"]
[TD]Depreciation[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$7,923[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$3,922[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$3,452[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$3,058[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,745[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]$21,100[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]Taxes & Fees[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$3,549[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$234[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$209[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$186[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$167[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]$4,345[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]Financing[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$1,372[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$1,089[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$797[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$493[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$176[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]$3,927[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]Fuel[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,537[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,614[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,692[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,773[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,856[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]$13,472[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]Insurance[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,738[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,834[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$2,933[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$3,036[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$3,142[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]$14,683[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]
Maintenance[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$535[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$1,114[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$1,060[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$2,778[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$3,104[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]
$8,591[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: first"]
Repairs[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$429[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]
$658[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]
$1,087[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: last-row2"]
[TD="class: first"]Tax Credit[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$0[/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD="align: right"][/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, align: right"]$0[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: tco-detail-total"]
[TD="class: first"]True Cost to Own ®[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$18,654[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$11,807[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$11,143[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$12,753[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]$12,848[/TD]
[TD="class: last, bgcolor: #F5F5F5, colspan: 6, align: right"]$67,205[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
I used 90210 as the zip code. Not sure how accurate the results are.